Michael Waters's User Profile - Atlas Obscura

Michael Waters

Lucille Bluth enthusiast

https://twitter.com/ABoredAuthor

2016
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The 1930s 'Pedestrian Catcher' That Promised to End Jaywalking Deaths

Goodbye, car accidents!

manhattan project

The Librarian Who Guarded the Manhattan Project's Secrets

While dodging accusations of communism, Charlotte Serber made the nuclear bomb possible.

So You Want to Buy a Volcano

History shows you're not alone.

Genovese Airport Makes Special Exception for Travelers Bringing Aboard Pesto

But don't even think about carrying on pesto that isn't Genovese.

People in 1920s Berlin Nightclubs Flirted via Pneumatic Tubes

It was the Tinder of the early 20th century.

A Japanese Diver's 25-Year Friendship With a Local Fish

Plus: a really adorable man-fish kiss.

The 'Child Impersonator' Who Voiced a Whole Family of Young Characters

In the early 1900s, Harry Hemsley became an icon for his youthful mimicry.

This Feline Boxing Match From 1894 Is a Precursor to the Cat Video

Thomas Edison knew his audience.

A Treasury Official in 1866 Put His Own Face on U.S. Currency

The bill was supposed to feature explorer William Clark instead.

This Bizarre 1911 Film Warns of the Perils of Self-Driving Cars

Robot chauffeurs will truly take you out of this world.

Perhaps You'd Like to Work as a Nanny in This Haunted Scottish Home

The gig may include ghosts, but it also comes with a $63,000 salary.

classical music

The Self-Playing Violins That Mastered Chopin

The robotic Phonoliszt-Violin was dubbed the "Eighth Wonder of the World" in 1910.

Pizza Acrobatics Is the Sport You Have Been Waiting For

Like the Harlem Globetrotters—but with dough.

The 1903 Parrot Academy That Taught Birds to Speak Using Phonographs

In three languages!

In 1964, You Could Buy Magazines From a Street Dalek

Your new favorite traveling bookseller.

A Pride Month Playlist, Brought to You by the Jazz Age

"You go and give your girl a kiss in the hall / But instead you find you're kissing her brother Paul."

objects of intrigue

The 1920s Sex Detector That Rocked the Poultry Industry

Could it really tell whether an egg held a hen or a rooster?

Listen to Radio on the Go With This Strange 1931 Hat

Its name? The Radio Hat.

This Rail Line Runs Through the Middle of a 19-Story Apartment Building

In Chongqing, catch the train at your front door.

Old Hollywood's Best Theme Restaurants Specialized in Abductions and Dungeons

In 1920s L.A., a fun dinner meant getting locked up.

These 1950s Coffee Commercials Featured Violent 'Muppets' Prototypes

Buy Wilkins Coffee—or else.

This Bizarre '50s 'Rhino' Vehicle Was Designed to Replace the Tank

The U.S. military never bought it.

National Doughnut Day Began With an Ingenious Woman on a WWI Battlefield

Lt. Colonel Helen Purviance fried dough on the frontlines.

A Former 7-Eleven Owner Opened a Rival Store Across the Street Named 6-Twelve

He made the decision after an extended legal battle.