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Hindpsych: Erstwhile Conjectures by the Sometime Augur of Yore |
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Due to our mysteriously esoteric studies, we're often asked for oracular predictions about the new year. For this New Year's Eve, we consulted our own Mimetic Oracle, and here's why: the changing of the year is a grand pageant, and it's been said that theatre reveals what is behind so-called reality. Our Mimetic Oracle draws from 92 characters in six vintage plays, with 166 spoken lines and 31 stage directions in the mix. With the system, one randomly draws five characters and generates a script to illuminate the current drama of life. (There’s a detailed F.A.Q. which explains how the scripts are created, how to make sense of the dialogues, how to determine whether a reading is positive or negative, what to make of the various characters, and why these specific 6 plays were chosen for the system: http://www.mysteryarts.com/play/.)
Here's the scenario that the oracle generated when asked about the coming year:
The cast of characters, intriguingly, features two sets of twins: the "Dutch Twins" and the tin soldiers Jack & Mack. The other two figures, Melissa and Mrs. Mulligan (both M names), each have doubled letters (two s's for Melissa, two l's for Mulligan), further accentuating the twinning. So apparently 2021 will carry over some sort of doubling inherent in the mirrored numbers of 2020. In both dates, it's the 2's that are doubled, and our cast of characters certainly has twins doubled. The first line is itself doubled: "Begin and never cease, begin and never cease." We shall interpret that as a renewed call to make 2021 a brand new beginning, with the added insight that true beginnings never cease but are in a constant state of renewal. So our little play encourages a new sort of dynamism in which we never rest on our laurels. Music and bells follow, growing louder and louder, and this is a harbinger of increasing harmony and boisterous celebration—a very good sign for the coming year. Then Mrs. Mulligan says that "if you stand on your head like that, all your brains will rush down into your fate." This is a vital detail: it acknowledges that our world has been turned topsy-turvy, but we mustn't get stuck like that. We must turn ourselves rightside-up, lest we lose our heads and seal our fate. The first tin solder, Private Jack, is perhaps taken aback by the instruction, as if having followed orders for so long that he forgot how to stand "at ease." One of the Dutch twins, Klinker, then rises, suggesting that once one of the doublings in 2021 rights itself, a second set of doublings will emerge. The second tin soldier, Private Mack, apparently sees the development and nods his head wisely. So ends the scene. The little play begins with renewal and ends with wisdom—a highly positive outlook!
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From Lighted Pathway, 1956.
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[Inexplicable images from generations ago invite us to restore the lost
sense of immediacy. We follow the founder of the Theater of
Spontaneity, Jacob Moreno, who proposed stringing together "now and then
flashes" to unfetter illusion and let imagination run free. The images
we have collected for this series came at a tremendous price, which we explained previously.] |
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We are striving to enter 1933 both fearless and free. From The War Cry, 1932.
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The end of the world predicted for the year 2000. Via UFO Newsclipping Service, 1998.
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[Inexplicable images from generations ago invite us to restore the lost
sense of immediacy. We follow the founder of the Theater of
Spontaneity, Jacob Moreno, who proposed stringing together "now and then
flashes" to unfetter illusion and let imagination run free. The images
we have collected for this series came at a tremendous price, which we explained previously.] |
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I Found a Penny Today, So Here's a Thought |
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Baby New Year as a ilon cub. From The Film Daily, 1937.
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[Inexplicable images from generations ago invite us to restore the lost
sense of immediacy. We follow the founder of the Theater of
Spontaneity, Jacob Moreno, who proposed stringing together "now and then
flashes" to unfetter illusion and let imagination run free. The images
we have collected for this series came at a tremendous price, which we explained previously.] |
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It seems that all of the Old Years get trapped in books this way. From The Mysterious Stranger by John Tinney McCutcheon, 1905.
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[Inexplicable images from generations ago invite us to restore the lost
sense of immediacy. We follow the founder of the Theater of
Spontaneity, Jacob Moreno, who proposed stringing together "now and then
flashes" to unfetter illusion and let imagination run free. The images
we have collected for this series came at a tremendous price, which we explained previously.] |
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Chronos sweeps away the refuse of the old year. Today's marvels of automation make this easier. From Nebelspalter, 1897.
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[Inexplicable images from generations ago invite us to restore the lost
sense of immediacy. We follow the founder of the Theater of
Spontaneity, Jacob Moreno, who proposed stringing together "now and then
flashes" to unfetter illusion and let imagination run free. The images
we have collected for this series came at a tremendous price, which we explained previously.] |
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From Manual de Mitología by Patricio de la Escosura, 1845.
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[Inexplicable images from generations ago invite us to restore the lost
sense of immediacy. We follow the founder of the Theater of
Spontaneity, Jacob Moreno, who proposed stringing together "now and then
flashes" to unfetter illusion and let imagination run free. The images
we have collected for this series came at a tremendous price, which we explained previously.] |
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Takarabune, the treasure ship piloted through the heavens by the Seven Lucky Gods during the first three days of the Japanese New Year. From Rockford's 1929 yearbook.
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From La Lune Rousse, 1878.
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[Inexplicable images from generations ago invite us to restore the lost
sense of immediacy. We follow the founder of the Theater of
Spontaneity, Jacob Moreno, who proposed stringing together "now and then
flashes" to unfetter illusion and let imagination run free. The images
we have collected for this series came at a tremendous price, which we explained previously.] |
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The owl-seeing eyes in the pyramid. From North Texas' 1918 yearbook.
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Mouths open to catch coins. From The Kingdom of Coins by Bradley Gilman, 1894.
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[Inexplicable images from generations ago invite us to restore the lost
sense of immediacy. We follow the founder of the Theater of
Spontaneity, Jacob Moreno, who proposed stringing together "now and then
flashes" to unfetter illusion and let imagination run free. The images
we have collected for this series came at a tremendous price, which we explained previously.] |
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From Medical College of Virginia's 1926 yearbook.
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[Inexplicable images from generations ago invite us to restore the lost
sense of immediacy. We follow the founder of the Theater of
Spontaneity, Jacob Moreno, who proposed stringing together "now and then
flashes" to unfetter illusion and let imagination run free. The images
we have collected for this series came at a tremendous price, which we explained previously.] |
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We can confirm, after analyzing this photo with our custom Uncanny Detector app, that it is both cursed and haunted. From Mars Hill's 1970 yearbook.
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From Le Chariviari, 1884.
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Who is your favorite imaginary saint? Do share! |
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From Iowa State Teachers College's 1955 yearbook.
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[Inexplicable images from generations ago invite us to restore the lost
sense of immediacy. We follow the founder of the Theater of
Spontaneity, Jacob Moreno, who proposed stringing together "now and then
flashes" to unfetter illusion and let imagination run free. The images
we have collected for this series came at a tremendous price, which we explained previously.] |
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The prolific Professor Oddfellow has resurrected (and, I suspect, updated) an ancient form of divination and personality reading that combines astrology with numerology. It’s a deep system, but clearly explained and is based on your birthdate, so the occult mathematics aren’t too intimidating. And the result is a lovely figuregraph that makes utilizing the revelations and insights simple. I especially appreciated both the summary worksheet, and the example readings, that the author includes. (I do wish, though, that blank reading sheets were available for download.) Now that this system has been made accessible to a modern audience I expect to see it offered by psychic readers in most large cities. Avoid the rush and get your copy at Amazon then check out Oddfellow’s other books while you’re there.
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"You have a New Year's date with ..." From The Film Daily, 1936.
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[Inexplicable images from generations ago invite us to restore the lost
sense of immediacy. We follow the founder of the Theater of
Spontaneity, Jacob Moreno, who proposed stringing together "now and then
flashes" to unfetter illusion and let imagination run free. The images
we have collected for this series came at a tremendous price, which we explained previously.] |
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[Inexplicable images from generations ago invite us to restore the lost
sense of immediacy. We follow the founder of the Theater of
Spontaneity, Jacob Moreno, who proposed stringing together "now and then
flashes" to unfetter illusion and let imagination run free. The images
we have collected for this series came at a tremendous price, which we explained previously.] |
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Judged for their bodies, with bags over their faces. From Kanas State's 1958 yearbook.
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From Lustige Blätter, 1906.
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If you have a strange dream to share, send it along! |
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From William and Mary's 1914 yearbook.
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From der Guckkasten, 1912.
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[Inexplicable images from generations ago invite us to restore the lost
sense of immediacy. We follow the founder of the Theater of
Spontaneity, Jacob Moreno, who proposed stringing together "now and then
flashes" to unfetter illusion and let imagination run free. The images
we have collected for this series came at a tremendous price, which we explained previously.] |
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From Illinois State's 1898 yearbook.
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Moon mysteries. From Spellbound, 1977. (Courtesy of Archive.org.)
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[Inexplicable images from generations ago invite us to restore the lost
sense of immediacy. We follow the founder of the Theater of
Spontaneity, Jacob Moreno, who proposed stringing together "now and then
flashes" to unfetter illusion and let imagination run free. The images
we have collected for this series came at a tremendous price, which we explained previously.] |
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"The drums kept up the slow, incessant rhythm of the fading soul!" From Weird Tales, 1942.
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[Inexplicable images from generations ago invite us to restore the lost
sense of immediacy. We follow the founder of the Theater of
Spontaneity, Jacob Moreno, who proposed stringing together "now and then
flashes" to unfetter illusion and let imagination run free. The images
we have collected for this series came at a tremendous price, which we explained previously.] |
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From Indiana University's 1911 yearbook.
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[Inexplicable images from generations ago invite us to restore the lost
sense of immediacy. We follow the founder of the Theater of
Spontaneity, Jacob Moreno, who proposed stringing together "now and then
flashes" to unfetter illusion and let imagination run free. The images
we have collected for this series came at a tremendous price, which we explained previously.] |
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From Fliegende Blätter, 1924.
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[Inexplicable images from generations ago invite us to restore the lost
sense of immediacy. We follow the founder of the Theater of
Spontaneity, Jacob Moreno, who proposed stringing together "now and then
flashes" to unfetter illusion and let imagination run free. The images
we have collected for this series came at a tremendous price, which we explained previously.] |
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"Effective living." From Michigan State's 1947 yearbook.
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We have a problem with Broadway plays requiring answers from the audience, because when we go to the theatre, we wish to be passively entertained. From Together, 1965.
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From Wizardry III: Legacy of Llylgamyn, The Third Scenario handbook.
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[Inexplicable images from generations ago invite us to restore the lost
sense of immediacy. We follow the founder of the Theater of
Spontaneity, Jacob Moreno, who proposed stringing together "now and then
flashes" to unfetter illusion and let imagination run free. The images
we have collected for this series came at a tremendous price, which we explained previously.] |
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All the while, I presumed every reference was strictly 'pataphysical. I could verify the existence of Gary Barwin and his works first-hand, but surely tomes such as the one-letter-words dictionary, How To Be Your Own Cat, the Hexopedia, et al, were to be found only in the so-called imaginal realms (as if this ain't one). Was I ever staggered to find you've actually materialized such marvels! (Which is perhaps the most 'pataphysical aspect of all.) You know, I would have been grateful for your recent kind words about my own video no matter what, but in context of discovering your work I could not be more honoured. I am going to have a blast exploring your vibrant, distinctive, and superbly fun creations.
Don't miss Mr. Venright's deadpan video, in which he shares his 117 steps to instant gratification. It's a total scream.
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Confession -- we, too, use "thee's" and "thou's" to deaden the buzz of living conversation. From Lighted Pathway, 1981.
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[Inexplicable images from generations ago invite us to restore the lost
sense of immediacy. We follow the founder of the Theater of
Spontaneity, Jacob Moreno, who proposed stringing together "now and then
flashes" to unfetter illusion and let imagination run free. The images
we have collected for this series came at a tremendous price, which we explained previously.] |
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From Medical College of Virginia's 1926 yearbook.
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[Inexplicable images from generations ago invite us to restore the lost
sense of immediacy. We follow the founder of the Theater of
Spontaneity, Jacob Moreno, who proposed stringing together "now and then
flashes" to unfetter illusion and let imagination run free. The images
we have collected for this series came at a tremendous price, which we explained previously.] |
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From Science Fiction Quarterly, 1956.
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[Inexplicable images from generations ago invite us to restore the lost
sense of immediacy. We follow the founder of the Theater of
Spontaneity, Jacob Moreno, who proposed stringing together "now and then
flashes" to unfetter illusion and let imagination run free. The images
we have collected for this series came at a tremendous price, which we explained previously.] |
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From L'Assiette au Beurre, 1910.
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[Inexplicable images from generations ago invite us to restore the lost
sense of immediacy. We follow the founder of the Theater of
Spontaneity, Jacob Moreno, who proposed stringing together "now and then
flashes" to unfetter illusion and let imagination run free. The images
we have collected for this series came at a tremendous price, which we explained previously.] |
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[Inexplicable images from generations ago invite us to restore the lost
sense of immediacy. We follow the founder of the Theater of
Spontaneity, Jacob Moreno, who proposed stringing together "now and then
flashes" to unfetter illusion and let imagination run free. The images
we have collected for this series came at a tremendous price, which we explained previously.] |
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From Emerson's 1972 yearbook.
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[Inexplicable images from generations ago invite us to restore the lost
sense of immediacy. We follow the founder of the Theater of
Spontaneity, Jacob Moreno, who proposed stringing together "now and then
flashes" to unfetter illusion and let imagination run free. The images
we have collected for this series came at a tremendous price, which we explained previously.] |
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From der Guckkasten, 1911.
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[Inexplicable images from generations ago invite us to restore the lost
sense of immediacy. We follow the founder of the Theater of
Spontaneity, Jacob Moreno, who proposed stringing together "now and then
flashes" to unfetter illusion and let imagination run free. The images
we have collected for this series came at a tremendous price, which we explained previously.] |
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From Swarthmore's 1922 yearbook.
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From der Guckkasten, 1912.
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[Inexplicable images from generations ago invite us to restore the lost
sense of immediacy. We follow the founder of the Theater of
Spontaneity, Jacob Moreno, who proposed stringing together "now and then
flashes" to unfetter illusion and let imagination run free. The images
we have collected for this series came at a tremendous price, which we explained previously.] |
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From Kladderadatsch, 1933.
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[Inexplicable images from generations ago invite us to restore the lost
sense of immediacy. We follow the founder of the Theater of
Spontaneity, Jacob Moreno, who proposed stringing together "now and then
flashes" to unfetter illusion and let imagination run free. The images
we have collected for this series came at a tremendous price, which we explained previously.] |
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unearths some literary gems.
*** "I knew your mother," he said. Edgar always remembers everybody's mother. "A charming girl. You are very like her, my dear; except that her eyes were grey." Edgar always remembers everybody's mother's eyes.
*** "I do hope you are not getting into mischief, Harriet. There is a gleam in your eye I don't like and your hat is a little crooked." ***
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[Inexplicable images from generations ago invite us to restore the lost
sense of immediacy. We follow the founder of the Theater of
Spontaneity, Jacob Moreno, who proposed stringing together "now and then
flashes" to unfetter illusion and let imagination run free. The images
we have collected for this series came at a tremendous price, which we explained previously.] |
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I Found a Penny Today, So Here's a Thought |
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The real history of origami fortune tellers -- it's Prof. Oddfellow's Penetralia.
Thanks to Bel the Blasphemer, who wrote: "I used to feel shattered over my reflectile dysfunction. Now, I am the proud captive of a hall of mirrors. Thank you, Fritz's Spritzes!"
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May today's wererats have axes to grind elsewhere, or may they at least be preoccupied with woolgathering. From Wizardry IV: The Return of Werdna Handbook.
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[Inexplicable images from generations ago invite us to restore the lost
sense of immediacy. We follow the founder of the Theater of
Spontaneity, Jacob Moreno, who proposed stringing together "now and then
flashes" to unfetter illusion and let imagination run free. The images
we have collected for this series came at a tremendous price, which we explained previously.] |
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So disappointing -- at first glance, we thought this was news of duck-shaped UFOs flying overhead. Of course we envisioned the iconic rubber ducky. From UFO Newsclipping Service, 1971.
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[Inexplicable images from generations ago invite us to restore the lost
sense of immediacy. We follow the founder of the Theater of
Spontaneity, Jacob Moreno, who proposed stringing together "now and then
flashes" to unfetter illusion and let imagination run free. The images
we have collected for this series came at a tremendous price, which we explained previously.] |
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The endpapers from Flora Macdonald's 1931 yearbook.
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"The hidden world." From Science Wonder Quarterly, 1929.
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[Inexplicable images from generations ago invite us to restore the lost
sense of immediacy. We follow the founder of the Theater of
Spontaneity, Jacob Moreno, who proposed stringing together "now and then
flashes" to unfetter illusion and let imagination run free. The images
we have collected for this series came at a tremendous price, which we explained previously.] |
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From Mitchell's 1921 yearbook.
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[Inexplicable images from generations ago invite us to restore the lost
sense of immediacy. We follow the founder of the Theater of
Spontaneity, Jacob Moreno, who proposed stringing together "now and then
flashes" to unfetter illusion and let imagination run free. The images
we have collected for this series came at a tremendous price, which we explained previously.] |
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It does, indeed, require three jesters to enjoy the spice of life. From the University of Omaha's 1922 yearbook.
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From der Guckkasten, 1912.
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[Inexplicable images from generations ago invite us to restore the lost
sense of immediacy. We follow the founder of the Theater of
Spontaneity, Jacob Moreno, who proposed stringing together "now and then
flashes" to unfetter illusion and let imagination run free. The images
we have collected for this series came at a tremendous price, which we explained previously.] |
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From Illinois State's 1898 yearbook.
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If you have a strange dream to share, send it along! |
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[Inexplicable images from generations ago invite us to restore the lost
sense of immediacy. We follow the founder of the Theater of
Spontaneity, Jacob Moreno, who proposed stringing together "now and then
flashes" to unfetter illusion and let imagination run free. The images
we have collected for this series came at a tremendous price, which we explained previously.] |
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From Saint Mary's 1973 yearbook.
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From Lustige Blätter, 1900.
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[Inexplicable images from generations ago invite us to restore the lost
sense of immediacy. We follow the founder of the Theater of
Spontaneity, Jacob Moreno, who proposed stringing together "now and then
flashes" to unfetter illusion and let imagination run free. The images
we have collected for this series came at a tremendous price, which we explained previously.] |
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Our custom widget that checks for duplicated images suggested this unlikely pairing. Click each image for its source.
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[Inexplicable images from generations ago invite us to restore the lost
sense of immediacy. We follow the founder of the Theater of
Spontaneity, Jacob Moreno, who proposed stringing together "now and then
flashes" to unfetter illusion and let imagination run free. The images
we have collected for this series came at a tremendous price, which we explained previously.] |
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From North Texas' 1918 yearbook.
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[Inexplicable images from generations ago invite us to restore the lost
sense of immediacy. We follow the founder of the Theater of
Spontaneity, Jacob Moreno, who proposed stringing together "now and then
flashes" to unfetter illusion and let imagination run free. The images
we have collected for this series came at a tremendous price, which we explained previously.] |
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Yes, do coordinate your clothing to your books. No, don't toss books on the floor any which way. From Illinois Woman's College's 1929 yearbook.
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"Should you conform?" From Awake magazine, 1958.
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From Elmhurst's 1922 yearbook.
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From La Silhouette, 1830.
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[Inexplicable images from generations ago invite us to restore the lost
sense of immediacy. We follow the founder of the Theater of
Spontaneity, Jacob Moreno, who proposed stringing together "now and then
flashes" to unfetter illusion and let imagination run free. The images
we have collected for this series came at a tremendous price, which we explained previously.] |
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[Inexplicable images from generations ago invite us to restore the lost
sense of immediacy. We follow the founder of the Theater of
Spontaneity, Jacob Moreno, who proposed stringing together "now and then
flashes" to unfetter illusion and let imagination run free. The images
we have collected for this series came at a tremendous price, which we explained previously.] |
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From Kladderadatsch, 1933.
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[Inexplicable images from generations ago invite us to restore the lost
sense of immediacy. We follow the founder of the Theater of
Spontaneity, Jacob Moreno, who proposed stringing together "now and then
flashes" to unfetter illusion and let imagination run free. The images
we have collected for this series came at a tremendous price, which we explained previously.] |
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From Emerson's 1972 yearbook.
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[Inexplicable images from generations ago invite us to restore the lost
sense of immediacy. We follow the founder of the Theater of
Spontaneity, Jacob Moreno, who proposed stringing together "now and then
flashes" to unfetter illusion and let imagination run free. The images
we have collected for this series came at a tremendous price, which we explained previously.] |
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[Inexplicable images from generations ago invite us to restore the lost
sense of immediacy. We follow the founder of the Theater of
Spontaneity, Jacob Moreno, who proposed stringing together "now and then
flashes" to unfetter illusion and let imagination run free. The images
we have collected for this series came at a tremendous price, which we explained previously.] |
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[Inexplicable images from generations ago invite us to restore the lost
sense of immediacy. We follow the founder of the Theater of
Spontaneity, Jacob Moreno, who proposed stringing together "now and then
flashes" to unfetter illusion and let imagination run free. The images
we have collected for this series came at a tremendous price, which we explained previously.] |
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From the Xanadu: Dragon Slayer II strategy handbook.
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[Inexplicable images from generations ago invite us to restore the lost
sense of immediacy. We follow the founder of the Theater of
Spontaneity, Jacob Moreno, who proposed stringing together "now and then
flashes" to unfetter illusion and let imagination run free. The images
we have collected for this series came at a tremendous price, which we explained previously.] |
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I Found a Penny Today, So Here's a Thought |
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unearths some literary gems.
From Edmund Crispin's Buried for Pleasure:***"For a time I worked in Boots--the book department. But it didn't suit me, for some reason. I used to get dizzy spells.""Inevitable, I should think, if you work in a circulating library."***[It's not only the wordplay itself, but the way EC has taken the trouble to contrive a bit of apparently incidental dialogue so as to give himself a "natural" opportunity for using it. Moreover, this incidental dialogue takes the form of *banter* (between Fen and an appealing female taxi driver). I'm with him every step of the way!]
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From The Film Daily, 1937.
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[Inexplicable images from generations ago invite us to restore the lost
sense of immediacy. We follow the founder of the Theater of
Spontaneity, Jacob Moreno, who proposed stringing together "now and then
flashes" to unfetter illusion and let imagination run free. The images
we have collected for this series came at a tremendous price, which we explained previously.] |
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[Inexplicable images from generations ago invite us to restore the lost
sense of immediacy. We follow the founder of the Theater of
Spontaneity, Jacob Moreno, who proposed stringing together "now and then
flashes" to unfetter illusion and let imagination run free. The images
we have collected for this series came at a tremendous price, which we explained previously.] |
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Here's a precursor to how it feels to run a blog. From Michigan State's 1947 yearbook.
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[Inexplicable images from generations ago invite us to restore the lost
sense of immediacy. We follow the founder of the Theater of
Spontaneity, Jacob Moreno, who proposed stringing together "now and then
flashes" to unfetter illusion and let imagination run free. The images
we have collected for this series came at a tremendous price, which we explained previously.] |
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From Baker's 1906 yearbook.
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[Inexplicable images from generations ago invite us to restore the lost
sense of immediacy. We follow the founder of the Theater of
Spontaneity, Jacob Moreno, who proposed stringing together "now and then
flashes" to unfetter illusion and let imagination run free. The images
we have collected for this series came at a tremendous price, which we explained previously.] |
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From Prof. Oddfellow's sketchbook: in honor of The Shadow of the Waxwing, who said, "I really want to put Ex Libris plates in all my books, but I'm not sure if I could handle that level of pretension. My tolerance is high but my god. It's a real struggle. I feel like I'm allowed 2 or 3 very improbable/pretensious things before I descend into self parody, and they might be a bridge too far." In our diagram, we've identified that bridge-too-far as cantilevered.
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Printed collections of Forgotten Wisdom diagrams are available: Volume I from Mindful Greetings and Volumes II, III and IV from Amazon. Selected posters are also available via Zazzle. |
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Reblog if not just orchids but all flowers should be presented in glass boxes. From Together, 1956.
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[Inexplicable images from generations ago invite us to restore the lost
sense of immediacy. We follow the founder of the Theater of
Spontaneity, Jacob Moreno, who proposed stringing together "now and then
flashes" to unfetter illusion and let imagination run free. The images
we have collected for this series came at a tremendous price, which we explained previously.] |
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The Lord of Hearts. From the Wizardry V: Heart of the Maelstrom handbook.
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[Inexplicable images from generations ago invite us to restore the lost
sense of immediacy. We follow the founder of the Theater of
Spontaneity, Jacob Moreno, who proposed stringing together "now and then
flashes" to unfetter illusion and let imagination run free. The images
we have collected for this series came at a tremendous price, which we explained previously.] |
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"There is definitely something going on, and we ought to find out what it is." Via UFO Newsclipping Service, 1996.
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"Now let us dismiss all thoughts of Chrismiss [sic]." From Eric's Book of Beasts, illustrated by Shimada Sekko, 1912.
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[Inexplicable images from generations ago invite us to restore the lost
sense of immediacy. We follow the founder of the Theater of
Spontaneity, Jacob Moreno, who proposed stringing together "now and then
flashes" to unfetter illusion and let imagination run free. The images
we have collected for this series came at a tremendous price, which we explained previously.] |
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Note the eerily magical 3-D effect of this printing process from 1925. This image may be used to facilitate time travel. From Wesleyan College’s 1925 yearbook.
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From Science Wonder Quarterly, 1929.
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[Inexplicable images from generations ago invite us to restore the lost
sense of immediacy. We follow the founder of the Theater of
Spontaneity, Jacob Moreno, who proposed stringing together "now and then
flashes" to unfetter illusion and let imagination run free. The images
we have collected for this series came at a tremendous price, which we explained previously.] |
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"The brightest of all things, the sun, has its spots." From Manual and Diagrams to Accompany Metcalf's Grammars, 1901.
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[Inexplicable images from generations ago invite us to restore the lost
sense of immediacy. We follow the founder of the Theater of
Spontaneity, Jacob Moreno, who proposed stringing together "now and then
flashes" to unfetter illusion and let imagination run free. The images
we have collected for this series came at a tremendous price, which we explained previously.] |
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The natural predators of owls are rarely talked about, as ornithologists fear being ostracized for "unscientific" views. From Tulane's 1897 yearbook.
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From der Guckkasten, 1912.
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[Inexplicable images from generations ago invite us to restore the lost
sense of immediacy. We follow the founder of the Theater of
Spontaneity, Jacob Moreno, who proposed stringing together "now and then
flashes" to unfetter illusion and let imagination run free. The images
we have collected for this series came at a tremendous price, which we explained previously.] |
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We'll have a treehouse of our own, some day. From Hampden-Syndey's 1984 yearbook.
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[Inexplicable images from generations ago invite us to restore the lost
sense of immediacy. We follow the founder of the Theater of
Spontaneity, Jacob Moreno, who proposed stringing together "now and then
flashes" to unfetter illusion and let imagination run free. The images
we have collected for this series came at a tremendous price, which we explained previously.] |
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Finally, a realistic depiction of just how witchy and cauldrony college life is. From North Texas' 1918 yearbook. See How to Hoodoo Hack a Yearbook.
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From The Mystic Bell by Edward Kuntze, 1869. (Our restoration, as per usual.)
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[Inexplicable images from generations ago invite us to restore the lost
sense of immediacy. We follow the founder of the Theater of
Spontaneity, Jacob Moreno, who proposed stringing together "now and then
flashes" to unfetter illusion and let imagination run free. The images
we have collected for this series came at a tremendous price, which we explained previously.] |
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From Emerson's 1957 yearbook.
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[Inexplicable images from generations ago invite us to restore the lost
sense of immediacy. We follow the founder of the Theater of
Spontaneity, Jacob Moreno, who proposed stringing together "now and then
flashes" to unfetter illusion and let imagination run free. The images
we have collected for this series came at a tremendous price, which we explained previously.] |
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"Jack-in-the-pulpit." From Wake Forest's 1920 yearbook.
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Looks like they're "rooting" for carrot contenders. From Nebelspalter, 1912.
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[Inexplicable images from generations ago invite us to restore the lost
sense of immediacy. We follow the founder of the Theater of
Spontaneity, Jacob Moreno, who proposed stringing together "now and then
flashes" to unfetter illusion and let imagination run free. The images
we have collected for this series came at a tremendous price, which we explained previously.] |
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Finally, the truth about what happened to Christmas. It was run down by a reckless driver. "The Man Who Killed Christmas," from Lighted Pathway, 1971.
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[Inexplicable images from generations ago invite us to restore the lost
sense of immediacy. We follow the founder of the Theater of
Spontaneity, Jacob Moreno, who proposed stringing together "now and then
flashes" to unfetter illusion and let imagination run free. The images
we have collected for this series came at a tremendous price, which we explained previously.] |
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 |
[Inexplicable images from generations ago invite us to restore the lost
sense of immediacy. We follow the founder of the Theater of
Spontaneity, Jacob Moreno, who proposed stringing together "now and then
flashes" to unfetter illusion and let imagination run free. The images
we have collected for this series came at a tremendous price, which we explained previously.] |
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"Knights of the grippe." From the Peace Institue's 1905 yearbook.
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From Lustige Blätter, 1901.
 |
[Inexplicable images from generations ago invite us to restore the lost
sense of immediacy. We follow the founder of the Theater of
Spontaneity, Jacob Moreno, who proposed stringing together "now and then
flashes" to unfetter illusion and let imagination run free. The images
we have collected for this series came at a tremendous price, which we explained previously.] |
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From Kladderadatsch, 1921.
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[Inexplicable images from generations ago invite us to restore the lost
sense of immediacy. We follow the founder of the Theater of
Spontaneity, Jacob Moreno, who proposed stringing together "now and then
flashes" to unfetter illusion and let imagination run free. The images
we have collected for this series came at a tremendous price, which we explained previously.] |
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A 1921 postcard from our personal archives.
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When the sun shoots an arrow right back at you. From Memphis State's 1975 yearbook.
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We all know about the war on Christmas, but fewer of us acknowledge Santa's fight against the living dead. From Methodist College's 1969 yearbook.
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Pigs, too, worry about their weight, except that they seek to avoid slimming. From Der Guckkasten, 1909.
 |
[Inexplicable images from generations ago invite us to restore the lost
sense of immediacy. We follow the founder of the Theater of
Spontaneity, Jacob Moreno, who proposed stringing together "now and then
flashes" to unfetter illusion and let imagination run free. The images
we have collected for this series came at a tremendous price, which we explained previously.] |
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If you have a strange dream to share, send it along! |
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 |
[Inexplicable images from generations ago invite us to restore the lost
sense of immediacy. We follow the founder of the Theater of
Spontaneity, Jacob Moreno, who proposed stringing together "now and then
flashes" to unfetter illusion and let imagination run free. The images
we have collected for this series came at a tremendous price, which we explained previously.] |
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From Park College's 1906 yearbook.
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 |
[Inexplicable images from generations ago invite us to restore the lost
sense of immediacy. We follow the founder of the Theater of
Spontaneity, Jacob Moreno, who proposed stringing together "now and then
flashes" to unfetter illusion and let imagination run free. The images
we have collected for this series came at a tremendous price, which we explained previously.] |
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unearths some literary gems.
“Whenever I happen to be alone for a meal, my book is Vanity Fair, and the parts I pick out to reread are lunchy and dinnery. There’s a smear of tomato sauce over Becky casting the Dixonary into the garden, and gravy on, ‘And eh, Amelia my dear, I’ve brought in a pine for tiffin.’”
*** The piano has one note which is dumb.... I’m going (blank) To dreamy Hono (blank) lu! Katrine and Sheil and I always sing “blank” now instead of the word or syllable when we practise the ensembles at home.
*** "Is [Charlotte Brontë] alive still?" "No." "I thought perhaps she might be one of those sort of writers—like Thomas Hardy—who sounded as if they ought to be dead before they really were."
*** "Why, you unmitigated limb!" [said affectionately]
** Only one of the comedians had the heart to comeed at such an hour.
*** Katrine’s company is playing at the Hammersmith Palace, and she has to have a terrible, sexless meal that’s too old to be tea and too young to be dinner at about five-thirty.
*** “But, we’ve only Deirdre’s word for it that those were the desiderata,” responded Sir Herbert caustically. “The what, Toddy?” Sheil cocked her head. “You do know such uncommon words.” “I mean, my dear, the objects required.” “Well, I like the thing you said before, best. Anybody can require objects.”
*** I often think that perhaps there is only a limited amount of memory going about the world, and that when it wants to live again, it steals its nest, like a cuckoo.
*** [The protagonists are just making this all up in real time, the Brontes being among their collective imaginary friends.]
"Any news of the Brontes?" "Rather. Emily's writing a new book called Swithering Depths." "Oh my lord! That woman!" "And it's coming out in the spring. Entwhistle, Lassiter, and Morhead." [...] "Just say it again. I must memorise it." We chanted, "Entwhistle--Lassiter--and Morhead." "I like Lassiter," decided Lady Toddington, "he's the brains of that firm. We'll have him to dinner."
*** "She's got the sort of face that used to go with being called Gladys, mother says." ***
BONUSES: "a French Count called Isidore (de la So-and-so, de la Something Else)" the "eleventh second" instead of "eleventh hour" "infinite whimsical wisdom" At the end of this reprint edition of this tale of an eccentric family (three adults and one child) and their imaginary friends is an ad for another reprint by a different author--this one about two adults whose entirely out-of-whole-cloth imaginary friend comes to life. I never realized that comic fiction about grown-ups' encounters with imaginary friends was a mid-20th-c. subgenre! (They also advertise their reprint of Miss Buncle--and Miss Buncle's relationship to the roman à clef she's written involves some blending and confusion, in her own mind, vis-a-vis the real versus imaginary versions of her world.)
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From Savannah State's 1963 yearbook.
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[Inexplicable images from generations ago invite us to restore the lost
sense of immediacy. We follow the founder of the Theater of
Spontaneity, Jacob Moreno, who proposed stringing together "now and then
flashes" to unfetter illusion and let imagination run free. The images
we have collected for this series came at a tremendous price, which we explained previously.] |
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The endpapers from Florida Southern's 1933 yearbook.
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Rare to see Santa Claus depicted as the giant that he is. From Nebelspalter, 1918.
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[Inexplicable images from generations ago invite us to restore the lost
sense of immediacy. We follow the founder of the Theater of
Spontaneity, Jacob Moreno, who proposed stringing together "now and then
flashes" to unfetter illusion and let imagination run free. The images
we have collected for this series came at a tremendous price, which we explained previously.] |
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Circus tents disguised as Christmas trees. From Green Pipes by Joseph Rous Paget-Fredericks, 1929.
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From The Enchanted Bird by Antoinette Decoursey Patterson and illustrated by Elizabeth Pilsbry, 1917.
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[Inexplicable images from generations ago invite us to restore the lost
sense of immediacy. We follow the founder of the Theater of
Spontaneity, Jacob Moreno, who proposed stringing together "now and then
flashes" to unfetter illusion and let imagination run free. The images
we have collected for this series came at a tremendous price, which we explained previously.] |
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Before we restored the contrast, we couldn't tell that Santa had a companion in the window ledge. From Santa Clara's 1969 yearbook.
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From St. Nicholas magazine, 1916.
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From The Magic Sea Shell and Other Plays by John Farrar, 1923.
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[Inexplicable images from generations ago invite us to restore the lost
sense of immediacy. We follow the founder of the Theater of
Spontaneity, Jacob Moreno, who proposed stringing together "now and then
flashes" to unfetter illusion and let imagination run free. The images
we have collected for this series came at a tremendous price, which we explained previously.] |
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"We Carol" by Barbara Mason. From MacMurray's 1938 yearbook.
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From Barnard's 1931 yearbook.
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[Inexplicable images from generations ago invite us to restore the lost
sense of immediacy. We follow the founder of the Theater of
Spontaneity, Jacob Moreno, who proposed stringing together "now and then
flashes" to unfetter illusion and let imagination run free. The images
we have collected for this series came at a tremendous price, which we explained previously.] |
|

 |
 |
[Inexplicable images from generations ago invite us to restore the lost
sense of immediacy. We follow the founder of the Theater of
Spontaneity, Jacob Moreno, who proposed stringing together "now and then
flashes" to unfetter illusion and let imagination run free. The images
we have collected for this series came at a tremendous price, which we explained previously.] |
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Socks for Christmas. From Der Bärenspiegel, 1939.
 |
[Inexplicable images from generations ago invite us to restore the lost
sense of immediacy. We follow the founder of the Theater of
Spontaneity, Jacob Moreno, who proposed stringing together "now and then
flashes" to unfetter illusion and let imagination run free. The images
we have collected for this series came at a tremendous price, which we explained previously.] |
|

 |
 |
[Inexplicable images from generations ago invite us to restore the lost
sense of immediacy. We follow the founder of the Theater of
Spontaneity, Jacob Moreno, who proposed stringing together "now and then
flashes" to unfetter illusion and let imagination run free. The images
we have collected for this series came at a tremendous price, which we explained previously.] |
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From Der Bärenspiegel, 1932.
 |
[Inexplicable images from generations ago invite us to restore the lost
sense of immediacy. We follow the founder of the Theater of
Spontaneity, Jacob Moreno, who proposed stringing together "now and then
flashes" to unfetter illusion and let imagination run free. The images
we have collected for this series came at a tremendous price, which we explained previously.] |
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 |
 |
[Inexplicable images from generations ago invite us to restore the lost
sense of immediacy. We follow the founder of the Theater of
Spontaneity, Jacob Moreno, who proposed stringing together "now and then
flashes" to unfetter illusion and let imagination run free. The images
we have collected for this series came at a tremendous price, which we explained previously.] |
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Merman Santa -- the best gift-bearing hybrid-fish we've seen all week. From Barnard's 1970 yearbook.
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From Ohio Wesleyan's 1929 yearbook.
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"A dictionary editor says ... It is not irreverent to use 'Merry Xmas.'" From Together, 1969.
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Wolven Christmas messages seem all-too-rare these days. The Grand Island timber wolf, c. 1906, courtesy of UpNorth Memories.
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What a relief to see the caption, because at first glance we thought this youngster had encountered a dead body hanging from the rafers. From The American Annual of Photography, 1913.
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From The Current Sauce, 1953.
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[Inexplicable images from generations ago invite us to restore the lost
sense of immediacy. We follow the founder of the Theater of
Spontaneity, Jacob Moreno, who proposed stringing together "now and then
flashes" to unfetter illusion and let imagination run free. The images
we have collected for this series came at a tremendous price, which we explained previously.] |
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The goat who ate Christmas. From Liz'beth Ann's Goat by Mary Virginia Provines and illustrated by Grace Paull.
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[Inexplicable images from generations ago invite us to restore the lost
sense of immediacy. We follow the founder of the Theater of
Spontaneity, Jacob Moreno, who proposed stringing together "now and then
flashes" to unfetter illusion and let imagination run free. The images
we have collected for this series came at a tremendous price, which we explained previously.] |
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"Who says there ain't no Santa Claus!" From The Film Daily, 1945.
 |
[Inexplicable images from generations ago invite us to restore the lost
sense of immediacy. We follow the founder of the Theater of
Spontaneity, Jacob Moreno, who proposed stringing together "now and then
flashes" to unfetter illusion and let imagination run free. The images
we have collected for this series came at a tremendous price, which we explained previously.] |
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From Hanover's 1962 yearbook.
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[Inexplicable images from generations ago invite us to restore the lost
sense of immediacy. We follow the founder of the Theater of
Spontaneity, Jacob Moreno, who proposed stringing together "now and then
flashes" to unfetter illusion and let imagination run free. The images
we have collected for this series came at a tremendous price, which we explained previously.] |
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From Der Bärenspiegel, 1946.
 |
[Inexplicable images from generations ago invite us to restore the lost
sense of immediacy. We follow the founder of the Theater of
Spontaneity, Jacob Moreno, who proposed stringing together "now and then
flashes" to unfetter illusion and let imagination run free. The images
we have collected for this series came at a tremendous price, which we explained previously.] |
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From Fliegende Blätter, 1923.
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[Inexplicable images from generations ago invite us to restore the lost
sense of immediacy. We follow the founder of the Theater of
Spontaneity, Jacob Moreno, who proposed stringing together "now and then
flashes" to unfetter illusion and let imagination run free. The images
we have collected for this series came at a tremendous price, which we explained previously.] |
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From Lustige Blätter, 1906.
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[Inexplicable images from generations ago invite us to restore the lost
sense of immediacy. We follow the founder of the Theater of
Spontaneity, Jacob Moreno, who proposed stringing together "now and then
flashes" to unfetter illusion and let imagination run free. The images
we have collected for this series came at a tremendous price, which we explained previously.] |
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The real Santa brandishes a torch. From Park College's 1980 yearbook.
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"There had been flowers on his table." From Harper's (1902).
 |
[Inexplicable images from generations ago invite us to restore the lost
sense of immediacy. We follow the founder of the Theater of
Spontaneity, Jacob Moreno, who proposed stringing together "now and then
flashes" to unfetter illusion and let imagination run free. The images
we have collected for this series came at a tremendous price, which we explained previously.] |
|

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From Green Pipes by Joseph Rous Paget-Fredericks, 1929.
 |
[Inexplicable images from generations ago invite us to restore the lost
sense of immediacy. We follow the founder of the Theater of
Spontaneity, Jacob Moreno, who proposed stringing together "now and then
flashes" to unfetter illusion and let imagination run free. The images
we have collected for this series came at a tremendous price, which we explained previously.] |
|

 |
 |
[Inexplicable images from generations ago invite us to restore the lost
sense of immediacy. We follow the founder of the Theater of
Spontaneity, Jacob Moreno, who proposed stringing together "now and then
flashes" to unfetter illusion and let imagination run free. The images
we have collected for this series came at a tremendous price, which we explained previously.] |
|

 |
 |
[Inexplicable images from generations ago invite us to restore the lost
sense of immediacy. We follow the founder of the Theater of
Spontaneity, Jacob Moreno, who proposed stringing together "now and then
flashes" to unfetter illusion and let imagination run free. The images
we have collected for this series came at a tremendous price, which we explained previously.] |
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|


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Freedom today costs "a buck o-five" ("Freedom Isn't Free" by Trey Parker), but in 1976 it cost ten thousand dollars over a three year period. Note that they did the math to show that 10 thousand times 3 equals 30 thousand. That's because this is from a college newspaper. Yes, we're throwing shade at innumeracy. We're in no mood to coddle willful ignorance. From the [DuPage] Courier, 1978.
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I Found a Penny Today, So Here's a Thought |
(permalink) |
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We’ve heard the phrase, “the reason for the season,” but the following statement ...
“It will enhance food flavor, offer antioxidant and antimicrobial properties, aid digestion, contribute to our health and longevity, and benefit the spice trade”
… is "the reasoning for the seasoning."
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[Inexplicable images from generations ago invite us to restore the lost
sense of immediacy. We follow the founder of the Theater of
Spontaneity, Jacob Moreno, who proposed stringing together "now and then
flashes" to unfetter illusion and let imagination run free. The images
we have collected for this series came at a tremendous price, which we explained previously.] |
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It's a wonder that Santa ever manages to get where he's going. From Liz'beth Ann's Goat by Mary Virginia Provines and illustrated by Grace Paull.
 |
[Inexplicable images from generations ago invite us to restore the lost
sense of immediacy. We follow the founder of the Theater of
Spontaneity, Jacob Moreno, who proposed stringing together "now and then
flashes" to unfetter illusion and let imagination run free. The images
we have collected for this series came at a tremendous price, which we explained previously.] |
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unearths some literary gems.
From The Brontës Went to Woolworths, by Rachel Ferguson:
***I had smugly intended my book to be about a family rather like ours, but, lud love you! it’s already turned into an account of a barmaid’s career in an Edgware Road pub, and I can’t squeeze us in anywhere!***The family is always asking me to read them “bits,” and I always refuse. The general public (if I ever have one) I don’t mind a bit, but reading what one has written is like kissing a lover in a tram.***A jury summons had commanded mother (on a buff slip, ending “hereof fail not,” for which I forgave it everything).***"It's like when people say 'God bless you'; one doesn't know whether to say 'Don't mention it,' 'Not at all,' or "The same to you.'"***"Then we'll be married on the Tuesday, if it falls early in the week, and I'm not laid up with one of my attacks of synopsis of the scenario."***And then I went into the library and had an inferiority complex.***Pipson crated us in his enormous Daimler as though we were glass, or a loan collection of Flemish pictures.***He doesn’t seem to go down a bit, though, and is always telling stories that nobody listens to, so they might be worth hearing.***“The Brontë family has been, like Switzerland, too much stamped over.”***Mother said she hoped Sheil wouldn’t grow up to write novels of the type she calls “lofty leg-pulls.”***“The last time I dropped in, you said hereditament five times, and I thought it a gorgeous word.”
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From The Film Daily, 1937.
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[Inexplicable images from generations ago invite us to restore the lost
sense of immediacy. We follow the founder of the Theater of
Spontaneity, Jacob Moreno, who proposed stringing together "now and then
flashes" to unfetter illusion and let imagination run free. The images
we have collected for this series came at a tremendous price, which we explained previously.] |
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From St. Procopius' 1967 yearbook.
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The upside-down Christmas tree is nothing new. From Nebelspalter, 1934.
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Home for the holidays. (Whatever it says on the frame in the background was blacked out in the yearbook.) From Mount Olive's 1958 yearbook.
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From Dark Regions, 1987, courtesy of Archive.org.
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[Inexplicable images from generations ago invite us to restore the lost
sense of immediacy. We follow the founder of the Theater of
Spontaneity, Jacob Moreno, who proposed stringing together "now and then
flashes" to unfetter illusion and let imagination run free. The images
we have collected for this series came at a tremendous price, which we explained previously.] |
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By Paul Lothar Muller. From Der Guckkasten, 1909.
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[Inexplicable images from generations ago invite us to restore the lost
sense of immediacy. We follow the founder of the Theater of
Spontaneity, Jacob Moreno, who proposed stringing together "now and then
flashes" to unfetter illusion and let imagination run free. The images
we have collected for this series came at a tremendous price, which we explained previously.] |
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|

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[Inexplicable images from generations ago invite us to restore the lost
sense of immediacy. We follow the founder of the Theater of
Spontaneity, Jacob Moreno, who proposed stringing together "now and then
flashes" to unfetter illusion and let imagination run free. The images
we have collected for this series came at a tremendous price, which we explained previously.] |
|

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From Le Chariviari, 1884.
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[Inexplicable images from generations ago invite us to restore the lost
sense of immediacy. We follow the founder of the Theater of
Spontaneity, Jacob Moreno, who proposed stringing together "now and then
flashes" to unfetter illusion and let imagination run free. The images
we have collected for this series came at a tremendous price, which we explained previously.] |
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From Wesleyan College's 1953 yearbook.
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 |
[Inexplicable images from generations ago invite us to restore the lost
sense of immediacy. We follow the founder of the Theater of
Spontaneity, Jacob Moreno, who proposed stringing together "now and then
flashes" to unfetter illusion and let imagination run free. The images
we have collected for this series came at a tremendous price, which we explained previously.] |
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"Polly's real horse." From St. Nicholas, 1888.
 |
[Inexplicable images from generations ago invite us to restore the lost
sense of immediacy. We follow the founder of the Theater of
Spontaneity, Jacob Moreno, who proposed stringing together "now and then
flashes" to unfetter illusion and let imagination run free. The images
we have collected for this series came at a tremendous price, which we explained previously.] |
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I Found a Penny Today, So Here's a Thought |
(permalink) |
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Thanks to Hugo R. who wrote, "The Penetralia videos are endlessly charming and give me hope for this world."
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From Prof. Oddfellow's sketchbook:
Wintertime in Florida: the "reason for the season" rearranges into "seashore afternoons" (with a seahorse).
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[Inexplicable images from generations ago invite us to restore the lost
sense of immediacy. We follow the founder of the Theater of
Spontaneity, Jacob Moreno, who proposed stringing together "now and then
flashes" to unfetter illusion and let imagination run free. The images
we have collected for this series came at a tremendous price, which we explained previously.] |
|

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 |
[Inexplicable images from generations ago invite us to restore the lost
sense of immediacy. We follow the founder of the Theater of
Spontaneity, Jacob Moreno, who proposed stringing together "now and then
flashes" to unfetter illusion and let imagination run free. The images
we have collected for this series came at a tremendous price, which we explained previously.] |
|

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From Le Journal Amusant, 1904.
 |
[Inexplicable images from generations ago invite us to restore the lost
sense of immediacy. We follow the founder of the Theater of
Spontaneity, Jacob Moreno, who proposed stringing together "now and then
flashes" to unfetter illusion and let imagination run free. The images
we have collected for this series came at a tremendous price, which we explained previously.] |
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From L'Assiette au Beurre, 1901.
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[Inexplicable images from generations ago invite us to restore the lost
sense of immediacy. We follow the founder of the Theater of
Spontaneity, Jacob Moreno, who proposed stringing together "now and then
flashes" to unfetter illusion and let imagination run free. The images
we have collected for this series came at a tremendous price, which we explained previously.] |
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Tag yourself if you're the cat person sleeping through class. From Lees-McRae's 1955 yearbook. See How to Be Your Own Cat.
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From Science Wonder Quarterly, 1929.
 |
[Inexplicable images from generations ago invite us to restore the lost
sense of immediacy. We follow the founder of the Theater of
Spontaneity, Jacob Moreno, who proposed stringing together "now and then
flashes" to unfetter illusion and let imagination run free. The images
we have collected for this series came at a tremendous price, which we explained previously.] |
|

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From Mitchell's 1921 yearbook.
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From Der Guckkasten, 1915.
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[Inexplicable images from generations ago invite us to restore the lost
sense of immediacy. We follow the founder of the Theater of
Spontaneity, Jacob Moreno, who proposed stringing together "now and then
flashes" to unfetter illusion and let imagination run free. The images
we have collected for this series came at a tremendous price, which we explained previously.] |
|

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Though it may be true that money doesn't grow on trees, it does grow on plants that the grim reaper fertilizes with blood. From Nebelspalter, 1913.
 |
[Inexplicable images from generations ago invite us to restore the lost
sense of immediacy. We follow the founder of the Theater of
Spontaneity, Jacob Moreno, who proposed stringing together "now and then
flashes" to unfetter illusion and let imagination run free. The images
we have collected for this series came at a tremendous price, which we explained previously.] |
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From Millikin's 1971 yearbook.
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[Inexplicable images from generations ago invite us to restore the lost
sense of immediacy. We follow the founder of the Theater of
Spontaneity, Jacob Moreno, who proposed stringing together "now and then
flashes" to unfetter illusion and let imagination run free. The images
we have collected for this series came at a tremendous price, which we explained previously.] |
|

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Another glowing tree in the mysterious forest of glowing trees that stretches across the world of old yearbooks. From Union College's 1975 yearbook.
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[Inexplicable images from generations ago invite us to restore the lost
sense of immediacy. We follow the founder of the Theater of
Spontaneity, Jacob Moreno, who proposed stringing together "now and then
flashes" to unfetter illusion and let imagination run free. The images
we have collected for this series came at a tremendous price, which we explained previously.] |
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Reblog if you would be cradled by a giant owl while reading. From Illinois Woman's College's 1929 yearbook.
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This is definitely a first for me (having perused over 8,000 old yearbooks to date) -- portraits in reverse italics! I get it -- when you simply cannot veer away from very elongated oval photos, you have to do whatever must be done to fit them onto the page. I'd say we've all been there, but I'm not sure anyone ever has been there except for Kansas State in 1908. In the course of making sure reverse italics didn't have a better name, I encountered this blog post that reminded me about upright italics, but what really caught my eye was the banner -- a David Lynch-style Ricky Board with a row of basically identical stars, each labeled with a unique name.
Here are Lynch's instructions:
—How To Make A Ricky Board—
by David Lynch
This board can be any size you want.
The proportions are dictated by four rows of five rickies.
Each ricky is, as nearly as possible, exactly the same as every other ricky.
The ricky can be an object or a flat image.
The thing about the rickies is you will see them change before your eyes because you will give each ricky a different name.
The names will be printed or written under each ricky. Twenty different names in all.
You will be amazed at the different personalities that emerge depending on the names you give.
Here is a poem:
Four rows of five
Your rickies come alive
Twenty is plenty
It isn’t tricky
Just name each ricky
Even though they’re all the same
The change comes from the name
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We checked, and fewer gadgets are obscuring God these days, mainly because now everything is an app. From Together, 1959.
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This is why we won't enter any room lined with skulls. From Zork I Handbook.
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[Inexplicable images from generations ago invite us to restore the lost
sense of immediacy. We follow the founder of the Theater of
Spontaneity, Jacob Moreno, who proposed stringing together "now and then
flashes" to unfetter illusion and let imagination run free. The images
we have collected for this series came at a tremendous price, which we explained previously.] |
|




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We encountered many temporal anomalies in Martinsburg, West Virginia. This one, at the Veterans of Foreign Wars buiilding, displayed two different times on its faces, both incorrect. Due to the great number of faulty clocks in Martinsburg, we suspect a city-wide rift in the fabric of time/space.
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Old Man Winter, the Peace Angel, and Next Spring are waiting for an appointment with Father Time. From Nebelspalter, 1917.
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[Inexplicable images from generations ago invite us to restore the lost
sense of immediacy. We follow the founder of the Theater of
Spontaneity, Jacob Moreno, who proposed stringing together "now and then
flashes" to unfetter illusion and let imagination run free. The images
we have collected for this series came at a tremendous price, which we explained previously.] |
|

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It's rare to see a pom-pom on the way to a big game. From Mars Hill's 1970 yearbook.
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Thrift for empty-handed hunters -- a rabbit or a partridge for five Francs (about a dollar's worth today, though experts in extinct currency inflation may correct us). From Le Charivari, 1891.
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[Inexplicable images from generations ago invite us to restore the lost
sense of immediacy. We follow the founder of the Theater of
Spontaneity, Jacob Moreno, who proposed stringing together "now and then
flashes" to unfetter illusion and let imagination run free. The images
we have collected for this series came at a tremendous price, which we explained previously.] |
|

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That lamp is fueled by the midnight oil. From Earlham's 1922 yearbook.
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Reblog if you first consult the skeleton before answering a gentleman caller. From Le Charivari, 1889.
 |
[Inexplicable images from generations ago invite us to restore the lost
sense of immediacy. We follow the founder of the Theater of
Spontaneity, Jacob Moreno, who proposed stringing together "now and then
flashes" to unfetter illusion and let imagination run free. The images
we have collected for this series came at a tremendous price, which we explained previously.] |
|

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Forces of the occult versus the Holy Bible. Who will win? From Concordia's 1956 yearbook.
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[Inexplicable images from generations ago invite us to restore the lost
sense of immediacy. We follow the founder of the Theater of
Spontaneity, Jacob Moreno, who proposed stringing together "now and then
flashes" to unfetter illusion and let imagination run free. The images
we have collected for this series came at a tremendous price, which we explained previously.] |
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INSTRUCTIONS: Click to reveal a second moment. From Washington College's 1976 yearbook. 
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From Lustige Blätter, 1917.
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[Inexplicable images from generations ago invite us to restore the lost
sense of immediacy. We follow the founder of the Theater of
Spontaneity, Jacob Moreno, who proposed stringing together "now and then
flashes" to unfetter illusion and let imagination run free. The images
we have collected for this series came at a tremendous price, which we explained previously.] |
|


 |
 |
[Inexplicable images from generations ago invite us to restore the lost
sense of immediacy. We follow the founder of the Theater of
Spontaneity, Jacob Moreno, who proposed stringing together "now and then
flashes" to unfetter illusion and let imagination run free. The images
we have collected for this series came at a tremendous price, which we explained previously.] |
|

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You've heard of someone being "history" (in the sense of death being imminent), and here's what it looks like. From Salem's 1977 yearbook.
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If you have a strange dream to share, send it along! |
|

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From Le Journal Amusant, 1894.
 |
[Inexplicable images from generations ago invite us to restore the lost
sense of immediacy. We follow the founder of the Theater of
Spontaneity, Jacob Moreno, who proposed stringing together "now and then
flashes" to unfetter illusion and let imagination run free. The images
we have collected for this series came at a tremendous price, which we explained previously.] |
|

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unearths some literary gems.
From Frank Sullivan, c. 1928:
***
'The result was that we continually wore a charming, wistful, whimsical look, as if to say "Heigh-ho, all of you! I may dash out any moment and write something in the style of James M. Barrie!"'
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[Inexplicable images from generations ago invite us to restore the lost
sense of immediacy. We follow the founder of the Theater of
Spontaneity, Jacob Moreno, who proposed stringing together "now and then
flashes" to unfetter illusion and let imagination run free. The images
we have collected for this series came at a tremendous price, which we explained previously.] |
|


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I Found a Penny Today, So Here's a Thought |
(permalink) |
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Something like this is promised in the Tibetan Book of the Dead. "Look on me—and say if you know not my name!" From Blue Book, 1936.
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In our experience, there's so little that a little cleansing oil and a crystal rose can't solve. From Wizardry IV: The Return of Werdna Handbook.
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[Inexplicable images from generations ago invite us to restore the lost
sense of immediacy. We follow the founder of the Theater of
Spontaneity, Jacob Moreno, who proposed stringing together "now and then
flashes" to unfetter illusion and let imagination run free. The images
we have collected for this series came at a tremendous price, which we explained previously.] |
|

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"The truth is that there is reason for Germany's bad reputation" (Press Review, 1918). From William and Mary's 1914 yearbook.
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[Inexplicable images from generations ago invite us to restore the lost
sense of immediacy. We follow the founder of the Theater of
Spontaneity, Jacob Moreno, who proposed stringing together "now and then
flashes" to unfetter illusion and let imagination run free. The images
we have collected for this series came at a tremendous price, which we explained previously.] |
|

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From Lustige Blätter, 1901.
 |
[Inexplicable images from generations ago invite us to restore the lost
sense of immediacy. We follow the founder of the Theater of
Spontaneity, Jacob Moreno, who proposed stringing together "now and then
flashes" to unfetter illusion and let imagination run free. The images
we have collected for this series came at a tremendous price, which we explained previously.] |
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Not sure what this means, but, to quote from The American Astronaut, "then again I've never been to earth." From American University's 1968 yearbook. (In the same song, even Paul Simon admits, " Like a poem poorly written, we are verses out of rhythm.")
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Our own stability, too, relies on a peacock feather and a clown hat. From Nebelspalter, 1913.
 |
[Inexplicable images from generations ago invite us to restore the lost
sense of immediacy. We follow the founder of the Theater of
Spontaneity, Jacob Moreno, who proposed stringing together "now and then
flashes" to unfetter illusion and let imagination run free. The images
we have collected for this series came at a tremendous price, which we explained previously.] |
|

 |
 |
[Inexplicable images from generations ago invite us to restore the lost
sense of immediacy. We follow the founder of the Theater of
Spontaneity, Jacob Moreno, who proposed stringing together "now and then
flashes" to unfetter illusion and let imagination run free. The images
we have collected for this series came at a tremendous price, which we explained previously.] |
|

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|

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[Inexplicable images from generations ago invite us to restore the lost
sense of immediacy. We follow the founder of the Theater of
Spontaneity, Jacob Moreno, who proposed stringing together "now and then
flashes" to unfetter illusion and let imagination run free. The images
we have collected for this series came at a tremendous price, which we explained previously.] |
|

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From Tulane's 1897 yearbook.
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[Inexplicable images from generations ago invite us to restore the lost
sense of immediacy. We follow the founder of the Theater of
Spontaneity, Jacob Moreno, who proposed stringing together "now and then
flashes" to unfetter illusion and let imagination run free. The images
we have collected for this series came at a tremendous price, which we explained previously.] |
|

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From Union College's 1975 yearbook.
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[Inexplicable images from generations ago invite us to restore the lost
sense of immediacy. We follow the founder of the Theater of
Spontaneity, Jacob Moreno, who proposed stringing together "now and then
flashes" to unfetter illusion and let imagination run free. The images
we have collected for this series came at a tremendous price, which we explained previously.] |
|

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From Salem's 1905 yearbook.
|

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Peace asks War not to begin preparing the omelet yet. From Le Charivari, 1891.
 |
[Inexplicable images from generations ago invite us to restore the lost
sense of immediacy. We follow the founder of the Theater of
Spontaneity, Jacob Moreno, who proposed stringing together "now and then
flashes" to unfetter illusion and let imagination run free. The images
we have collected for this series came at a tremendous price, which we explained previously.] |
|

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You may have had a sense that everything counts toward something. But it only counts toward twenty. [The context is twenty years of service before retirement from the armed forces.] From It All Counts Toward Twenty by Everett Christensen.
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For a houseguest's third day, make place cards on the dinner table in the form of tombstones. From Together, 1956.
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From The Psychiatric Bulletin, 1958.
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[Inexplicable images from generations ago invite us to restore the lost
sense of immediacy. We follow the founder of the Theater of
Spontaneity, Jacob Moreno, who proposed stringing together "now and then
flashes" to unfetter illusion and let imagination run free. The images
we have collected for this series came at a tremendous price, which we explained previously.] |
|


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The "Thing," from Flying Saucer News, 1955.
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[Inexplicable images from generations ago invite us to restore the lost
sense of immediacy. We follow the founder of the Theater of
Spontaneity, Jacob Moreno, who proposed stringing together "now and then
flashes" to unfetter illusion and let imagination run free. The images
we have collected for this series came at a tremendous price, which we explained previously.] |
|

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"The world of cults and the occult." From Fort Wayne Bible College's 1976 yearbook.
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[Inexplicable images from generations ago invite us to restore the lost
sense of immediacy. We follow the founder of the Theater of
Spontaneity, Jacob Moreno, who proposed stringing together "now and then
flashes" to unfetter illusion and let imagination run free. The images
we have collected for this series came at a tremendous price, which we explained previously.] |
|

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From Kansas State's 1917 yearbook.
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 |
[Inexplicable images from generations ago invite us to restore the lost
sense of immediacy. We follow the founder of the Theater of
Spontaneity, Jacob Moreno, who proposed stringing together "now and then
flashes" to unfetter illusion and let imagination run free. The images
we have collected for this series came at a tremendous price, which we explained previously.] |
|

 |
 |
[Inexplicable images from generations ago invite us to restore the lost
sense of immediacy. We follow the founder of the Theater of
Spontaneity, Jacob Moreno, who proposed stringing together "now and then
flashes" to unfetter illusion and let imagination run free. The images
we have collected for this series came at a tremendous price, which we explained previously.] |
|

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From Science Wonder Quarterly, 1929.
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[Inexplicable images from generations ago invite us to restore the lost
sense of immediacy. We follow the founder of the Theater of
Spontaneity, Jacob Moreno, who proposed stringing together "now and then
flashes" to unfetter illusion and let imagination run free. The images
we have collected for this series came at a tremendous price, which we explained previously.] |
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From Der Guckkasten, 1915.
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[Inexplicable images from generations ago invite us to restore the lost
sense of immediacy. We follow the founder of the Theater of
Spontaneity, Jacob Moreno, who proposed stringing together "now and then
flashes" to unfetter illusion and let imagination run free. The images
we have collected for this series came at a tremendous price, which we explained previously.] |
|


 |
 |
[Inexplicable images from generations ago invite us to restore the lost
sense of immediacy. We follow the founder of the Theater of
Spontaneity, Jacob Moreno, who proposed stringing together "now and then
flashes" to unfetter illusion and let imagination run free. The images
we have collected for this series came at a tremendous price, which we explained previously.] |
|

 |
 |
[Inexplicable images from generations ago invite us to restore the lost
sense of immediacy. We follow the founder of the Theater of
Spontaneity, Jacob Moreno, who proposed stringing together "now and then
flashes" to unfetter illusion and let imagination run free. The images
we have collected for this series came at a tremendous price, which we explained previously.] |
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From Northeastern's 1932 yearbook.
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 |
[Inexplicable images from generations ago invite us to restore the lost
sense of immediacy. We follow the founder of the Theater of
Spontaneity, Jacob Moreno, who proposed stringing together "now and then
flashes" to unfetter illusion and let imagination run free. The images
we have collected for this series came at a tremendous price, which we explained previously.] |
|

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unearths some literary gems.
*** "There you are! I always said it." [...] "Always. I don't know what it was you always said, but you always did, and I wish I'd had the wit and intelligence to say it first."
*** Why were [the partner names in legal practices] always in threes? Magical number. Seven was too many.
*** "Wasn't there something at the back of my mind about her and Stephen--" "I wouldn't want to look at the back of your mind!" ***
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[Inexplicable images from generations ago invite us to restore the lost
sense of immediacy. We follow the founder of the Theater of
Spontaneity, Jacob Moreno, who proposed stringing together "now and then
flashes" to unfetter illusion and let imagination run free. The images
we have collected for this series came at a tremendous price, which we explained previously.] |
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I Found a Penny Today, So Here's a Thought |
(permalink) |
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"Suddenly realizing that she had actually encountered a live lion." From St. Nicholas, 1915.
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[Inexplicable images from generations ago invite us to restore the lost
sense of immediacy. We follow the founder of the Theater of
Spontaneity, Jacob Moreno, who proposed stringing together "now and then
flashes" to unfetter illusion and let imagination run free. The images
we have collected for this series came at a tremendous price, which we explained previously.] |
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Some have reason to believe that just a drop does the trick. From the Wizardry III: Legacy of Llylgamyn strategy handbook.
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[Inexplicable images from generations ago invite us to restore the lost
sense of immediacy. We follow the founder of the Theater of
Spontaneity, Jacob Moreno, who proposed stringing together "now and then
flashes" to unfetter illusion and let imagination run free. The images
we have collected for this series came at a tremendous price, which we explained previously.] |
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"What's the matter with me and men?" From The New Movie Magazine, 1935.
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[Inexplicable images from generations ago invite us to restore the lost
sense of immediacy. We follow the founder of the Theater of
Spontaneity, Jacob Moreno, who proposed stringing together "now and then
flashes" to unfetter illusion and let imagination run free. The images
we have collected for this series came at a tremendous price, which we explained previously.] |
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Via UFO Newsclipping Service, 1987.
|

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From Ontario College of Art's Sketch magazine, 1947.
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[Inexplicable images from generations ago invite us to restore the lost
sense of immediacy. We follow the founder of the Theater of
Spontaneity, Jacob Moreno, who proposed stringing together "now and then
flashes" to unfetter illusion and let imagination run free. The images
we have collected for this series came at a tremendous price, which we explained previously.] |
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From Der Bärenspiegel, 1927.
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[Inexplicable images from generations ago invite us to restore the lost
sense of immediacy. We follow the founder of the Theater of
Spontaneity, Jacob Moreno, who proposed stringing together "now and then
flashes" to unfetter illusion and let imagination run free. The images
we have collected for this series came at a tremendous price, which we explained previously.] |
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From Millikin's 1930 yearbook.
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[Inexplicable images from generations ago invite us to restore the lost
sense of immediacy. We follow the founder of the Theater of
Spontaneity, Jacob Moreno, who proposed stringing together "now and then
flashes" to unfetter illusion and let imagination run free. The images
we have collected for this series came at a tremendous price, which we explained previously.] |
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Quite the stylized skull. From Presbyterian College's 1930 yearbook.
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[Inexplicable images from generations ago invite us to restore the lost
sense of immediacy. We follow the founder of the Theater of
Spontaneity, Jacob Moreno, who proposed stringing together "now and then
flashes" to unfetter illusion and let imagination run free. The images
we have collected for this series came at a tremendous price, which we explained previously.] |
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From Tulane's 1916 yearbook.
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Our custom widget that checks for duplicated images suggested this unlikely pairing. Click each image for its source.
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[Inexplicable images from generations ago invite us to restore the lost
sense of immediacy. We follow the founder of the Theater of
Spontaneity, Jacob Moreno, who proposed stringing together "now and then
flashes" to unfetter illusion and let imagination run free. The images
we have collected for this series came at a tremendous price, which we explained previously.] |
|

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From Lustige Blätter, 1916.
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[Inexplicable images from generations ago invite us to restore the lost
sense of immediacy. We follow the founder of the Theater of
Spontaneity, Jacob Moreno, who proposed stringing together "now and then
flashes" to unfetter illusion and let imagination run free. The images
we have collected for this series came at a tremendous price, which we explained previously.] |
|

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From North Texas' 1918 yearbook.
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[Inexplicable images from generations ago invite us to restore the lost
sense of immediacy. We follow the founder of the Theater of
Spontaneity, Jacob Moreno, who proposed stringing together "now and then
flashes" to unfetter illusion and let imagination run free. The images
we have collected for this series came at a tremendous price, which we explained previously.] |
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I Found a Penny Today, So Here's a Thought |
(permalink) |
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Here's a way you can still give a fruitcake and not be reviled: give a fruitcake-themed mystery novel.
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[Inexplicable images from generations ago invite us to restore the lost
sense of immediacy. We follow the founder of the Theater of
Spontaneity, Jacob Moreno, who proposed stringing together "now and then
flashes" to unfetter illusion and let imagination run free. The images
we have collected for this series came at a tremendous price, which we explained previously.] |
|

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From Carleton's 1967 yearbook.
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If you have trouble telling football players from footballs, here's why. From the University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill's 1909 yearbook.
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From Science Wonder Quarterly, 1929.
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[Inexplicable images from generations ago invite us to restore the lost
sense of immediacy. We follow the founder of the Theater of
Spontaneity, Jacob Moreno, who proposed stringing together "now and then
flashes" to unfetter illusion and let imagination run free. The images
we have collected for this series came at a tremendous price, which we explained previously.] |
|

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[Inexplicable images from generations ago invite us to restore the lost
sense of immediacy. We follow the founder of the Theater of
Spontaneity, Jacob Moreno, who proposed stringing together "now and then
flashes" to unfetter illusion and let imagination run free. The images
we have collected for this series came at a tremendous price, which we explained previously.] |
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From Spellbound, 1977. (Courtesy of Archive.org.)
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[Inexplicable images from generations ago invite us to restore the lost
sense of immediacy. We follow the founder of the Theater of
Spontaneity, Jacob Moreno, who proposed stringing together "now and then
flashes" to unfetter illusion and let imagination run free. The images
we have collected for this series came at a tremendous price, which we explained previously.] |
|

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From La Lune Rousse, 1877.
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[Inexplicable images from generations ago invite us to restore the lost
sense of immediacy. We follow the founder of the Theater of
Spontaneity, Jacob Moreno, who proposed stringing together "now and then
flashes" to unfetter illusion and let imagination run free. The images
we have collected for this series came at a tremendous price, which we explained previously.] |
|

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"The Sickle of Leo, from which come the Leonids, gleams like a great question-mark in the sky. The answer— But God knows what the answer to anything is. Perhaps it is that the stars are very close indeed." —Charles Fort, New Lands
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From Lenoir-Rhyne's 1972 yearbook.
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"The hand of mysticism, hysteria, hallucinations, and religious mania." The caption doesn't say this is the hand of a mystically-minded person who experiences hysteria, hallucinations, and religious mania. Rather, it suggests that the hand itself embodies mysticiam, hysteria, hallucinations, and religious mania. Therefore, the illustration is transformed into a talisman, akin to the Hand of Fatima. From New Discoveries in Palmistry by Joseph Bryant Hargett, 1901.
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[Inexplicable images from generations ago invite us to restore the lost
sense of immediacy. We follow the founder of the Theater of
Spontaneity, Jacob Moreno, who proposed stringing together "now and then
flashes" to unfetter illusion and let imagination run free. The images
we have collected for this series came at a tremendous price, which we explained previously.] |
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A bold statement -- the mop wig look allowed to cascade and dominate the ensemble. From Pfeiffer's 1973 yearbook.
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From The Film Daily, 1943.
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[Inexplicable images from generations ago invite us to restore the lost
sense of immediacy. We follow the founder of the Theater of
Spontaneity, Jacob Moreno, who proposed stringing together "now and then
flashes" to unfetter illusion and let imagination run free. The images
we have collected for this series came at a tremendous price, which we explained previously.] |
|

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While researching insights into how to know when it's over, we encountered this surprising tidbit from Alton Brown (I'm Just Here For the Food): "You'll know it's over when you reach in with tongs and can easily crush the bones."
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[Inexplicable images from generations ago invite us to restore the lost
sense of immediacy. We follow the founder of the Theater of
Spontaneity, Jacob Moreno, who proposed stringing together "now and then
flashes" to unfetter illusion and let imagination run free. The images
we have collected for this series came at a tremendous price, which we explained previously.] |
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"Something's happening here; what it is ain't exactly clear." (A quotation from "For What It's Worth" by Buffalo Springfield.) From American University's 1968 yearbook.
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[Inexplicable images from generations ago invite us to restore the lost
sense of immediacy. We follow the founder of the Theater of
Spontaneity, Jacob Moreno, who proposed stringing together "now and then
flashes" to unfetter illusion and let imagination run free. The images
we have collected for this series came at a tremendous price, which we explained previously.] |
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I Found a Penny Today, So Here's a Thought |
(permalink) |
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Before you look at the caption, can you guess his profession? From Harper's, 1879.
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[Inexplicable images from generations ago invite us to restore the lost
sense of immediacy. We follow the founder of the Theater of
Spontaneity, Jacob Moreno, who proposed stringing together "now and then
flashes" to unfetter illusion and let imagination run free. The images
we have collected for this series came at a tremendous price, which we explained previously.] |
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"How good a synonym are you?" We're not sure, but we do know some major antonyms. From Lighted Pathway, 1977.
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For fear of a caretaker pulling back the ivy and showing us our own tombstone again, we visit cemeteries only when nobody's around. From Together, 1957.
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[Inexplicable images from generations ago invite us to restore the lost
sense of immediacy. We follow the founder of the Theater of
Spontaneity, Jacob Moreno, who proposed stringing together "now and then
flashes" to unfetter illusion and let imagination run free. The images
we have collected for this series came at a tremendous price, which we explained previously.] |
|

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From the Wizardry III: Legacy of Llylgamyn handbook.
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[Inexplicable images from generations ago invite us to restore the lost
sense of immediacy. We follow the founder of the Theater of
Spontaneity, Jacob Moreno, who proposed stringing together "now and then
flashes" to unfetter illusion and let imagination run free. The images
we have collected for this series came at a tremendous price, which we explained previously.] |
|

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From The Wizard of Oz, adapted by Oscar Weigle and illustrated by Robert Patterson.
|

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"Learning how to move." By Colin Peters. From Coraddi, 1991.
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[Inexplicable images from generations ago invite us to restore the lost
sense of immediacy. We follow the founder of the Theater of
Spontaneity, Jacob Moreno, who proposed stringing together "now and then
flashes" to unfetter illusion and let imagination run free. The images
we have collected for this series came at a tremendous price, which we explained previously.] |
|

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They believe they're a newlywed couple, after hypnosis ... or perhaps even before hypnosis. From Practical Lessons in Hypnotism by William Wesley Cook, 1901.
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"Instead of saying that man is the creature of circumstance, it would be nearer the mark to say that man is the architect of circumstance." From Hoenshel's Complete English Grammar, 1897.
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"Behind the mirror" -- one of the few illustrations we've encountered that admits to being from the other side. From Swarthmore's 1922 yearbook.
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"Why, I thought you were a wagon … but where are your hortheth?" From Star People by Katharine Fay Dewey, 1910.
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[Inexplicable images from generations ago invite us to restore the lost
sense of immediacy. We follow the founder of the Theater of
Spontaneity, Jacob Moreno, who proposed stringing together "now and then
flashes" to unfetter illusion and let imagination run free. The images
we have collected for this series came at a tremendous price, which we explained previously.] |
|

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|

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[Inexplicable images from generations ago invite us to restore the lost
sense of immediacy. We follow the founder of the Theater of
Spontaneity, Jacob Moreno, who proposed stringing together "now and then
flashes" to unfetter illusion and let imagination run free. The images
we have collected for this series came at a tremendous price, which we explained previously.] |
|

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 |
[Inexplicable images from generations ago invite us to restore the lost
sense of immediacy. We follow the founder of the Theater of
Spontaneity, Jacob Moreno, who proposed stringing together "now and then
flashes" to unfetter illusion and let imagination run free. The images
we have collected for this series came at a tremendous price, which we explained previously.] |
|

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From Lustige Blätter, 1906.
 |
[Inexplicable images from generations ago invite us to restore the lost
sense of immediacy. We follow the founder of the Theater of
Spontaneity, Jacob Moreno, who proposed stringing together "now and then
flashes" to unfetter illusion and let imagination run free. The images
we have collected for this series came at a tremendous price, which we explained previously.] |
|

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From Blue Planet Project: Alien Technical Research - 25 (undated).
 |
[Inexplicable images from generations ago invite us to restore the lost
sense of immediacy. We follow the founder of the Theater of
Spontaneity, Jacob Moreno, who proposed stringing together "now and then
flashes" to unfetter illusion and let imagination run free. The images
we have collected for this series came at a tremendous price, which we explained previously.] |
|

 |
|

 |
unearths some literary gems.
*** Everything he saw in the streets announced that there was probably no such person as Mr. Pitsner. The very name shattered conviction.
*** He gave Inigo the impression that he was tired and that he knew a great deal. Possibly he was tired of knowing a great deal.
*** It was like lunching in a painted and gilded pandemonium.
*** “It must be because you’re—what is it?—an author—no, something worse than that—a man of let-ters.”
*** [Hat Eating, Fake Scots Accent-Style] "If she's no gladly acceptin' him, ah'll go an' eat ma best bonnet."
*** He has published a very small book with an enormous title—it begins with Some Observations on the Parathyroid Glands, and then goes on and on, With Special Reference, and so forth. ***
Bonuses:
1. Some 500 pages into this book, I suddenly encountered, in relatively short order, two instances of someone who could "do the other thing" if they didn't like it. It was as if Clifford Witting's use of that phrase in my concurrent reading broke the ice on that previously unknown-to-me euphemistic variant.
2. I've (recently) become conversant with "Be your age!" to mean "Don't be ridiculous!"; but in this book we have "Be yourself!" as a variant.
3. An advertisement at the back of the original 1929 edition mentions an award called the Femina-Bookman Prize. It sounds like the sister of the Man Booker Prize!
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You may have picked up on what's happening here -- this yearbook page, asking America when it died, constitutes a seance. Here's a tip for spirit mediums wishing to contact the ghost of America: for best results, call upon Columbia, the national personification. From Wake Forest's 1972 yearbook.
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Bad news -- your best guess is probably wrong! From Motion Picture Herald, 1931.
|

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Probably true: "We're too dumb for aliens to bother contacting us." Via UFO Newsclipping Service, 2001.
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 |
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[Inexplicable images from generations ago invite us to restore the lost
sense of immediacy. We follow the founder of the Theater of
Spontaneity, Jacob Moreno, who proposed stringing together "now and then
flashes" to unfetter illusion and let imagination run free. The images
we have collected for this series came at a tremendous price, which we explained previously.] |
|

 |
 |
[Inexplicable images from generations ago invite us to restore the lost
sense of immediacy. We follow the founder of the Theater of
Spontaneity, Jacob Moreno, who proposed stringing together "now and then
flashes" to unfetter illusion and let imagination run free. The images
we have collected for this series came at a tremendous price, which we explained previously.] |
|

 |
 |
[Inexplicable images from generations ago invite us to restore the lost
sense of immediacy. We follow the founder of the Theater of
Spontaneity, Jacob Moreno, who proposed stringing together "now and then
flashes" to unfetter illusion and let imagination run free. The images
we have collected for this series came at a tremendous price, which we explained previously.] |
|

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"Parallel universes or multiverse." From Blue Planet Project: Alien Technical Research - 25 (undated).
 |
[Inexplicable images from generations ago invite us to restore the lost
sense of immediacy. We follow the founder of the Theater of
Spontaneity, Jacob Moreno, who proposed stringing together "now and then
flashes" to unfetter illusion and let imagination run free. The images
we have collected for this series came at a tremendous price, which we explained previously.] |
|

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Winter season rituals. From a teacher training guide to Navajo cultural beliefs, 1986.
 |
[Inexplicable images from generations ago invite us to restore the lost
sense of immediacy. We follow the founder of the Theater of
Spontaneity, Jacob Moreno, who proposed stringing together "now and then
flashes" to unfetter illusion and let imagination run free. The images
we have collected for this series came at a tremendous price, which we explained previously.] |
|

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|

 |
 |
[Inexplicable images from generations ago invite us to restore the lost
sense of immediacy. We follow the founder of the Theater of
Spontaneity, Jacob Moreno, who proposed stringing together "now and then
flashes" to unfetter illusion and let imagination run free. The images
we have collected for this series came at a tremendous price, which we explained previously.] |
|


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From the State Female Normal School's 1903 yearbook.
|

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An illustration by W. Weimar. From der Guckkasten, 1912.
 |
[Inexplicable images from generations ago invite us to restore the lost
sense of immediacy. We follow the founder of the Theater of
Spontaneity, Jacob Moreno, who proposed stringing together "now and then
flashes" to unfetter illusion and let imagination run free. The images
we have collected for this series came at a tremendous price, which we explained previously.] |
|

 |
 |
[Inexplicable images from generations ago invite us to restore the lost
sense of immediacy. We follow the founder of the Theater of
Spontaneity, Jacob Moreno, who proposed stringing together "now and then
flashes" to unfetter illusion and let imagination run free. The images
we have collected for this series came at a tremendous price, which we explained previously.] |
|

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From Le Courrier Français, 1894.
 |
[Inexplicable images from generations ago invite us to restore the lost
sense of immediacy. We follow the founder of the Theater of
Spontaneity, Jacob Moreno, who proposed stringing together "now and then
flashes" to unfetter illusion and let imagination run free. The images
we have collected for this series came at a tremendous price, which we explained previously.] |
|

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The marotte dances along with the jester and winged horse after a trimming of the wings and tail. From Duke's 1926 yearbook.
|

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An old postcard gifted to me by friends in Wales. Undated.
|

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There's a fine line between innocence and terrible guilt. "We're innocent, yet terribly guilty." From Dark Shadows episode 1209.
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[Inexplicable images from generations ago invite us to restore the lost
sense of immediacy. We follow the founder of the Theater of
Spontaneity, Jacob Moreno, who proposed stringing together "now and then
flashes" to unfetter illusion and let imagination run free. The images
we have collected for this series came at a tremendous price, which we explained previously.] |
|


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From The Dogs and the Fleas by Frederic Scrimshaw, 1893.
 |
[Inexplicable images from generations ago invite us to restore the lost
sense of immediacy. We follow the founder of the Theater of
Spontaneity, Jacob Moreno, who proposed stringing together "now and then
flashes" to unfetter illusion and let imagination run free. The images
we have collected for this series came at a tremendous price, which we explained previously.] |
|

 |
 |
[Inexplicable images from generations ago invite us to restore the lost
sense of immediacy. We follow the founder of the Theater of
Spontaneity, Jacob Moreno, who proposed stringing together "now and then
flashes" to unfetter illusion and let imagination run free. The images
we have collected for this series came at a tremendous price, which we explained previously.] |
|

 |
From Der Guckkasten, 1909.
 |
[Inexplicable images from generations ago invite us to restore the lost
sense of immediacy. We follow the founder of the Theater of
Spontaneity, Jacob Moreno, who proposed stringing together "now and then
flashes" to unfetter illusion and let imagination run free. The images
we have collected for this series came at a tremendous price, which we explained previously.] |
|

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Calling Dr. Jung -- one's shadow self as a graduate. From St. Joseph's 1987 yearbook.
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[Inexplicable images from generations ago invite us to restore the lost
sense of immediacy. We follow the founder of the Theater of
Spontaneity, Jacob Moreno, who proposed stringing together "now and then
flashes" to unfetter illusion and let imagination run free. The images
we have collected for this series came at a tremendous price, which we explained previously.] |
|

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Nine sheet ghosts didn't show up in their photo. From MacMurray's 1977 yearbook.
|

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From Fliegende Blätter, 1923.
 |
[Inexplicable images from generations ago invite us to restore the lost
sense of immediacy. We follow the founder of the Theater of
Spontaneity, Jacob Moreno, who proposed stringing together "now and then
flashes" to unfetter illusion and let imagination run free. The images
we have collected for this series came at a tremendous price, which we explained previously.] |
|

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From William and Mary's 1914 yearbook.
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A castle (or at least a campus) in the air, from Montclair's 1975 yearbook.
|

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Today's sobbing carrot is from Nebelspalter, 1913.
 |
[Inexplicable images from generations ago invite us to restore the lost
sense of immediacy. We follow the founder of the Theater of
Spontaneity, Jacob Moreno, who proposed stringing together "now and then
flashes" to unfetter illusion and let imagination run free. The images
we have collected for this series came at a tremendous price, which we explained previously.] |
|

 |
From Wizardry Gaiden: The Second Episode: Curse of the Ancient Emperor handbook.
 |
[Inexplicable images from generations ago invite us to restore the lost
sense of immediacy. We follow the founder of the Theater of
Spontaneity, Jacob Moreno, who proposed stringing together "now and then
flashes" to unfetter illusion and let imagination run free. The images
we have collected for this series came at a tremendous price, which we explained previously.] |
|

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|

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From the Xanadu: Dragon Slayer II strategy handbook.
 |
[Inexplicable images from generations ago invite us to restore the lost
sense of immediacy. We follow the founder of the Theater of
Spontaneity, Jacob Moreno, who proposed stringing together "now and then
flashes" to unfetter illusion and let imagination run free. The images
we have collected for this series came at a tremendous price, which we explained previously.] |
|

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Reblog if you fall apart and then fall asleep. From Fairy Grammar by John Harold Carpenter, 1920.
 |
[Inexplicable images from generations ago invite us to restore the lost
sense of immediacy. We follow the founder of the Theater of
Spontaneity, Jacob Moreno, who proposed stringing together "now and then
flashes" to unfetter illusion and let imagination run free. The images
we have collected for this series came at a tremendous price, which we explained previously.] |
|

 |
 |
[Inexplicable images from generations ago invite us to restore the lost
sense of immediacy. We follow the founder of the Theater of
Spontaneity, Jacob Moreno, who proposed stringing together "now and then
flashes" to unfetter illusion and let imagination run free. The images
we have collected for this series came at a tremendous price, which we explained previously.] |
|

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We've always put so much faith in chickens. May they save the world, especially with the End Times looming on the horizon. From Together, 1969.
|

 |
unearths some literary gems.
Frank Sullivan's cliché expert testifies on literature:
Q. Now, observe this object I hold here in my hand, marked Exhibit B. What is it? A. That. That is an author. Q. Whose are those italics, Mr Arbuthnot? A. The italics are mine.
And from One-Upmanship: "After ten pages I should be in italics myself."
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There are many ways to seek approval. From Angelo State's 1971 yearbook.
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We fact-checked this, and remarkably it's true -- everyone is an Alaskan, given a broad definition of Alaska. From We Are Alaskans by Mary Lee Cadwell Davis, 1931.
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[Inexplicable images from generations ago invite us to restore the lost
sense of immediacy. We follow the founder of the Theater of
Spontaneity, Jacob Moreno, who proposed stringing together "now and then
flashes" to unfetter illusion and let imagination run free. The images
we have collected for this series came at a tremendous price, which we explained previously.] |
|

 |
 |
[Inexplicable images from generations ago invite us to restore the lost
sense of immediacy. We follow the founder of the Theater of
Spontaneity, Jacob Moreno, who proposed stringing together "now and then
flashes" to unfetter illusion and let imagination run free. The images
we have collected for this series came at a tremendous price, which we explained previously.] |
|

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From Le Chariviari, 1884.
|


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From Indiana University's 1911 yearbook.
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If you have a strange dream to share, send it along! |
|

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"I buy men's souls!" From Amazing Stories, 1948.
 |
[Inexplicable images from generations ago invite us to restore the lost
sense of immediacy. We follow the founder of the Theater of
Spontaneity, Jacob Moreno, who proposed stringing together "now and then
flashes" to unfetter illusion and let imagination run free. The images
we have collected for this series came at a tremendous price, which we explained previously.] |
|

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"O, how perfectly absurd!" From Tulane's 1921 yearbook.
|

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From Der Guckkasten, 1909.
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*Inspired by the world's only accurate meteorological report, "Yesterday's Weather," as seen on Check It Out. |
|

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Happy realization day! From Tulane's 1916 yearbook.
|

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You've heard of political "graft." Here's how it's accomplished. From Le Grelot, 1872.
 |
[Inexplicable images from generations ago invite us to restore the lost
sense of immediacy. We follow the founder of the Theater of
Spontaneity, Jacob Moreno, who proposed stringing together "now and then
flashes" to unfetter illusion and let imagination run free. The images
we have collected for this series came at a tremendous price, which we explained previously.] |
|

 |
From Lustige Blätter, 1916.
 |
[Inexplicable images from generations ago invite us to restore the lost
sense of immediacy. We follow the founder of the Theater of
Spontaneity, Jacob Moreno, who proposed stringing together "now and then
flashes" to unfetter illusion and let imagination run free. The images
we have collected for this series came at a tremendous price, which we explained previously.] |
|

 |
"Know, then, that I am the king of all field-mice." From Kitty-Cat Tales by Alice Van Leer Carrick, 1932.
 |
[Inexplicable images from generations ago invite us to restore the lost
sense of immediacy. We follow the founder of the Theater of
Spontaneity, Jacob Moreno, who proposed stringing together "now and then
flashes" to unfetter illusion and let imagination run free. The images
we have collected for this series came at a tremendous price, which we explained previously.] |
|

 |
From the 1927 Ole Miss yearbook.
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 |
[Inexplicable images from generations ago invite us to restore the lost
sense of immediacy. We follow the founder of the Theater of
Spontaneity, Jacob Moreno, who proposed stringing together "now and then
flashes" to unfetter illusion and let imagination run free. The images
we have collected for this series came at a tremendous price, which we explained previously.] |
|

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From State Teacher's College, Farmville, Virginia's 1932 yearbook.
|


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From Apponequet's 1970 yearbook.
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 |
 |
[Inexplicable images from generations ago invite us to restore the lost
sense of immediacy. We follow the founder of the Theater of
Spontaneity, Jacob Moreno, who proposed stringing together "now and then
flashes" to unfetter illusion and let imagination run free. The images
we have collected for this series came at a tremendous price, which we explained previously.] |
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A secret of the geometers -- there's a fourth side of the triangle. Amazon calls Ellery Queen's The Fourth Side of the Triangle the 29th book of 27. That makes sense, given the new math.
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We fact-checked this, and indeed we found many things that are simpler than time is. Still, we like the sentiment. From Time Is the Simplest Thing by Clifford D. Simak.
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May a favorable breeze blow away grave mists today. From Wizardry IV: The Return of Werdna Handbook.
 |
[Inexplicable images from generations ago invite us to restore the lost
sense of immediacy. We follow the founder of the Theater of
Spontaneity, Jacob Moreno, who proposed stringing together "now and then
flashes" to unfetter illusion and let imagination run free. The images
we have collected for this series came at a tremendous price, which we explained previously.] |
|

 |
 |
[Inexplicable images from generations ago invite us to restore the lost
sense of immediacy. We follow the founder of the Theater of
Spontaneity, Jacob Moreno, who proposed stringing together "now and then
flashes" to unfetter illusion and let imagination run free. The images
we have collected for this series came at a tremendous price, which we explained previously.] |
|

 |
 |
[Inexplicable images from generations ago invite us to restore the lost
sense of immediacy. We follow the founder of the Theater of
Spontaneity, Jacob Moreno, who proposed stringing together "now and then
flashes" to unfetter illusion and let imagination run free. The images
we have collected for this series came at a tremendous price, which we explained previously.] |
|

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From UFO Newsclipping Service, 1990.
|

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 |
[Inexplicable images from generations ago invite us to restore the lost
sense of immediacy. We follow the founder of the Theater of
Spontaneity, Jacob Moreno, who proposed stringing together "now and then
flashes" to unfetter illusion and let imagination run free. The images
we have collected for this series came at a tremendous price, which we explained previously.] |
|

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The umbrella skirt of concessions. From Le Charivari, 1891.
 |
[Inexplicable images from generations ago invite us to restore the lost
sense of immediacy. We follow the founder of the Theater of
Spontaneity, Jacob Moreno, who proposed stringing together "now and then
flashes" to unfetter illusion and let imagination run free. The images
we have collected for this series came at a tremendous price, which we explained previously.] |
|

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Rare -- a back view of insects bidding farewell. From Hollins Institute's 1919 yearbook.
|

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From Der Guckkasten, 1915.
 |
[Inexplicable images from generations ago invite us to restore the lost
sense of immediacy. We follow the founder of the Theater of
Spontaneity, Jacob Moreno, who proposed stringing together "now and then
flashes" to unfetter illusion and let imagination run free. The images
we have collected for this series came at a tremendous price, which we explained previously.] |
|

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The man on the far right is certain that he knows you. From Le Charivari, 1845.
 |
[Inexplicable images from generations ago invite us to restore the lost
sense of immediacy. We follow the founder of the Theater of
Spontaneity, Jacob Moreno, who proposed stringing together "now and then
flashes" to unfetter illusion and let imagination run free. The images
we have collected for this series came at a tremendous price, which we explained previously.] |
|

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Memories of college. From Tennessee Wesleyan's 1968 yearbook.
|

 |
 |
[Inexplicable images from generations ago invite us to restore the lost
sense of immediacy. We follow the founder of the Theater of
Spontaneity, Jacob Moreno, who proposed stringing together "now and then
flashes" to unfetter illusion and let imagination run free. The images
we have collected for this series came at a tremendous price, which we explained previously.] |
|

 |
What is your dangerous age? From The Judge, 1921.
|

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An old illusion in which the dead rise again. From Spook Crooks by Julien J. Proskauer, 1932.
 |
[Inexplicable images from generations ago invite us to restore the lost
sense of immediacy. We follow the founder of the Theater of
Spontaneity, Jacob Moreno, who proposed stringing together "now and then
flashes" to unfetter illusion and let imagination run free. The images
we have collected for this series came at a tremendous price, which we explained previously.] |
|

 |
unearths some literary gems.
*** [His eyes had] thick white lids which he used with the skill of a fan dancer manipulating her fans. ***
|

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 |
[Inexplicable images from generations ago invite us to restore the lost
sense of immediacy. We follow the founder of the Theater of
Spontaneity, Jacob Moreno, who proposed stringing together "now and then
flashes" to unfetter illusion and let imagination run free. The images
we have collected for this series came at a tremendous price, which we explained previously.] |
|


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It's like my nightmares about being back in school. "In the next three days, we'll ask this young man 1,751 very important questions." From Together magazine, 1967.
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If you have a strange dream to share, send it along! |
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I Found a Penny Today, So Here's a Thought |
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|

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I Found a Penny Today, So Here's a Thought |
(permalink) |
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We've previously noted the mysterious phenomenon that rows of dots or asterisks in a text invariably illustrate what came before or comes after. Here are three random examples from the same book: the first row of dots represents the holes in a belt mentioned above them, the second row represents the holes in the blanket of night that allow stars to peek through, and the third row represents a series of gunshots. Watch for the phenomenon -- it never fails!
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[Inexplicable images from generations ago invite us to restore the lost
sense of immediacy. We follow the founder of the Theater of
Spontaneity, Jacob Moreno, who proposed stringing together "now and then
flashes" to unfetter illusion and let imagination run free. The images
we have collected for this series came at a tremendous price, which we explained previously.] |
|

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"To err is human; to forgive is not company policy." This is as early an appearance of this saying as we've been able to find. (The next oldest being from 1974.) From the University of South Carolina at Spartanburg's 1972 yearbook.
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[Inexplicable images from generations ago invite us to restore the lost
sense of immediacy. We follow the founder of the Theater of
Spontaneity, Jacob Moreno, who proposed stringing together "now and then
flashes" to unfetter illusion and let imagination run free. The images
we have collected for this series came at a tremendous price, which we explained previously.] |
|

 |
 |
[Inexplicable images from generations ago invite us to restore the lost
sense of immediacy. We follow the founder of the Theater of
Spontaneity, Jacob Moreno, who proposed stringing together "now and then
flashes" to unfetter illusion and let imagination run free. The images
we have collected for this series came at a tremendous price, which we explained previously.] |
|

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Courtesy of La Biblioteca Universitaria de Sevilla's Goya collection.
 |
[Inexplicable images from generations ago invite us to restore the lost
sense of immediacy. We follow the founder of the Theater of
Spontaneity, Jacob Moreno, who proposed stringing together "now and then
flashes" to unfetter illusion and let imagination run free. The images
we have collected for this series came at a tremendous price, which we explained previously.] |
|

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From Kladderadatsch, 1922.
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[Inexplicable images from generations ago invite us to restore the lost
sense of immediacy. We follow the founder of the Theater of
Spontaneity, Jacob Moreno, who proposed stringing together "now and then
flashes" to unfetter illusion and let imagination run free. The images
we have collected for this series came at a tremendous price, which we explained previously.] |
|

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Only in rare cases does a peacock feather make one a mystic, but there are worse things about this yearbook. From Lenoir-Rhyne's 1973 yearbook.
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|

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Hidden secrets revealed! The irresistible & the immovable. From Tulane's 1921 yearbook.
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* The most profound secrets lie not wholly in knowledge, said the poet. They lurk invisible in that vitalizing spark, intangible, yet as evident as the lightning—the seeker's soul. Solitary digging for facts can reward one with great discoveries, but true secrets are not discovered—they are shared, passed on in confidence from one to another. The genuine seeker listens attentively. No secret can be transcribed, save in code, lest it—by definition—cease to be. This Book of Whispers collects and encodes more than one hundred of humankind's most cherished secrets. To be privy to the topics alone is a supreme achievement, as each contains and nurtures the seed of its hidden truth. As possessor and thereby guardian of this knowledge, may you summon the courage to honor its secrets and to bequeath it to one worthy. |
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An illustration by G. Jahn. From der Guckkasten, 1912.
 |
[Inexplicable images from generations ago invite us to restore the lost
sense of immediacy. We follow the founder of the Theater of
Spontaneity, Jacob Moreno, who proposed stringing together "now and then
flashes" to unfetter illusion and let imagination run free. The images
we have collected for this series came at a tremendous price, which we explained previously.] |
|

 |
 |
[Inexplicable images from generations ago invite us to restore the lost
sense of immediacy. We follow the founder of the Theater of
Spontaneity, Jacob Moreno, who proposed stringing together "now and then
flashes" to unfetter illusion and let imagination run free. The images
we have collected for this series came at a tremendous price, which we explained previously.] |
|

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From North Central's 1926 yearbook.
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 |
[Inexplicable images from generations ago invite us to restore the lost
sense of immediacy. We follow the founder of the Theater of
Spontaneity, Jacob Moreno, who proposed stringing together "now and then
flashes" to unfetter illusion and let imagination run free. The images
we have collected for this series came at a tremendous price, which we explained previously.] |
|


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"Behind the looking-glass." From Kittens and Cats by Eulalie Osgood Grover, 1911.
|

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In business proceedings, if there are no seconds then a motion fails. In the fabric of time/space, if there are no seconds, then is our own movement suspended? Photo courtesy of Danko8321.
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We're not sure if there's a murderer here or not -- we're no good at interpreting inkblots beyond, "It's a splatter, a blotch, a spill, a splotch, an inkiness." From Together, 1966.
|

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If you just need to catch your breath or get a second wind, an amulet of air might come in handy. From the Wizardry III: Legacy of Llylgamyn strategy handbook.
 |
[Inexplicable images from generations ago invite us to restore the lost
sense of immediacy. We follow the founder of the Theater of
Spontaneity, Jacob Moreno, who proposed stringing together "now and then
flashes" to unfetter illusion and let imagination run free. The images
we have collected for this series came at a tremendous price, which we explained previously.] |
|

 |
 |
[Inexplicable images from generations ago invite us to restore the lost
sense of immediacy. We follow the founder of the Theater of
Spontaneity, Jacob Moreno, who proposed stringing together "now and then
flashes" to unfetter illusion and let imagination run free. The images
we have collected for this series came at a tremendous price, which we explained previously.] |
|

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All ducks go to heaven. From Nebelspalter, 1917.
 |
[Inexplicable images from generations ago invite us to restore the lost
sense of immediacy. We follow the founder of the Theater of
Spontaneity, Jacob Moreno, who proposed stringing together "now and then
flashes" to unfetter illusion and let imagination run free. The images
we have collected for this series came at a tremendous price, which we explained previously.] |
|

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From Purdue's 1896 yearbook.
|

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 |
[Inexplicable images from generations ago invite us to restore the lost
sense of immediacy. We follow the founder of the Theater of
Spontaneity, Jacob Moreno, who proposed stringing together "now and then
flashes" to unfetter illusion and let imagination run free. The images
we have collected for this series came at a tremendous price, which we explained previously.] |
|

 |
 |
[Inexplicable images from generations ago invite us to restore the lost
sense of immediacy. We follow the founder of the Theater of
Spontaneity, Jacob Moreno, who proposed stringing together "now and then
flashes" to unfetter illusion and let imagination run free. The images
we have collected for this series came at a tremendous price, which we explained previously.] |
|

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"And Sun by Sun they fell." From Swarthmore's 1922 yearbook.
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This article came before "Making Sense of Death." It's best to tackle the toughest questions first. "Why Did My Son Become a Hippie?" From The Link, 1969.
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From Eastern Kentucky State Teachers College's 1930 yearbook.
|

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 |
[Inexplicable images from generations ago invite us to restore the lost
sense of immediacy. We follow the founder of the Theater of
Spontaneity, Jacob Moreno, who proposed stringing together "now and then
flashes" to unfetter illusion and let imagination run free. The images
we have collected for this series came at a tremendous price, which we explained previously.] |
|

 |
 |
[Inexplicable images from generations ago invite us to restore the lost
sense of immediacy. We follow the founder of the Theater of
Spontaneity, Jacob Moreno, who proposed stringing together "now and then
flashes" to unfetter illusion and let imagination run free. The images
we have collected for this series came at a tremendous price, which we explained previously.] |
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[Inexplicable images from generations ago invite us to restore the lost
sense of immediacy. We follow the founder of the Theater of
Spontaneity, Jacob Moreno, who proposed stringing together "now and then
flashes" to unfetter illusion and let imagination run free. The images
we have collected for this series came at a tremendous price, which we explained previously.] |
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From Lustige Blätter, 1906.
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[Inexplicable images from generations ago invite us to restore the lost
sense of immediacy. We follow the founder of the Theater of
Spontaneity, Jacob Moreno, who proposed stringing together "now and then
flashes" to unfetter illusion and let imagination run free. The images
we have collected for this series came at a tremendous price, which we explained previously.] |
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Our custom widget that checks for duplicated images suggested this unlikely pairing. Click each image for its source.
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From Kladderadatsch, 1933.
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[Inexplicable images from generations ago invite us to restore the lost
sense of immediacy. We follow the founder of the Theater of
Spontaneity, Jacob Moreno, who proposed stringing together "now and then
flashes" to unfetter illusion and let imagination run free. The images
we have collected for this series came at a tremendous price, which we explained previously.] |
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From Colorado College's 1928 yearbook.
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It's unusual to see an author use his birthday numbers as a byline. From When a Witch Is Young by 4-19-69 (Philip Verrill Mighels), 1901. Speaking of birth numbers, see our resurrection of the remarkable Astronumerography.
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If we've said it once, we've said it a thousand times -- "The old ones hear." From Unknown magazine, 1942.
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[Inexplicable images from generations ago invite us to restore the lost
sense of immediacy. We follow the founder of the Theater of
Spontaneity, Jacob Moreno, who proposed stringing together "now and then
flashes" to unfetter illusion and let imagination run free. The images
we have collected for this series came at a tremendous price, which we explained previously.] |
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[Inexplicable images from generations ago invite us to restore the lost
sense of immediacy. We follow the founder of the Theater of
Spontaneity, Jacob Moreno, who proposed stringing together "now and then
flashes" to unfetter illusion and let imagination run free. The images
we have collected for this series came at a tremendous price, which we explained previously.] |
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That phrase is a Googlewhack: "Jump, Wit, they must be amused." From the University of Cincinnati's 1913 yearbook.
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[Inexplicable images from generations ago invite us to restore the lost
sense of immediacy. We follow the founder of the Theater of
Spontaneity, Jacob Moreno, who proposed stringing together "now and then
flashes" to unfetter illusion and let imagination run free. The images
we have collected for this series came at a tremendous price, which we explained previously.] |
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A precursor to Whitley Strieber's encounter with aliens in Communion? From the University of South Carolina at Spartanburg's 1972 yearbook.
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Today's rocking throne is from Le Charivari, 1887.
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[Inexplicable images from generations ago invite us to restore the lost
sense of immediacy. We follow the founder of the Theater of
Spontaneity, Jacob Moreno, who proposed stringing together "now and then
flashes" to unfetter illusion and let imagination run free. The images
we have collected for this series came at a tremendous price, which we explained previously.] |
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[Inexplicable images from generations ago invite us to restore the lost
sense of immediacy. We follow the founder of the Theater of
Spontaneity, Jacob Moreno, who proposed stringing together "now and then
flashes" to unfetter illusion and let imagination run free. The images
we have collected for this series came at a tremendous price, which we explained previously.] |
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Easily the most welcoming first page of a yearbook we've encountered. From Eastern Kentucky State Teachers College's 1930 yearbook.
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Reblog if you've been chased by a jester riding a goat. By G. Holstein. From Der Guckkasten, 1909.
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[Inexplicable images from generations ago invite us to restore the lost
sense of immediacy. We follow the founder of the Theater of
Spontaneity, Jacob Moreno, who proposed stringing together "now and then
flashes" to unfetter illusion and let imagination run free. The images
we have collected for this series came at a tremendous price, which we explained previously.] |
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"Snow is the only one of us that leaves no tracks." From Colorado College's 1969 yearbook.
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From Manual de Mitología by Patricio de la Escosura, 1845.
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[Inexplicable images from generations ago invite us to restore the lost
sense of immediacy. We follow the founder of the Theater of
Spontaneity, Jacob Moreno, who proposed stringing together "now and then
flashes" to unfetter illusion and let imagination run free. The images
we have collected for this series came at a tremendous price, which we explained previously.] |
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From La Lune Rousse, 1878.
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[Inexplicable images from generations ago invite us to restore the lost
sense of immediacy. We follow the founder of the Theater of
Spontaneity, Jacob Moreno, who proposed stringing together "now and then
flashes" to unfetter illusion and let imagination run free. The images
we have collected for this series came at a tremendous price, which we explained previously.] |
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 |
[Inexplicable images from generations ago invite us to restore the lost
sense of immediacy. We follow the founder of the Theater of
Spontaneity, Jacob Moreno, who proposed stringing together "now and then
flashes" to unfetter illusion and let imagination run free. The images
we have collected for this series came at a tremendous price, which we explained previously.] |
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unearths some literary gems.
***“Do yer knaw him?”“Know him! T-t-t—” Mr. Ashworth went on making this t-t-t noise for about two minutes.***“The Silver King”…. was the name they had given Mr. Mitcham’s overcoat, which was no ordinary garment. It had first made its appearance at Haxby…, and immediately it had seemed as if another person had joined the party. Mr. Mitcham was now described as “travelling an overcoat,” just as some players are said to “travel” a mother or other relative…. It had the air of having been round the world far more times than Mr. Mitcham himself, and of having seen places that its owner would never be permitted to see. At any moment…, you felt that this astounding overcoat might begin to supplement Mr. Mitcham’s travel reminiscences or set him right in a loud voice.***“Not at all! Rather! Absolutely! roared Inigo, who did not know what he was saying.[Cf. Can of Yams: "Gesundheit. You’re welcome. Mazel tov. Please, I insist."]***“That,” said Inigo with deliberation, “was our fellow passenger, a large and rather tight gentleman with a mind like a cheap Christmas card.”***“He said something about having the scenery and props and script of a revue (I think its name was ‘And You’re Another!’)....”***And his eyebrows completed the rebuke.***Unkerlarthur came nearer and was so confidential that his mouth seemed to slip round to the right side of his face and stay there.***“Well, I don’t know,” he remarked, feeling the end of his nose as if he were not sure it was still there.***“You show ’em tha’, you’ll walk up withou’ a wor’.” Thus Mr. Milbrau, who ended by gabbling so furiously there was hardly a consonant left in his speech.
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From the rare Possession by L. P. Davies (going for nearly a thousand dollars on Amazon, last we checked).
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[Inexplicable images from generations ago invite us to restore the lost
sense of immediacy. We follow the founder of the Theater of
Spontaneity, Jacob Moreno, who proposed stringing together "now and then
flashes" to unfetter illusion and let imagination run free. The images
we have collected for this series came at a tremendous price, which we explained previously.] |
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I Found a Penny Today, So Here's a Thought |
(permalink) |
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Thanks to Jim G. who wrote, "All of the skits in Penetralia are especially unique with word definitions and terrific art sketches and original songs. No one anywhere else is doing anything even remotely close to it."
And George Parker said: "Oh, those laughtracks...is it peer pressure, or a magic spell, or a mirror neuron response, I can't help but start laughing. It could also be your ever charming personality of course."
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As the song says, "Those were the days my friend; we thought they'd never end," and it's true -- in 1942, Dec. 7 had over 30 hours. From December 7, The First Thirty Hours.
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A Fate Spinner from the Wizardry III: Legacy of Llylgamyn handbook.
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[Inexplicable images from generations ago invite us to restore the lost
sense of immediacy. We follow the founder of the Theater of
Spontaneity, Jacob Moreno, who proposed stringing together "now and then
flashes" to unfetter illusion and let imagination run free. The images
we have collected for this series came at a tremendous price, which we explained previously.] |
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Blushes by Technicolor. From The Film Daily, 1947.
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[Inexplicable images from generations ago invite us to restore the lost
sense of immediacy. We follow the founder of the Theater of
Spontaneity, Jacob Moreno, who proposed stringing together "now and then
flashes" to unfetter illusion and let imagination run free. The images
we have collected for this series came at a tremendous price, which we explained previously.] |
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From Centenary's 1927 yearbook.
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[Inexplicable images from generations ago invite us to restore the lost
sense of immediacy. We follow the founder of the Theater of
Spontaneity, Jacob Moreno, who proposed stringing together "now and then
flashes" to unfetter illusion and let imagination run free. The images
we have collected for this series came at a tremendous price, which we explained previously.] |
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From Kladderadatsch, 1920.
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[Inexplicable images from generations ago invite us to restore the lost
sense of immediacy. We follow the founder of the Theater of
Spontaneity, Jacob Moreno, who proposed stringing together "now and then
flashes" to unfetter illusion and let imagination run free. The images
we have collected for this series came at a tremendous price, which we explained previously.] |
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From Mansfield's 1946 yearbook.
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[Inexplicable images from generations ago invite us to restore the lost
sense of immediacy. We follow the founder of the Theater of
Spontaneity, Jacob Moreno, who proposed stringing together "now and then
flashes" to unfetter illusion and let imagination run free. The images
we have collected for this series came at a tremendous price, which we explained previously.] |
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From Der Guckkasten, 1909.
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[Inexplicable images from generations ago invite us to restore the lost
sense of immediacy. We follow the founder of the Theater of
Spontaneity, Jacob Moreno, who proposed stringing together "now and then
flashes" to unfetter illusion and let imagination run free. The images
we have collected for this series came at a tremendous price, which we explained previously.] |
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[Inexplicable images from generations ago invite us to restore the lost
sense of immediacy. We follow the founder of the Theater of
Spontaneity, Jacob Moreno, who proposed stringing together "now and then
flashes" to unfetter illusion and let imagination run free. The images
we have collected for this series came at a tremendous price, which we explained previously.] |
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From the University of Chicago's 1908 yearbook.
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From Lustige Blätter, 1905.
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[Inexplicable images from generations ago invite us to restore the lost
sense of immediacy. We follow the founder of the Theater of
Spontaneity, Jacob Moreno, who proposed stringing together "now and then
flashes" to unfetter illusion and let imagination run free. The images
we have collected for this series came at a tremendous price, which we explained previously.] |
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An old postcard gifted to me by friends in Wales. Undated. The very intriguing mysteries of this place are explored in Puzzling Portmeirion.
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Just so you can better avoid them, here's what flu germs look like. From Hollins Institute's 1919 yearbook.
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[Inexplicable images from generations ago invite us to restore the lost
sense of immediacy. We follow the founder of the Theater of
Spontaneity, Jacob Moreno, who proposed stringing together "now and then
flashes" to unfetter illusion and let imagination run free. The images
we have collected for this series came at a tremendous price, which we explained previously.] |
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Rare to see the broom that the peace angel constructs out of those famous olive branches. From Nebelspalter, 1918.
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[Inexplicable images from generations ago invite us to restore the lost
sense of immediacy. We follow the founder of the Theater of
Spontaneity, Jacob Moreno, who proposed stringing together "now and then
flashes" to unfetter illusion and let imagination run free. The images
we have collected for this series came at a tremendous price, which we explained previously.] |
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From Green Pipes by Joseph Rous Paget-Fredericks, 1929.
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[Inexplicable images from generations ago invite us to restore the lost
sense of immediacy. We follow the founder of the Theater of
Spontaneity, Jacob Moreno, who proposed stringing together "now and then
flashes" to unfetter illusion and let imagination run free. The images
we have collected for this series came at a tremendous price, which we explained previously.] |
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We used to sightsee like this, until the airlines began micromanaging carry-on luggage. From Nebelspalter, 1904.
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[Inexplicable images from generations ago invite us to restore the lost
sense of immediacy. We follow the founder of the Theater of
Spontaneity, Jacob Moreno, who proposed stringing together "now and then
flashes" to unfetter illusion and let imagination run free. The images
we have collected for this series came at a tremendous price, which we explained previously.] |
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From Nursery Rhymes, illustrated by Claud Lovat Fraser, 1922.
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[Inexplicable images from generations ago invite us to restore the lost
sense of immediacy. We follow the founder of the Theater of
Spontaneity, Jacob Moreno, who proposed stringing together "now and then
flashes" to unfetter illusion and let imagination run free. The images
we have collected for this series came at a tremendous price, which we explained previously.] |
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From Swarthmore's 1922 yearbook.
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"Fatalism is silly." From The Link, 1945.
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From Wake Forest's 1928 yearbook.
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From Volshebnyi Fonar', 1906.
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[Inexplicable images from generations ago invite us to restore the lost
sense of immediacy. We follow the founder of the Theater of
Spontaneity, Jacob Moreno, who proposed stringing together "now and then
flashes" to unfetter illusion and let imagination run free. The images
we have collected for this series came at a tremendous price, which we explained previously.] |
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From Lustige Blätter, 1906.
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[Inexplicable images from generations ago invite us to restore the lost
sense of immediacy. We follow the founder of the Theater of
Spontaneity, Jacob Moreno, who proposed stringing together "now and then
flashes" to unfetter illusion and let imagination run free. The images
we have collected for this series came at a tremendous price, which we explained previously.] |
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[Inexplicable images from generations ago invite us to restore the lost
sense of immediacy. We follow the founder of the Theater of
Spontaneity, Jacob Moreno, who proposed stringing together "now and then
flashes" to unfetter illusion and let imagination run free. The images
we have collected for this series came at a tremendous price, which we explained previously.] |
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Our custom widget that checks for duplicated images suggested this unlikely pairing. Click each image for its source.
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From Wake Forest's 1966 yearbook.
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Some incendiary media from Carleton's 1967 yearbook.
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A postcard from our personal archives.
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unearths some literary gems.
From E. V. Lucas:
*** "Wiles says that apes are the next things to us. Wiles says they have brains and beautiful natures; but what gives me most peace of mind is knowing that they haven't got tails. Tails would be too much, as I often tell him. I've got a bit of writing about it which Wiles found in a dictionary, and if you'll permit me, sir, I'll bring it round and show it to you to-morrow morning. I always keep it in the Bible, handy."
Mrs. Wiles unfolded it the next morning and I read aloud these words: "In common use the word ape extends to all the tribe of monkeys and baboons, but in the zoological sense" ("Ah!" said Mrs. Wiles, smoothing her apron) "It is restricted to those higher organized species of the Linnaean genus Simia, which are destitute of a tail, as the ourangs, chimpanzees, and gibbons."
"There!" she said triumphantly, when I had finished.
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[Inexplicable images from generations ago invite us to restore the lost
sense of immediacy. We follow the founder of the Theater of
Spontaneity, Jacob Moreno, who proposed stringing together "now and then
flashes" to unfetter illusion and let imagination run free. The images
we have collected for this series came at a tremendous price, which we explained previously.] |
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From the State Female Normal School, Farmville, Va.'s 1902 yearbook.
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[Inexplicable images from generations ago invite us to restore the lost
sense of immediacy. We follow the founder of the Theater of
Spontaneity, Jacob Moreno, who proposed stringing together "now and then
flashes" to unfetter illusion and let imagination run free. The images
we have collected for this series came at a tremendous price, which we explained previously.] |
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Here's a rhetorical question nearly answered, and it offers a delightful bonus: whenever someone says, "What more could anyone want?" or the like, you can say (or merely think to yourself, so as to leave the rhetorical question nearly answered), "Three kinds of cheese, bread, figs, grapes, and honey."
'Wine, music, and women--what else does a man need?' That's what your friend the poet asked me. And do you know, I nearly told him. Meat, for one thing; veal and lamb ... Not to mention some nice fish, three kinds of cheese, bread, figs, grapes, and honey.
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"The untruths are out there." Via UFO Newsclipping Service, 2001.
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[Inexplicable images from generations ago invite us to restore the lost
sense of immediacy. We follow the founder of the Theater of
Spontaneity, Jacob Moreno, who proposed stringing together "now and then
flashes" to unfetter illusion and let imagination run free. The images
we have collected for this series came at a tremendous price, which we explained previously.] |
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[Inexplicable images from generations ago invite us to restore the lost
sense of immediacy. We follow the founder of the Theater of
Spontaneity, Jacob Moreno, who proposed stringing together "now and then
flashes" to unfetter illusion and let imagination run free. The images
we have collected for this series came at a tremendous price, which we explained previously.] |
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From Purdue's 1896 yearbook.
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[Inexplicable images from generations ago invite us to restore the lost
sense of immediacy. We follow the founder of the Theater of
Spontaneity, Jacob Moreno, who proposed stringing together "now and then
flashes" to unfetter illusion and let imagination run free. The images
we have collected for this series came at a tremendous price, which we explained previously.] |
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From North Central's 1927 yearbook.
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"The end of space." From Swarthmore's 1922 yearbook.
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From Der Guckkasten, 1909.
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[Inexplicable images from generations ago invite us to restore the lost
sense of immediacy. We follow the founder of the Theater of
Spontaneity, Jacob Moreno, who proposed stringing together "now and then
flashes" to unfetter illusion and let imagination run free. The images
we have collected for this series came at a tremendous price, which we explained previously.] |
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Our custom widget that checks for duplicated images suggested this unlikely pairing. Click each image for its source.
|

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From Lustige Blätter, 1902.
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[Inexplicable images from generations ago invite us to restore the lost
sense of immediacy. We follow the founder of the Theater of
Spontaneity, Jacob Moreno, who proposed stringing together "now and then
flashes" to unfetter illusion and let imagination run free. The images
we have collected for this series came at a tremendous price, which we explained previously.] |
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From Le Journal Amusant, 1899.
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[Inexplicable images from generations ago invite us to restore the lost
sense of immediacy. We follow the founder of the Theater of
Spontaneity, Jacob Moreno, who proposed stringing together "now and then
flashes" to unfetter illusion and let imagination run free. The images
we have collected for this series came at a tremendous price, which we explained previously.] |
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From Santa Clara's 1969 yearbook.
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Mind that Father Time doesn't run over you. From Nebelspalter, 1904.
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[Inexplicable images from generations ago invite us to restore the lost
sense of immediacy. We follow the founder of the Theater of
Spontaneity, Jacob Moreno, who proposed stringing together "now and then
flashes" to unfetter illusion and let imagination run free. The images
we have collected for this series came at a tremendous price, which we explained previously.] |
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Every week we try to see our sadder-days dawn into somedays. From Together, 1957.
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A Tarot Three of Swords in the wild, featuring ivory, ebony, and amber blades. From the Wizardry III: Legacy of Llylgamyn strategy handbook.
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[Inexplicable images from generations ago invite us to restore the lost
sense of immediacy. We follow the founder of the Theater of
Spontaneity, Jacob Moreno, who proposed stringing together "now and then
flashes" to unfetter illusion and let imagination run free. The images
we have collected for this series came at a tremendous price, which we explained previously.] |
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The phrase "the grand crayon of Arizona” is, inexplicably, a Googlewhack. Yet the great gorge in Arizona is, indeed, a crayon box of colors, as Jonathan Caws-Elwitt has proven:
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Reblog if you are "flashing now," "inverse now," or "normal again." We're "inverse now." From Kids and The Apple by Edward Carlson, 1983.
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[Inexplicable images from generations ago invite us to restore the lost
sense of immediacy. We follow the founder of the Theater of
Spontaneity, Jacob Moreno, who proposed stringing together "now and then
flashes" to unfetter illusion and let imagination run free. The images
we have collected for this series came at a tremendous price, which we explained previously.] |
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Before the series Stranger Things, there were merely "Strange Things." From Lighted Pathway, 1952.
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[Inexplicable images from generations ago invite us to restore the lost
sense of immediacy. We follow the founder of the Theater of
Spontaneity, Jacob Moreno, who proposed stringing together "now and then
flashes" to unfetter illusion and let imagination run free. The images
we have collected for this series came at a tremendous price, which we explained previously.] |
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So rare to see a globe's dark hemisphere that faces away from the sun. From North Central's 1927 yearbook.
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From Le Chariviari, 1884.
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[Inexplicable images from generations ago invite us to restore the lost
sense of immediacy. We follow the founder of the Theater of
Spontaneity, Jacob Moreno, who proposed stringing together "now and then
flashes" to unfetter illusion and let imagination run free. The images
we have collected for this series came at a tremendous price, which we explained previously.] |
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One of the many tools we use to create our work. From Amazing Stories, 1948.
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[Inexplicable images from generations ago invite us to restore the lost
sense of immediacy. We follow the founder of the Theater of
Spontaneity, Jacob Moreno, who proposed stringing together "now and then
flashes" to unfetter illusion and let imagination run free. The images
we have collected for this series came at a tremendous price, which we explained previously.] |
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From Tulane's 1935 yearbook.
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[Inexplicable images from generations ago invite us to restore the lost
sense of immediacy. We follow the founder of the Theater of
Spontaneity, Jacob Moreno, who proposed stringing together "now and then
flashes" to unfetter illusion and let imagination run free. The images
we have collected for this series came at a tremendous price, which we explained previously.] |
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"Rest, rest, I have no thought but rest." From Tulane's 1916 yearbook.
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From Lustige Blätter, 1917.
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[Inexplicable images from generations ago invite us to restore the lost
sense of immediacy. We follow the founder of the Theater of
Spontaneity, Jacob Moreno, who proposed stringing together "now and then
flashes" to unfetter illusion and let imagination run free. The images
we have collected for this series came at a tremendous price, which we explained previously.] |
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"Create effigies to burn." From Warren Central's 1964 yearbook.
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[Inexplicable images from generations ago invite us to restore the lost
sense of immediacy. We follow the founder of the Theater of
Spontaneity, Jacob Moreno, who proposed stringing together "now and then
flashes" to unfetter illusion and let imagination run free. The images
we have collected for this series came at a tremendous price, which we explained previously.] |
|

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unearths some literary gems.
From In the Shadow of King's, by Nora Kelly:
*** A pity that she couldn't have the whole lot [of her Cambridge memories] auctioned at Sotheby's. There were plenty of people who would pay handsomely for a genuine set of Cambridge memories.
*** "What do you think? As a London policeman, you should have the qualifications to define reality." Edward looked at Gillian with dismay. "Do they always ask questions like that at Cambridge dinner parties?" "Sure. There's a list of ten questions. Defining reality is the easy one." ***
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A questionable (complete with its own question mark) buffalo effigy. Now that buffalo effigies are endangered, they're less often thrown into bonfires. From Kanas State's 1958 yearbook.
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[Inexplicable images from generations ago invite us to restore the lost
sense of immediacy. We follow the founder of the Theater of
Spontaneity, Jacob Moreno, who proposed stringing together "now and then
flashes" to unfetter illusion and let imagination run free. The images
we have collected for this series came at a tremendous price, which we explained previously.] |
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We spotted this temporal anomaly in Johnson C. Smith University's 1982 yearbook.
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"Buried in an erect position." From American Fairy Tales by Garrett Brown and illustrated by John Edward O'Keeffe, 1911.
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[Inexplicable images from generations ago invite us to restore the lost
sense of immediacy. We follow the founder of the Theater of
Spontaneity, Jacob Moreno, who proposed stringing together "now and then
flashes" to unfetter illusion and let imagination run free. The images
we have collected for this series came at a tremendous price, which we explained previously.] |
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Can you guess the remaining letters in this 1984 Atari Hangman game?
Answer: "L U X U R I O U S.". (The answer is in black text on the black background. Highlight it to view.)
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Puzzles and Games :: Which is Funnier |
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Punch lines themselves are funny, claimed Ludlow Porch. "If the punch line is good enough, you don't even need to know the joke. When you hear a good punch line, only two things can happen: Either you laugh because it is funny even without the joke, or the punch line reminds you of the joke and you still laugh" ( Who Cares About Apathy?).
So what makes the joke book Count Draculations by Charles Keller so extraordinarily charming is how illustrator Edward Frascino approached the project. It's as if Frascino had been given a list of jokes but not punch lines. His profuse illustrations never take any one joke literally but rather depict punch lines to wholly different jokes that aren't otherwise in the book. Either he made up his own answers to the set-ups, or he illustrated better answers; either way, it's gold. True to Ludlow Porch's philosophy, Frascino's isolated punch lines are funny in themselves, and they invite the viewer to come up with the missing jokes. The illustrations in this book do not complement the printed jokes but rather offer a subtler (and superior) joke book within the joke book.
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"Chi-Chi turns the trick." From Together, 1967.
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From Wizardry III: Legacy of Llylgamyn, The Third Scenario handbook.
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"We are 'the aliens.'" Via UFO Newsclipping Service, 2000.
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[Inexplicable images from generations ago invite us to restore the lost
sense of immediacy. We follow the founder of the Theater of
Spontaneity, Jacob Moreno, who proposed stringing together "now and then
flashes" to unfetter illusion and let imagination run free. The images
we have collected for this series came at a tremendous price, which we explained previously.] |
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"Watch for it!" From Weird Tales, 1942.
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[Inexplicable images from generations ago invite us to restore the lost
sense of immediacy. We follow the founder of the Theater of
Spontaneity, Jacob Moreno, who proposed stringing together "now and then
flashes" to unfetter illusion and let imagination run free. The images
we have collected for this series came at a tremendous price, which we explained previously.] |
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From Mars Hill's 1930 yearbook.
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The perfect host. From Weird Tales, 1948. (Courtesy of Archive.org, with our own restorations.)
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[Inexplicable images from generations ago invite us to restore the lost
sense of immediacy. We follow the founder of the Theater of
Spontaneity, Jacob Moreno, who proposed stringing together "now and then
flashes" to unfetter illusion and let imagination run free. The images
we have collected for this series came at a tremendous price, which we explained previously.] |
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A cursive lowercase v is asking you what's wrong. From Colorado College's 1969 yearbook.
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[Inexplicable images from generations ago invite us to restore the lost
sense of immediacy. We follow the founder of the Theater of
Spontaneity, Jacob Moreno, who proposed stringing together "now and then
flashes" to unfetter illusion and let imagination run free. The images
we have collected for this series came at a tremendous price, which we explained previously.] |
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From Fliegende Blätter, 1925.
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[Inexplicable images from generations ago invite us to restore the lost
sense of immediacy. We follow the founder of the Theater of
Spontaneity, Jacob Moreno, who proposed stringing together "now and then
flashes" to unfetter illusion and let imagination run free. The images
we have collected for this series came at a tremendous price, which we explained previously.] |
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[Inexplicable images from generations ago invite us to restore the lost
sense of immediacy. We follow the founder of the Theater of
Spontaneity, Jacob Moreno, who proposed stringing together "now and then
flashes" to unfetter illusion and let imagination run free. The images
we have collected for this series came at a tremendous price, which we explained previously.] |
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From Purdue's 1896 yearbook.
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From Atta Troll by Heinrich Heine and illustrated by Willy Pogány, 1914.
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[Inexplicable images from generations ago invite us to restore the lost
sense of immediacy. We follow the founder of the Theater of
Spontaneity, Jacob Moreno, who proposed stringing together "now and then
flashes" to unfetter illusion and let imagination run free. The images
we have collected for this series came at a tremendous price, which we explained previously.] |
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[Inexplicable images from generations ago invite us to restore the lost
sense of immediacy. We follow the founder of the Theater of
Spontaneity, Jacob Moreno, who proposed stringing together "now and then
flashes" to unfetter illusion and let imagination run free. The images
we have collected for this series came at a tremendous price, which we explained previously.] |
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[Inexplicable images from generations ago invite us to restore the lost
sense of immediacy. We follow the founder of the Theater of
Spontaneity, Jacob Moreno, who proposed stringing together "now and then
flashes" to unfetter illusion and let imagination run free. The images
we have collected for this series came at a tremendous price, which we explained previously.] |
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Q: Is the pie in the sky chocolate? (From Together, 1960.)
A: Almost! It's technically Opera Cake, with three thin layers of almond cake soaked coffee syrup, a layer of espresso buttercream, a layer of bittersweet chocolate ganache, and a topping of chocolate glaze.
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[Inexplicable images from generations ago invite us to restore the lost
sense of immediacy. We follow the founder of the Theater of
Spontaneity, Jacob Moreno, who proposed stringing together "now and then
flashes" to unfetter illusion and let imagination run free. The images
we have collected for this series came at a tremendous price, which we explained previously.] |
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Surprise and anger. From Hypnotism by Laura Ensor, 1891.
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[Inexplicable images from generations ago invite us to restore the lost
sense of immediacy. We follow the founder of the Theater of
Spontaneity, Jacob Moreno, who proposed stringing together "now and then
flashes" to unfetter illusion and let imagination run free. The images
we have collected for this series came at a tremendous price, which we explained previously.] |
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Memories of college. From Kanas State's 1958 yearbook.
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[Inexplicable images from generations ago invite us to restore the lost
sense of immediacy. We follow the founder of the Theater of
Spontaneity, Jacob Moreno, who proposed stringing together "now and then
flashes" to unfetter illusion and let imagination run free. The images
we have collected for this series came at a tremendous price, which we explained previously.] |
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[Inexplicable images from generations ago invite us to restore the lost
sense of immediacy. We follow the founder of the Theater of
Spontaneity, Jacob Moreno, who proposed stringing together "now and then
flashes" to unfetter illusion and let imagination run free. The images
we have collected for this series came at a tremendous price, which we explained previously.] |
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This is exactly how we feel when folks won't write us back: "It will grip you and it won't let you go; it will become unbearable, a torture to listen to -- for it will be … dead silence." From Weird Tales, 1942.
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"Voodoo works, and it can be very dangerous." From Voodoo Island by Michael Duckworth, 1989.
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[Inexplicable images from generations ago invite us to restore the lost
sense of immediacy. We follow the founder of the Theater of
Spontaneity, Jacob Moreno, who proposed stringing together "now and then
flashes" to unfetter illusion and let imagination run free. The images
we have collected for this series came at a tremendous price, which we explained previously.] |
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From Kansas State's 1972 yearbook.
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From der Guckkasten, 1911.
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[Inexplicable images from generations ago invite us to restore the lost
sense of immediacy. We follow the founder of the Theater of
Spontaneity, Jacob Moreno, who proposed stringing together "now and then
flashes" to unfetter illusion and let imagination run free. The images
we have collected for this series came at a tremendous price, which we explained previously.] |
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[Inexplicable images from generations ago invite us to restore the lost
sense of immediacy. We follow the founder of the Theater of
Spontaneity, Jacob Moreno, who proposed stringing together "now and then
flashes" to unfetter illusion and let imagination run free. The images
we have collected for this series came at a tremendous price, which we explained previously.] |
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From Hampden-Sydney's 1903 yearbook.
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From Lustige Blätter, 1905.
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[Inexplicable images from generations ago invite us to restore the lost
sense of immediacy. We follow the founder of the Theater of
Spontaneity, Jacob Moreno, who proposed stringing together "now and then
flashes" to unfetter illusion and let imagination run free. The images
we have collected for this series came at a tremendous price, which we explained previously.] |
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[Inexplicable images from generations ago invite us to restore the lost
sense of immediacy. We follow the founder of the Theater of
Spontaneity, Jacob Moreno, who proposed stringing together "now and then
flashes" to unfetter illusion and let imagination run free. The images
we have collected for this series came at a tremendous price, which we explained previously.] |
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Universes like nesting dolls. From Francis Marion's 1976 yearbook.
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[Inexplicable images from generations ago invite us to restore the lost
sense of immediacy. We follow the founder of the Theater of
Spontaneity, Jacob Moreno, who proposed stringing together "now and then
flashes" to unfetter illusion and let imagination run free. The images
we have collected for this series came at a tremendous price, which we explained previously.] |
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I Found a Penny Today, So Here's a Thought |
(permalink) |
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There’s nothing to worry about because …
- it will automatically shut itself off
- this is the new normal
- all the testimonies have been shredded
- you’re in capable hands
- you’re not one of “them”
- all this is part of your dream
- you can change your will as often as you like
- nothing has been lost—just as nothing will be gained
- you yourself are the eternal energy of the universe playing hide-and-seek with itself
- things are much better than they used to be
- it is so enormously complex that nobody is going to figure it out
- Mother Nature will intervene somehow
- you don’t plan to do anything about it anyway
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We fact-checked this, and it's true even today. "Everybody is wrong no matter what they think." From Together, 1970.
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I Found a Penny Today, So Here's a Thought |
(permalink) |
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Eight years before the opening of Disneyland's Pirates of the Caribbean ride, there was The Singing Cave by Eilîs Dillon, 1959 (apparently rare -- the softcover is listed at $800 on Amazon!).
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Find the tiny man to give a sense of scale. From Scribner's 1877.
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[Inexplicable images from generations ago invite us to restore the lost
sense of immediacy. We follow the founder of the Theater of
Spontaneity, Jacob Moreno, who proposed stringing together "now and then
flashes" to unfetter illusion and let imagination run free. The images
we have collected for this series came at a tremendous price, which we explained previously.] |
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[Inexplicable images from generations ago invite us to restore the lost
sense of immediacy. We follow the founder of the Theater of
Spontaneity, Jacob Moreno, who proposed stringing together "now and then
flashes" to unfetter illusion and let imagination run free. The images
we have collected for this series came at a tremendous price, which we explained previously.] |
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[Inexplicable images from generations ago invite us to restore the lost
sense of immediacy. We follow the founder of the Theater of
Spontaneity, Jacob Moreno, who proposed stringing together "now and then
flashes" to unfetter illusion and let imagination run free. The images
we have collected for this series came at a tremendous price, which we explained previously.] |
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The alien seductress who mothered his 34 space children. From UFO Newsclipping Service, 1991.
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This skeleton was described as being able to dance and to fall apart. Reblog if you are the same. From The Magic Catalogue by William Doerflinger.
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[Inexplicable images from generations ago invite us to restore the lost
sense of immediacy. We follow the founder of the Theater of
Spontaneity, Jacob Moreno, who proposed stringing together "now and then
flashes" to unfetter illusion and let imagination run free. The images
we have collected for this series came at a tremendous price, which we explained previously.] |
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Wait -- was the "Jack and Jill" rhyme funny, and we just never got the joke? From Mars Hill's 1930 yearbook.
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The owls' feast of December. From Colorado College's yearbook of 1903.
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[Inexplicable images from generations ago invite us to restore the lost
sense of immediacy. We follow the founder of the Theater of
Spontaneity, Jacob Moreno, who proposed stringing together "now and then
flashes" to unfetter illusion and let imagination run free. The images
we have collected for this series came at a tremendous price, which we explained previously.] |
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unearths some literary gems.
*** “Than bring a bottle of the Old and Crusted,” and Mr. Mitcham gives such richness to his vowel sounds that already the wine seems twice as old and crusted as it was before…. After almost chasing the waiter out of the room with his eyebrows, Mr. Mitcham sits down with the air of a man who not only knows a good wine but also knows how to order a good wine.
*** Even such people as printers and costumers had to be “wired” too; and all these wires promptly produced other wires, some of them so compressed that they might as well have been in cipher, and others of a staggering length and fluency, like strange heads coming round the door and screaming at the top of their voices at her.
*** ["It's Risqué Only in Retrospect" dept.] Miss Thong has a part in the homely epic; it is a very tiny part—no more than that of a whispering ghost—but we cannot say it has no significance. [Later] “I thought I was going to be lost and then they’d have to put a notice up: ‘Lost—Miss Thong. Finder Rewarded.’”
*** But she did not stay for the performance in the evening…. She insisted upon returning, as she had planned, by the 5:35, and said so a good many times, for somehow it sounded like a train that a strong-minded woman would catch.
*** Becoming more mysteriously West Riding in his turn of phrase with every added insult, [he] would conclude by muttering that Mr. Jerningham “wer war ner a pike sheep heead,” which final and awful judgment was not the less devastating because nobody understood what it meant.
*** In Bruddersford you are always on the lookout for swelled heads, and if a man does anything at all out of the ordinary there, his head has to be measured at once.
*** “Let the word go round, and song and cheer be all our what’s its name.” [Later] “Let joy and what’s-its-name be unconfined.”
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"Unanswered mail, a wait for snow." From the University of Arkansas, Fayetteville's 1957 yearbook.
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From Newton Junior's 1968 yearbook.
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I Found a Penny Today, So Here's a Thought |
(permalink) |
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A rare play, going for over $800 -- The Island of the Mighty, written and illustrated by John Arden and Margaretta D'Arcy.
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[Inexplicable images from generations ago invite us to restore the lost
sense of immediacy. We follow the founder of the Theater of
Spontaneity, Jacob Moreno, who proposed stringing together "now and then
flashes" to unfetter illusion and let imagination run free. The images
we have collected for this series came at a tremendous price, which we explained previously.] |
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Just in case a dreampainter might be just the thing ... From Wizardry IV: The Return of Werdna Handbook.
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[Inexplicable images from generations ago invite us to restore the lost
sense of immediacy. We follow the founder of the Theater of
Spontaneity, Jacob Moreno, who proposed stringing together "now and then
flashes" to unfetter illusion and let imagination run free. The images
we have collected for this series came at a tremendous price, which we explained previously.] |
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Original Content Copyright © 2025 by Craig Conley. All rights reserved.
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