« Previous Entries Next Entries »

Horse Head Returns To Hero’s Welcome

Saturday, October 2nd, 2010

Old Baldy, hero horse of the Union Army, survived bullets in the belly and shrapnel in the nose on the battlefields of the Civil War.

Mascot War? We Want Angus On Our Side

Saturday, September 18th, 2010

Edinboro University in northwestern Pennsylvania has taken a bold step to reclaim the once proud name of “Angus” from hamburger marketing madmen. That’s because on Friday the school unveiled “Angus,” a 12-foot-tall, 25,000-pound bronze statue of a Braveheart-era Scotsman in full kill battle mode.

Flanagan Gray: Centrifuge Spinmaster

Monday, June 28th, 2010

Dr. R. Flanagan Gray worked at the once-secret (now open for tours) Human Centrifuge in Warminster, Pennsylvania. He believed that water cushioning was the key to surviving high-speed travel. At first he used the “Blue Shoe,” a metal bathtub filled with water in which he would sit and ride the centrifuge. It was good, but [...]

Nooseless Nod to Day of the Rope

Friday, May 28th, 2010

Some towns call attention to themselves with statues of cartoon cats. Mahanoy City, Pennsylvania, is celebrating its heritage by unveiling a bronze statue of a doomed man about to be hanged.

House of Shards

Sunday, May 16th, 2010

Isaiah Zagar’s Magic Gardens on Philadelphia’s South Street is a multi-level, indoor/outdoor folk environment, an unrelentingly upbeat and visually stimulating cacophony for the corneas.

Mutter Museum: Really Gross Anatomy

Thursday, May 13th, 2010

On a recent trip to Philadelphia I had the opportunity to revisit The Mütter Museum of The College of Physicians of Philadelphia, to see what’s changed since last exploring this mecca of medical oddities and squirm-inducing equipment in 2004. Piece of John Wilkes Booth’s thorax. The Mütter likes to downplay its freak show side with [...]

« Previous Entries Next Entries »