Recommended reading, travel guides and road trip resources
Elmer
McCurdy, the Misadventures in Life and Afterlife of an American Outlaw by
Mark Svenvold (2002). In 1976, a film crew prepping a funhouse for a Six
Million Dollar Man location shoot discovered that a fluorescent painted
dummy dangling from a noose was a real human corpse. Svenvold artfully
tells the story of the dead man, one Elmer McCurdy, hapless early 20th
century outlaw. He failed as a train robber, but succeeded --post-mortem
-- as
a tourist attraction. ~$11. Buy
Now
Mutter Museum,
by Gretchen Worden (2002, Blast Books).
Director of this amazing museum of medical curiosities since 1988, Gretchen
has selected the best (and strangest) images from the annual Mutter Museum
calendars. Conjoined Twins, the Gangrene Hand, the
Sliced Face -- lovingly captured by photographers and beautifully presented
here. A perfect gift for the holidays! ~ $35. Buy
now.
California Crazy and Beyond: Roadside Vernacular Architecture (2001) Jim Heimann starts with the theory that buildings shaped like animals and food originated in Southern California, then spread like a virus along America's highways. With hundreds of photos, this expanded edition of the Jim's original California Crazy hits all the classic "Ducks," and features some great old postcards of long dead attractions. (~$13)
Quack! Tales of Medical Fraud (2000) by Bob McCoy, Museum of Questionable Medical Devices. A funny chronicle of all our favorite quack medical devices and voodoo treatments. Bob is a real character. Best read with the Sinusoidal Current Generator set on MEDIUM. (~$14)
The
American State Fair: (1999) Derek Nelson's
humorous and well-researched history of an American institution. Nelson
pulls together great images and stories from the state fairs over the
last two centuries, taking in the freak tents and cooch shows, locomotive
demolitions, giant snakes and death-defying stunts. And, of course, prize
winning cows and blue ribbon pigs. The book contains 200 color and black-and-white
images. ~$30.
Rock City Barns: A Passing Era(1996). David B. Jenkins spent
years tracking down and photographing virtually every barn emblazoned with
the famous "See Rock City" slogan, advertising Garnet Carter's tourist
attraction on Lookout Mountain, Georgia. This large format hard cover volume
shows 'em all in beautiful photographs, from impeccably maintained structures
in rustic settings to battered and faded piles of ruins. Jenkins tells the
story of Clark Byers, the "Man with the Paint Brush," who propagated
the barn campaign for decades. (Check
the price at Amazon)
Medical
Landmarks U S A (1990) by Martin R. Lipp. Somewhat dry but comprehensive
research guide to medical-related tourism, and some 600 museums, monuments
and medical exhibits. Find out about special exhibits which only vacationing
doctors are allowed to visit! ~ $36.00
