Thursday, January 30, 2014

Tuesday, January 21, 2014

1920s Secret Compartment Watch


This is the Notora by Favre Lueba.  The dial flips up to reveal a scroll of paper (presumably for writing secret messages) which can be controlled with two dials on the side of the case. 

Read more here:  Watchismo Times
















Sunday, January 19, 2014

Check out this miniature Self Contained Underwater Breathing Apparatus automata





Got this at Paul Smith.  There's a small crank handle on the right side of the frame.   It's made by these guys:  L&A St. Leger.   
















Friday, January 17, 2014

Spirited Con-Artistry







In the early days of photography, before people knew how the process worked, a photographer by the name of William Mulmer stumbled upon a double exposure.  Recognizing an opportunity he passed himself off as a spiritualist who could contact, and photograph dead loved ones.  Once of his well known photographs shows the widow Mary Lincoln with her husbands ghost.   Spiritualism had great advocates, like Sir Conan Doyle, the creator of Sherlock Holmes, but also had detractors like Harry Houdini, who devoted some of career to exposing fakes.











Houdini preparing prop 'spirit' hands for a demonstration





Sir Arthur Conan Doyle with a spirit, and the book he wrote defending the concept.












A demonstration by Houdini of how he too, could be photographed with Abe Lincoln