Unusual Collection (page 6)

Joan Crawford Fan Mail
A fan's letter to Joan Crawford, using a portrait of her face in lieu of an address. Date: 1933

Diving Off a Bi-Plane
A Moth bi-plane being put to imaginative use at the De Havilland School of Flying at Hatfield. Date: 1932

Brooklands Racetrack and the River Wey
Motor racing at Brooklands, observed by punters on the River Wey. Date: 1932

Sporting Curiosities
Golfers in North Carolina wagering that they won't be put off their game when accompanied by musicians and dancing caddies

Horse at a Tea Party
Grand National winner Forbra enjoying a spot of high tea, courtesy of trainer Tom Rimell and family. Date: 1932

Racing at Kempton Park
A low-angled shot captures both spectators and competitors at the Easter Saturday horserace at Kempton Park. Date: 1932

Wicket Drying Machine
A new machine for drying wickets being tried out at Lord's cricket ground. Running off electricity, it dries the wickets with a current of hot air. Date: 1931

Harvard Try-Out Barge
A twenty-oar barge used at Harvard University to select and train boat crews. The coach can walk up and down the centre deck. Date: circa 1925

Tennis Rackets
Images showing the differing constructions of tennis rackets through the ages. From the museum of F. H. Ayres, sports outfitters. Date: circa 1924

Advert for Walpoles
Walpoles, advertising Autumn 1939's must-have outfit: an all-in-one air-raid shelter suit, with pockets large enough to accommodate gas-mask, torch and make-up. Available in Air Force blue

Advert for Kershaw's Binoculars
Advert for Kershaw's Sportsman Binoculars - worn like spectacles. Date: 1939

Mexican mummies
Royal mummies in a Mexican tomb. The methods of preservation are similar to Egyptian mummies, but here they are positioned standing. Date: circa 1910

Unconventional aircraft Pterodactyl tailless aeroplane undergoing tests at Yeovil, Somerset Date: 1938

Unique letterbox - Western side St. George's Square, PImlico
Unique letterbox on the Western side of St. George's Square, Pimlico, London - now removed Date: 1954

Famous conjoined sisters Daisy and Violet Hilton
The Brighton United Twins - famous conjoined sisters Daisy and Violet Hilton (1908-1969). The twins were exhibited in Europe as children, and toured the United States sideshow

A smart gentleman out for a cycle - an unidentified location
A smart gentleman out for a cycle (in his plus-fours) pauses in front of an unusual building, which appears to be part-castle, part-church and part-townhouse - location sadly unidentified

A Piggy Christmas Card
An unusual Victorian Christmas Greetings card. The artist is only known by his initials RD Date: circa 1880

Anny Ondra - Polish actress - Film - Fairground People
Anny Ondra (Anna Sophie Ondrakova) (1903-1987) - Polish actress in British silent films. Married the German boxing great Max Schmeling

Fantastic Adventures - The living Dead
Cover of Fantastic Adventures, November 1941, featuring the story The living Dead by Edgar Rice Burroughs. A tiger with pincers fights a weird looking red lion while a woman climb up a tree to

Fantastic Adventures - The Lavender vine of death
Cover of Fantastic Adventures, September 1948, featuring the story The Lavender vine of death by Don Wilcox. A huge purple monster devours a modern building

Fantastic Adventures - Death plays a game
Cover of Fantastic Adventures, December 1941, featuring the story Death plays a game by David V. Reed. A alien is holding a futuristic gun which is directed at a blue suited terrified looking man

Jumbo's joy in the hot weather: Elephants shooting the chute at the Franco-British Exhibition held at White City, London 1908 Date: 1908

ANVIL TOMBSTONE
The Anvil Tombstone, an unusual and lasting memorial to a former blacksmith, at Headcorn, Kent, England. Date: 1950s

DEATHLY SUNDIAL
An unusual sundial head in a niche over the church porch at Sheepstor, Devon, England, dating from 1640. It reads (in Latin): Life is but an Hour, Death is the Gate to Life'. Date: 17th century

FREAK BIRTH/COLOREDO
Lazarus Coloredo (1742 - ?) and his partially formed attached twin. Date: mid 18th century

FREAK BRITH ISRAEL
Israel and his conjoined brother'. Date: 17th century

Douglas EA-3B Skywarrior 5
Douglas KA-3B Skywarrior 5, unusual in having no identity markings other than the call-sign, at Sigonella NAS, Sicily. Date: circa 1980

Umbrella Cottage, Lyme Regis, Dorset. Date: circa 1909

The Flat Iron Building, New York City, NY, USA Date: 1906

A young (possibly) Italian couple standing proudly next to their Messerschmitt KR200, or Kabinenroller (Cabin Scooter), a three-wheeled bubble car designed by the aircraft engineer Fritz Fend

Foot-shaped comic postcard, mother and five daughters
A mother (the life and sole of the family) and her five little toe daughters - a brilliant Edwardian comic postcard, open to multiple interpretations! Date: 1907

A jolly group of holidaymakers pose for a photograph with prop beer bottle, various modes of transport and hats at a Blackpool studio. Date: 1933

A band, most of whom are wearing disguise of heavy eyebrows and moustaches, presumably a gimmick during a performance, or just for the hell of it

Viva Paris. Pierre Cardins suit in white wool gabardine (by Fournier) single-breasted with an officer collar and a front panel of semi-circular cutouts

An unusual foot race during a horse-racing meet
English gentlemen gambling on an unusual foot race during a horse-racing meet on the Champs de Mars, Paris, 19th century. Stubbs the Yorkshireman is piggybacked on vulgar Cockney grocer John Jorrocks

Man in a rather unusual fancy dress costume, probably as United Dairies as U Dees seems to be slang for the company but the bottles on his sleeves give the game away. Date: c.1910

A woman in an interesting militaristic exotic costume, holding a standard. Date: c.1915

Queer fish, 1943. Wartime recipes using fish such as ling, rock salmon, skate and dogfish. 1943

Ebury waterproof shooting and fishing garment
1931 advert for the Ebury Ideal Waterproof Shooting and Fishing Garment, consisting of cape and overalls, and a waterproof bag for carrying the outfit

Jack Buchanan in kaleidoscope
Jack Buchanan (1890 - 1957), Scottish theatre and film actor, singer, dancer, producer and director, pictured in a kaleidoscope photographic effect at the time he was appearing in the musical comedy

Sahary Djeli, dancer
Sahary Djeli, oriental dancer who was performing at the London Hippodrome in 1911. Her act was notable for the sinuous, serpentine movement of her arms. Date: 1911

Living Bronzes at the London Hippodrome
The Three Olympiers, who posed as some of the finest bronze figures in classical art in an act at the London Hippodrome in May 1906

Polars bears at the London Hippodrome, January 1910
Seventy polar bears, transported there to take part in the theatres Christmas water spectacular, The Arctic. Fifty of them plunged from icebergs into the water while the remaining bears roamed about

1932 Gee Bee Model R Racer Aircraft - in which Mr James Doolittle won the Thompson Trophy at a speed of 252.6 mph - built by Messrs

The Maharajah of Alwars bespoke Lanchester - with carriage section both open and closed. 1924

Train passing under arch into Conway railway station 1848
Train passing under an arch into Conway railway station, Conway, North Wales. The arch has been cut through part of the original wall of Conway (Conwy) Castle

The First Lamas to visit Europe in a taxi
The first Lamas (Tibetan priests) to visit Europe, persuaded by filmographer of the 1922 Everest Expedition, Captain Noel

Unusual corn bin, Dahomey (now Benin), West Africa
Unusual corn bin, Dahomey (now the Republic of Benin), West Africa. Made of earthenware, it was peculiar to the Konkombwa people of Tschopowa

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