Fashion Kills
The Bata Shoe Museum in Toronto recently had an exhibit about the perils of Victorian fashion called “Fashion Victims: The Perils and Pleasures of Dress in the 19th Century.”
Nowadays, we worry about people developing anorexia and plastic surgery addictions, but try wearing a dress made of arsenic. The world had no colorfast green dye until Carl Wilhelm Scheele mixed copper with arsenic. Suddenly, Scheele’s Green was everywhere—in dresses on wallpaper—and people were literally swooning for it, as it tended to overcome people with it vapors. There were other consequences.
That’s a lithograph of someone’s hands and the effects of arsenic dyes.
Aside from this deadly green, the tulles that were popular at the time were causing women to go up in flames if they got too close to a candle. Even ballerinas were bursting in flames if they got too close to the footlights. More info about the exhibit can be found at; http://www.batashoemuseum.com/exhibitions/fashion_victims/index.shtml
Source, including pictures; http://hyperallergic.com/133571/fatal-victorian-fashion-and-the-allure-of-the-poison-garment/
Buffy Visits Bulgaria
Bulgarian archaeologist, Nikolai Ovcharov, who’s known as the Indiana Jones of Bulgaria, has unearthed a vampire grave.
Sadly, this isn’t a real vampire (I think). The unfortunate man was buried with part of an iron ploughshare driven through their chest to keep him from rising from the dead and tormenting the living. This kind of treatment was usually reserved for those who died suspicious deaths, like suicides.
This is the third grave like this discovered in Bulgaria. Has Buffy been to the land of Viktor Krum?
Not Clowning Around!
The organization Clowns of America International has a bone to pick with American Horror Story creator Ryan Murphy.
Glenn Kohlberger, the president of the organization, says that “Hollywood makes money by sensationalizing the norm.” He may be a professional clown but, where I come from, clowns are so not the norm! According to Clowns of America International, shows like American Horror Story contribute to fear of clowns. In this writer’s opinion, clowns don’t need any help, they’re scary all by themselves.
Source; http://www.hollywoodreporter.com/news/professional-clown-club-attacks-american-740768
Blood-stained Cheerleading Costume too Much
An angry mum in the U.K. is demanding a store remove its bloodstained cheerleader costume.
Sheila Pinney of Bristol was upset that her four-year-old child saw it and she had to explain what it was. She even put up a petition on change.org to have them removed, which is now up to about a hundred signatures.
Just so we’re clear, ghosts, skeletons, and zombies are fine, but dead cheerleader is unacceptable?
Source; http://www.mirror.co.uk/news/weird-news/mum-demands-asda-scrap-blood-stained-4455698
Haunted House Benefit
Summerwind, originally known as the Lamont Mansion, was featured on the ghost documentary “A Haunting.” I guess the cobwebs and blood-dripping walls could use a little sprucing up.
The mansion, in West Bay Lake, Wisconsin, was struck by lightning two years after the current owner bought it for his wife. The plan is to rebuild it according to its original blueprints. Those who get involved will have a chance to have their name engraved on a wall inside the house, which seems like a great way to have a ghost follow you home.
Interested in helping? There’s more info here. http://www.vcnewsreview.com/lifestyle/group-looking-rebuild-summerwind-sets-benefit
Ta ta for this week and stay weird,
Scarina