CRAIG CONLEY (Prof. Oddfellow) is recognized by Encarta as “America’s most creative and diligent scholar of letters, words and punctuation.” He has been called a “language fanatic” by Page Six gossip columnist Cindy Adams, a “cult hero” by Publisher’s Weekly, a “monk for the modern age” by George Parker, and “a true Renaissance man of the modern era, diving headfirst into comprehensive, open-minded study of realms obscured or merely obscure” by Clint Marsh. An eccentric scholar, Conley’s ideas are often decades ahead of their time. He invented the concept of the “virtual pet” in 1980, fifteen years before the debut of the popular “Tamagotchi” in Japan. His virtual pet, actually a rare flower, still thrives and has reached an incomprehensible size. Conley’s website is OneLetterWords.com.
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March 31, 2017

Everybody's Doing This Now (permalink)
We just discovered that the same year we published How to Be Your Own Cat, one Katerina Sidorova wrote How to Stop Being Human: Guidelines for Becoming a Squirrel.  (Select pages of the squirrel book are scanned here.  You can peek inside the cat book here.)  Something is in the air!
> read more from Everybody's Doing This Now . . .
#squirrel
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Precursors (permalink)
Here's a precursor to The Log Lady of Twin Peaks.  From Popular Mechanics, 1931
> read more from Precursors . . .
#vintage photo #Twin Peaks #log lady #twin peaks precursor
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What's In a Name (permalink)
A statue holds a book with no title, the book never having been written about an event that left no discernible trace.  From My Father's Bonus March by Adam Langer, 2009.
> read more from What's In a Name . . .
#statue
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Restoring the Lost Sense (permalink)
From Jugend, 1911.
[Inexplicable images from generations ago invite us to restore the lost sense of immediacy.  We follow the founder of the Theater of Spontaneity, Jacob Moreno, who proposed stringing together "now and then flashes" to unfetter illusion and let imagination run free.  The images we have collected for this series came at a tremendous price, which we explained previously.]
> read more from Restoring the Lost Sense . . .
#vintage illustration #giant #gulliver #bellows #illustration #art
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Restoring the Lost Sense (permalink)
From Over the Plum Pudding by John Kendrick Bangs, 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.]
> read more from Restoring the Lost Sense . . .
#vintage illustration #elf #fairy tale #illustration #current mood
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Yesterday's Weather (permalink)
> read more from Yesterday's Weather . . .
#vintage illustration #rainy day #umbrella #illustration
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Restoring the Lost Sense (permalink)
"Lookin' as handsome as the law allows."  From Everybody's Magazine, 1908.
[Inexplicable images from generations ago invite us to restore the lost sense of immediacy.  We follow the founder of the Theater of Spontaneity, Jacob Moreno, who proposed stringing together "now and then flashes" to unfetter illusion and let imagination run free.  The images we have collected for this series came at a tremendous price, which we explained previously.]
> read more from Restoring the Lost Sense . . .
#vintage illustration #fashion #vintage fashion #cape #illustration #vintage man #handsome #man
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Restoring the Lost Sense (permalink)
"I'd sooner have a mouthful of cold mutton sitting on a chair, than a whole Yorkshire pie in a coal-hole" is another thing you'll never hear a vegetarian say.  From English Illustrated, 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.]
> read more from Restoring the Lost Sense . . .
#vintage illustration #mutton #illustration
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Restoring the Lost Sense (permalink)
The cartoonist labeled the earth and Atlas as if we wouldn't know what they were.  By Robert Carter for the N.Y. Evening Sun, reproduced in Cartoons magazine, 1914.
[Inexplicable images from generations ago invite us to restore the lost sense of immediacy.  We follow the founder of the Theater of Spontaneity, Jacob Moreno, who proposed stringing together "now and then flashes" to unfetter illusion and let imagination run free.  The images we have collected for this series came at a tremendous price, which we explained previously.]
> read more from Restoring the Lost Sense . . .
#vintage illustration #atlas #dancing #tango #on top of the world #illustration
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Restoring the Lost Sense (permalink)
"Thought-reading [via psychometry] to find out who sent it."  From Fun magazine, 1885.
[Inexplicable images from generations ago invite us to restore the lost sense of immediacy.  We follow the founder of the Theater of Spontaneity, Jacob Moreno, who proposed stringing together "now and then flashes" to unfetter illusion and let imagination run free.  The images we have collected for this series came at a tremendous price, which we explained previously.]
> read more from Restoring the Lost Sense . . .
#vintage illustration #mind reading #mentalism #thought reading #psychometry #illustration
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Restoring the Lost Sense (permalink)
"The spirit of play conquers life's sorrow and flees from vain care."  From Hunter College's Wistarion yearbook, 1930.
[Inexplicable images from generations ago invite us to restore the lost sense of immediacy.  We follow the founder of the Theater of Spontaneity, Jacob Moreno, who proposed stringing together "now and then flashes" to unfetter illusion and let imagination run free.  The images we have collected for this series came at a tremendous price, which we explained previously.]
> read more from Restoring the Lost Sense . . .
#vintage illustration #dragon #knight #vintage yearbook #yearbook #imagination #playfulness #confucius #spirit of play #illustration
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Restoring the Lost Sense (permalink)
"Black John" chastising the witches, from Letters on Demonology and Witchcraft by Walter Scott and illustrated by George Cruikshank, 1830.
[Inexplicable images from generations ago invite us to restore the lost sense of immediacy.  We follow the founder of the Theater of Spontaneity, Jacob Moreno, who proposed stringing together "now and then flashes" to unfetter illusion and let imagination run free.  The images we have collected for this series came at a tremendous price, which we explained previously.]
> read more from Restoring the Lost Sense . . .
#vintage illustration #demon #cruikshank #witches #demonology #walter scott #black john #illustration
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A Fine Line Between... (permalink)
> read more from A Fine Line Between... . . .
#vintage illustration #emblem #cornucopia #gryphon #illustration
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Restoring the Lost Sense (permalink)
From The Olive Fairy Book by Andrew Lang, 1907.
[Inexplicable images from generations ago invite us to restore the lost sense of immediacy.  We follow the founder of the Theater of Spontaneity, Jacob Moreno, who proposed stringing together "now and then flashes" to unfetter illusion and let imagination run free.  The images we have collected for this series came at a tremendous price, which we explained previously.]
> read more from Restoring the Lost Sense . . .
#vintage illustration #fairy tale #princess #illustration
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Restoring the Lost Sense (permalink)
From Jugend, 1898.
[Inexplicable images from generations ago invite us to restore the lost sense of immediacy.  We follow the founder of the Theater of Spontaneity, Jacob Moreno, who proposed stringing together "now and then flashes" to unfetter illusion and let imagination run free.  The images we have collected for this series came at a tremendous price, which we explained previously.]
> read more from Restoring the Lost Sense . . .
#vintage illustration #heart #romance #illustration
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Restoring the Lost Sense (permalink)
"A serenade to the moon."  From Pick Me Up, 1897.
[Inexplicable images from generations ago invite us to restore the lost sense of immediacy.  We follow the founder of the Theater of Spontaneity, Jacob Moreno, who proposed stringing together "now and then flashes" to unfetter illusion and let imagination run free.  The images we have collected for this series came at a tremendous price, which we explained previously.]
> read more from Restoring the Lost Sense . . .
#vintage illustration #full moon #serenade #illustration
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Restoring the Lost Sense (permalink)
"60 miles an hour without moving."  From Popular Mechanics, 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.]
> read more from Restoring the Lost Sense . . .
#vintage illustration #cycling #illustration #getting nowhere #giant wheel
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Restoring the Lost Sense (permalink)
From Die Muskete, 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.]
> read more from Restoring the Lost Sense . . .
#vintage illustration #hydra #illustration #many headed
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March 30, 2017

Precursors (permalink)
Here's a precursor to Thelma and Louise.  From Die Bühne, 1936. 
> read more from Precursors . . .
#vintage magazine #thelma and louise #road trip #girls' day out #magazine
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Restoring the Lost Sense (permalink)
"The ghost rabbit."  From Wild Animals I Have Known, written and illustrated by Ernest Thompson Seton, 1898.
[Inexplicable images from generations ago invite us to restore the lost sense of immediacy.  We follow the founder of the Theater of Spontaneity, Jacob Moreno, who proposed stringing together "now and then flashes" to unfetter illusion and let imagination run free.  The images we have collected for this series came at a tremendous price, which we explained previously.]
> read more from Restoring the Lost Sense . . .
#vintage illustration #spooky #spirit #rabbit #bunny #1890s #illustration #ghost rabbit
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Old News (permalink)
You can upgrade the trap to catch hogs, hold them tightly, and whisper sweet nothings, but it will void the warranty.  From Popular Mechanics, 1920.
> read more from Old News . . .
#vintage headline
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Restoring the Lost Sense (permalink)
"It was not for myself that I took the rose."  From Fairy Tale Plays and How to Act Them by Mrs. Hugh Bell, 1896.
[Inexplicable images from generations ago invite us to restore the lost sense of immediacy.  We follow the founder of the Theater of Spontaneity, Jacob Moreno, who proposed stringing together "now and then flashes" to unfetter illusion and let imagination run free.  The images we have collected for this series came at a tremendous price, which we explained previously.]
> read more from Restoring the Lost Sense . . .
#vintage illustration #monster #fairy tale #wolfman #werewolf #beauty and the beast #beast #illustration
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The Right Word (permalink)
Don't tell this to the man in the moon.  From The Elements of English Grammar by George Philip Krapp, 1908.
> read more from The Right Word . . .
#moon #sentence diagram
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Restoring the Lost Sense (permalink)
By Robert Carter for the N.Y. Evening Sun, reproduced in Cartoons magazine, 1914.
[Inexplicable images from generations ago invite us to restore the lost sense of immediacy.  We follow the founder of the Theater of Spontaneity, Jacob Moreno, who proposed stringing together "now and then flashes" to unfetter illusion and let imagination run free.  The images we have collected for this series came at a tremendous price, which we explained previously.]
> read more from Restoring the Lost Sense . . .
#vintage illustration #political cartoon #gnome #tiny man #illustration
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Restoring the Lost Sense (permalink)
John Henry Anderson's Great Wizard of the North's Hand-Book of Natural Magic, 1846.   Also very much of interest: The Young Wizard's Hexopedia.
[Inexplicable images from generations ago invite us to restore the lost sense of immediacy.  We follow the founder of the Theater of Spontaneity, Jacob Moreno, who proposed stringing together "now and then flashes" to unfetter illusion and let imagination run free.  The images we have collected for this series came at a tremendous price, which we explained previously.]
> read more from Restoring the Lost Sense . . .
#vintage illustration #vintage book cover #wizardry #book cover #vintage magic #magic #book #old book #conjuror #illustration
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Postcard Transformations (permalink)
INSTRUCTIONS: Click to reveal the postcard version.

Post Office, Kalamazoo, Michigan
> read more from Postcard Transformations . . .
#post office #vintage postcard #michigan #kalamazoo #gif #postcard
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Go Out in a Blaze of Glory (permalink)
A crown of light bulbs.  From Die Muskete, 1920.
> read more from Go Out in a Blaze of Glory . . .
#vintage illustration #crown #halo #illustration #light bulbs #crown of light
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Restoring the Lost Sense (permalink)
"The shadow cast by the glad hand," by Wilder for the Chicago Record-Herald, reproduced in Hearst's International, 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.]
> read more from Restoring the Lost Sense . . .
#vintage illustration #political cartoon #shadow #hand #illustration #glad hand
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Restoring the Lost Sense (permalink)
From Jugend, 1897.
[Inexplicable images from generations ago invite us to restore the lost sense of immediacy.  We follow the founder of the Theater of Spontaneity, Jacob Moreno, who proposed stringing together "now and then flashes" to unfetter illusion and let imagination run free.  The images we have collected for this series came at a tremendous price, which we explained previously.]
> read more from Restoring the Lost Sense . . .
#vintage illustration #trumpets #illustration
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Restoring the Lost Sense (permalink)
From Die Muskete, 1924.  Speaking of which, what exactly are a snowball's chances in hell?  See A Snowball's Chance in Hell.
[Inexplicable images from generations ago invite us to restore the lost sense of immediacy.  We follow the founder of the Theater of Spontaneity, Jacob Moreno, who proposed stringing together "now and then flashes" to unfetter illusion and let imagination run free.  The images we have collected for this series came at a tremendous price, which we explained previously.]
> read more from Restoring the Lost Sense . . .
#vintage illustration #bat #owl #serpent #demons #hell #illustration
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This May Surprise You (permalink)
Did you know of Harvard's strict policy on Ouija-based cheating?  From The Harvard Lampoon, 1921.   See The Care & Feeding of a Spirit Board.
> read more from This May Surprise You . . .
#spiritualism #ouija #ouija board
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Strange Dreams (permalink)
Demons take a peek at what's on his mind.  From Jugend, 1910.
If you have a strange dream to share, send it along!
> read more from Strange Dreams . . .
#vintage illustration #demon #open skull #on the mind #art
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Old News (permalink)
Here's a precursor to the "sky" part of Skype.  "Long-distance weather seen in polar trips."  From Popular Mechanics, 1930.
> read more from Old News . . .
#vintage headline
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Restoring the Lost Sense (permalink)
"I've joined the lodge."  From c. 1910.
[Inexplicable images from generations ago invite us to restore the lost sense of immediacy.  We follow the founder of the Theater of Spontaneity, Jacob Moreno, who proposed stringing together "now and then flashes" to unfetter illusion and let imagination run free.  The images we have collected for this series came at a tremendous price, which we explained previously.]
> read more from Restoring the Lost Sense . . .
#death #skull #skull face #vintage postcard #postcard
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This May Surprise You (permalink)
You likely have not heard that "theatre makes the world go round" (only 7 Google results for that).  But here's proof nonetheless.  From Popular Science Monthly, 1920.
> read more from This May Surprise You . . .
#vintage illustration #earth #illustration #giant globe
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I Found a Penny Today, So Here's a Thought (permalink)
M. asked us, "How can one become physically beautiful at least for a brief moment before death."  We find our four-pronged answer in E. N. Kirk's "How to Become Beautiful" (1846).
M. replied, "You did it!  Great answer.  You're some sort of magician with magic scrolls.  Thank you beautiful wiz!"
> read more from I Found a Penny Today, So Here's a Thought . . .
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March 29, 2017

This May Surprise You (permalink)

Here are two strange book dedications, one to "the little white bird with many eyes" and the other to "the nonbiting gnat" with many antennae.  The first is from The Mysteries of Mesmeric Or Magnetic Influence, as Extended Over the Mineral and Animal Kingdoms, Developed and Explained by Facts Collected from the Customs of the Ancients, the Traditions of Our Forefathers, and the Daily Experience of Modern Research. Also Ample Directions for the Full Acquirement of Its Marvellous Powers by a Lady, 1850.  The second is from Cursive Numbers.

 

> read more from This May Surprise You . . .
#book dedication #antennae #gnat
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Old News (permalink)
""Man-made star guides flyers.  Civilization is constantly reaching back into the centuries for old ideas to meet modern needs."  From Popular Mechanics, 1930.
> read more from Old News . . .
#vintage illustration #star #vintage headline #illustration #headline #art
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Precursors (permalink)
Here's a precursor to the novelty "invisible dog leash."  From Jugend, 1911.
> read more from Precursors . . .
#vintage illustration #walking the dog #illustration #pet walker #dog walker #invisible dog #art
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Yesterday's Weather (permalink)
"Down with sweating."  From Pick Me Up, 1897.
*Inspired by the world's only accurate meteorological report, "Yesterday's Weather," as seen on Check It Out.
> read more from Yesterday's Weather . . .
#vintage illustration #sweating #illustration #protester #sign
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Restoring the Lost Sense (permalink)
"It required four men to hold the patient to the operating table, and six more to keep the surgeons from being hurled away by the violent plunges of the ship."  From Popular Mechanics, 1919. 
[Inexplicable images from generations ago invite us to restore the lost sense of immediacy.  We follow the founder of the Theater of Spontaneity, Jacob Moreno, who proposed stringing together "now and then flashes" to unfetter illusion and let imagination run free.  The images we have collected for this series came at a tremendous price, which we explained previously.]
> read more from Restoring the Lost Sense . . .
#vintage illustration #illustration #ship surgeon #doctors at sea
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Old News (permalink)
It was determined in 1855 that Australia was a mistake.
> read more from Old News . . .
#vintage headline #australia
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This Terrible Problem That Is the Sea (permalink)
From Edgar Allan Poe's Arthur Gordon Pym.
   ,(   ,(   ,(   ,(   ,(   ,(   ,(   ,(
`-' `-' `-' `-' `-' `-' `-' `-' `
"The sea is a cruel mistress. Yet again the sea has behaved unconscionably. It's time to address this terrible problem that is the sea." —Captain Neddie, from the hilarious BBC series Broken News
> read more from This Terrible Problem That Is the Sea . . .
#vintage illustration #ghost #death #spirit #illustration #edgar allan poe #arthur gordon pym
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Restoring the Lost Sense (permalink)
"You are a leopard!  Down on all fours!  Down instantly!"  From Everybody's Magazine, 1908.
[Inexplicable images from generations ago invite us to restore the lost sense of immediacy.  We follow the founder of the Theater of Spontaneity, Jacob Moreno, who proposed stringing together "now and then flashes" to unfetter illusion and let imagination run free.  The images we have collected for this series came at a tremendous price, which we explained previously.]
> read more from Restoring the Lost Sense . . .
#vintage illustration #leopard #all fours #illustration #becoming animal
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Restoring the Lost Sense (permalink)
From Die Muskete, 1910.
[Inexplicable images from generations ago invite us to restore the lost sense of immediacy.  We follow the founder of the Theater of Spontaneity, Jacob Moreno, who proposed stringing together "now and then flashes" to unfetter illusion and let imagination run free.  The images we have collected for this series came at a tremendous price, which we explained previously.]
> read more from Restoring the Lost Sense . . .
#vintage illustration #deity #god #illustration
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Simple Answers (permalink)
"The simple answer is, 'No, I cannot.'" —Managing Corporate Design
If this is not the answer you’re looking for,
click here for a different answer.
> read more from Simple Answers . . .
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Restoring the Lost Sense (permalink)
"You felt that he had travelled ways you could never travel, that he had had dreams beyond you."  From English Illustrated, 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.]
> read more from Restoring the Lost Sense . . .
#vintage illustration #spirits #angels #ghosts #illustration
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Restoring the Lost Sense (permalink)
Here's the cholera demon, from Judy, Or The London Serio-Comic Journal, 1885.
[Inexplicable images from generations ago invite us to restore the lost sense of immediacy.  We follow the founder of the Theater of Spontaneity, Jacob Moreno, who proposed stringing together "now and then flashes" to unfetter illusion and let imagination run free.  The images we have collected for this series came at a tremendous price, which we explained previously.]
> read more from Restoring the Lost Sense . . .
#vintage illustration #demon #epidemic #disease #cholera #illustration
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Restoring the Lost Sense (permalink)
From Fun magazine, 1885.
[Inexplicable images from generations ago invite us to restore the lost sense of immediacy.  We follow the founder of the Theater of Spontaneity, Jacob Moreno, who proposed stringing together "now and then flashes" to unfetter illusion and let imagination run free.  The images we have collected for this series came at a tremendous price, which we explained previously.]
> read more from Restoring the Lost Sense . . .
#vintage illustration #haunted #spirits #ghosts #spiritualism #illustration
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Yearbook Weirdness (permalink)
From Hunter College's Wistarion yearbook, 1911.   See How to Hoodoo Hack a Yearbook.
> read more from Yearbook Weirdness . . .
#vintage illustration #owl #skull #silhouette #vintage yearbook #yearbook #frats #fraternities #illustration
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Only Funny If ... (permalink)
Laughing at a private joke, from Roemer Visscher's Drawings for the Sinnepoppen (c. 1614).
> read more from Only Funny If ... . . .
#vintage illustration #jester #marotte #1600s #Roemer Visscher #illustration
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Restoring the Lost Sense (permalink)
The age-old conundrum: which came first, the chicken or the egg?  Our illustration is from Biology and Man by Benjamin Gruenberg, 1944.
[Inexplicable images from generations ago invite us to restore the lost sense of immediacy.  We follow the founder of the Theater of Spontaneity, Jacob Moreno, who proposed stringing together "now and then flashes" to unfetter illusion and let imagination run free.  The images we have collected for this series came at a tremendous price, which we explained previously.]
> read more from Restoring the Lost Sense . . .
#vintage illustration #which came first #chicken or the egg #hen #chick #illustration
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This Terrible Problem That Is the Sea (permalink)
"The 'Reversus like an eel,' as represented by Aldrovandi in 'De Piscibus,' 1638."  Reproduced in the Annual Report of the Board of Regents of the Smithsonian Institution, 1915.
   ,(   ,(   ,(   ,(   ,(   ,(   ,(   ,(
`-' `-' `-' `-' `-' `-' `-' `-' `
"The sea is a cruel mistress. Yet again the sea has behaved unconscionably. It's time to address this terrible problem that is the sea." —Captain Neddie, from the hilarious BBC series Broken News
> read more from This Terrible Problem That Is the Sea . . .
#vintage illustration #sea serpent #sea monster #illustration
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Restoring the Lost Sense (permalink)
From Wiener Revue, 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.]
> read more from Restoring the Lost Sense . . .
#vintage illustration #anthropomorphism #spoon #1940s #illustration #paintbrush
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March 28, 2017

Old News (permalink)
"Noiseless city is predicted within ten years."  From 1931.  The naiveté would be quaint were Popular Mechanics not so excruciatingly, sickeningly smug about the religion it makes of Big Science.
> read more from Old News . . .
#silence #prediction #vintage headline #headline
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Restoring the Lost Sense (permalink)
From Jugend, 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.]
> read more from Restoring the Lost Sense . . .
#vintage illustration #death #angel #skull #faun #seesaw #art
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Restoring the Lost Sense (permalink)
"Running across an old friend in a strange place."  From Pick Me Up, 1897.
[Inexplicable images from generations ago invite us to restore the lost sense of immediacy.  We follow the founder of the Theater of Spontaneity, Jacob Moreno, who proposed stringing together "now and then flashes" to unfetter illusion and let imagination run free.  The images we have collected for this series came at a tremendous price, which we explained previously.]
> read more from Restoring the Lost Sense . . .
#vintage illustration #bicycle #cycling #illustration #run over
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Restoring the Lost Sense (permalink)
From Die Muskete, 1919. 
[Inexplicable images from generations ago invite us to restore the lost sense of immediacy.  We follow the founder of the Theater of Spontaneity, Jacob Moreno, who proposed stringing together "now and then flashes" to unfetter illusion and let imagination run free.  The images we have collected for this series came at a tremendous price, which we explained previously.]
> read more from Restoring the Lost Sense . . .
#vintage illustration #death #giant #grim reaper #war dead #broom #illustration
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Old News (permalink)
This sounds like a precursor to the popular polar bear campaign, but it's coke with a lower-case c.  From Popular Mechanics, 1921.
> read more from Old News . . .
#vintage headline
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Restoring the Lost Sense (permalink)
"We call upon the Megalopods."  From Imaginotions: Truthless Tales by Tudor Jenks, 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.]
> read more from Restoring the Lost Sense . . .
#vintage illustration #giants #illustration
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Restoring the Lost Sense (permalink)
From Un Autre Monde by Grandville.
[Inexplicable images from generations ago invite us to restore the lost sense of immediacy.  We follow the founder of the Theater of Spontaneity, Jacob Moreno, who proposed stringing together "now and then flashes" to unfetter illusion and let imagination run free.  The images we have collected for this series came at a tremendous price, which we explained previously.]
> read more from Restoring the Lost Sense . . .
#vintage illustration #anthropomorphism #playing cards #card suits #grandville #illustration
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Restoring the Lost Sense (permalink)
From Queen Moo's Talisman by Alice Dixon Le Plongeon, 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.]
> read more from Restoring the Lost Sense . . .
#vintage illustration #talisman #warrior #illustration #mayan
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Everybody's Doing This Now (permalink)
From Die Muskete, 1910.
> read more from Everybody's Doing This Now . . .
#vintage illustration #chaos #mayhem #illustration
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Restoring the Lost Sense (permalink)
"He was about the most highly developed specimen of the middle-aged dude I had ever set eyes on."  From English Illustrated, 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.]
> read more from Restoring the Lost Sense . . .
#vintage illustration #fashion #vintage fashion #men's fashion #dressed up #stylish #illustration
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Restoring the Lost Sense (permalink)
"The haunts of ghosts," from The Windsor Magazine, 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.]
> read more from Restoring the Lost Sense . . .
#vintage illustration #haunted #haunted house #spirits #castle #ghosts #haunted castle #spiritualism #haunted hosue #illustration
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Restoring the Lost Sense (permalink)
From Fun magazine, 1885.
[Inexplicable images from generations ago invite us to restore the lost sense of immediacy.  We follow the founder of the Theater of Spontaneity, Jacob Moreno, who proposed stringing together "now and then flashes" to unfetter illusion and let imagination run free.  The images we have collected for this series came at a tremendous price, which we explained previously.]
> read more from Restoring the Lost Sense . . .
#vintage illustration #jester #sad clown #illustration
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Restoring the Lost Sense (permalink)
The intersection of Crash and Smash, from Judy, Or The London Serio-Comic Journal, 1873.
[Inexplicable images from generations ago invite us to restore the lost sense of immediacy.  We follow the founder of the Theater of Spontaneity, Jacob Moreno, who proposed stringing together "now and then flashes" to unfetter illusion and let imagination run free.  The images we have collected for this series came at a tremendous price, which we explained previously.]
> read more from Restoring the Lost Sense . . .
#vintage illustration #death #crossroads #train accident #train wreck #train crash #illustration
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Restoring the Lost Sense (permalink)
Here is revealed our favorite way of seeing the higher light.  Our illustration is from El Mundo Físico by A. Guillemin, 1882.
[Inexplicable images from generations ago invite us to restore the lost sense of immediacy.  We follow the founder of the Theater of Spontaneity, Jacob Moreno, who proposed stringing together "now and then flashes" to unfetter illusion and let imagination run free.  The images we have collected for this series came at a tremendous price, which we explained previously.]
> read more from Restoring the Lost Sense . . .
#vintage illustration #candle #prism #higher light #illustration
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Postcard Transformations (permalink)
INSTRUCTIONS: Click to change the sky.

Arrival of Steamer Eastland, Cedar Point, Ohio
> read more from Postcard Transformations . . .
#ship #vintage postcard #ohio #cedar point #gif #postcard
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How to Believe in Your Elf (permalink)
* There is a vast world of reality into which science can no more enter than an elf can be Santa Claus.  We regret to observe that rather than face it, and confess its inability to measure it, science turns its back upon it.  Life is not always every-day life, and the insolvable mysteries are correlated not to formal rules but to spirit and inspiration.  Are bits of wisdom liable to dwarf the subject?  Indeed — and rightly!  James Howell described the ingredients of a good proverb to be "sense, shortness, and salt."  May Howell's cry resound through this present collection of maxims on believing in one's elf.

> read more from How to Believe in Your Elf . . .
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Restoring the Lost Sense (permalink)
From Jugend, 1898.
[Inexplicable images from generations ago invite us to restore the lost sense of immediacy.  We follow the founder of the Theater of Spontaneity, Jacob Moreno, who proposed stringing together "now and then flashes" to unfetter illusion and let imagination run free.  The images we have collected for this series came at a tremendous price, which we explained previously.]
> read more from Restoring the Lost Sense . . .
#vintage illustration #death #grim reaper #thin ice
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Images Moving Through Time (permalink)
Courtesy of the Costică Acsinte Archive.
> read more from Images Moving Through Time . . .
#vintage illustration #vintage photo #illustration #ravages of time #old photo
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March 27, 2017

This May Surprise You (permalink)
Just imagine all of your ambitions coming true via the Hawaiian guitar!  From Popular Mechanics, 1930.
> read more from This May Surprise You . . .
#vintage illustration #vintage ad #guitar #illustration #hawaiian guitar #art #ad
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Restoring the Lost Sense (permalink)
Darren Slaughter has said that "You have to know your market!  You have to know exactly who your primary customer is."  From Jugend, 1911.
[Inexplicable images from generations ago invite us to restore the lost sense of immediacy.  We follow the founder of the Theater of Spontaneity, Jacob Moreno, who proposed stringing together "now and then flashes" to unfetter illusion and let imagination run free.  The images we have collected for this series came at a tremendous price, which we explained previously.]
> read more from Restoring the Lost Sense . . .
#vintage illustration #vintage ad #demon #imp #hybrid #cigarette #illustration #art #ad
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Restoring the Lost Sense (permalink)
"The Gorgonzola once more.  The Colonel (catching sight of cheese in high state of activity).—Is that cheese, or have I got 'em?"  From Pick Me Up, 1890.
[Inexplicable images from generations ago invite us to restore the lost sense of immediacy.  We follow the founder of the Theater of Spontaneity, Jacob Moreno, who proposed stringing together "now and then flashes" to unfetter illusion and let imagination run free.  The images we have collected for this series came at a tremendous price, which we explained previously.]
> read more from Restoring the Lost Sense . . .
#vintage illustration #cheese #1890s #gorgonzola #illustration
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Restoring the Lost Sense (permalink)
From Die Muskete, 1919. 
[Inexplicable images from generations ago invite us to restore the lost sense of immediacy.  We follow the founder of the Theater of Spontaneity, Jacob Moreno, who proposed stringing together "now and then flashes" to unfetter illusion and let imagination run free.  The images we have collected for this series came at a tremendous price, which we explained previously.]
> read more from Restoring the Lost Sense . . .
#vintage illustration #beard #illustration
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Old News (permalink)
"Twin thermometers reveal why one is uncomfortable."  From Popular Mechanics, 1921.
> read more from Old News . . .
#vintage headline #thermometer #uncomfortable #headline
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Restoring the Lost Sense (permalink)
From Salt Water Bubbles by John Sherburne Sleeper, 1854.
[Inexplicable images from generations ago invite us to restore the lost sense of immediacy.  We follow the founder of the Theater of Spontaneity, Jacob Moreno, who proposed stringing together "now and then flashes" to unfetter illusion and let imagination run free.  The images we have collected for this series came at a tremendous price, which we explained previously.]
> read more from Restoring the Lost Sense . . .
#vintage illustration #bull #illustration
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This May Surprise You (permalink)
Here's proof that General Dynamics Astronautics discovered the secrets of time travel.  Courtesy of the San Diego Air and Space Museum.
> read more from This May Surprise You . . .
#vintage illustration #time travel #george washington #illustration #need to know
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Restoring the Lost Sense (permalink)
"The dove o' peace didn't coo," from Everybody's Magazine, 1908.
[Inexplicable images from generations ago invite us to restore the lost sense of immediacy.  We follow the founder of the Theater of Spontaneity, Jacob Moreno, who proposed stringing together "now and then flashes" to unfetter illusion and let imagination run free.  The images we have collected for this series came at a tremendous price, which we explained previously.]
> read more from Restoring the Lost Sense . . .
#vintage illustration #dove of peace #illustration
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Non-Circulating Books (permalink)
Non-circulating book.  See our artist’s statement here: https://www.oneletterwords.com/weblog/?c=NonCirculatingBooks.  (Individual cards are available from Zazzle, and deep discount bulk orders of 10 or more are available from Vistaprint.)
> read more from Non-Circulating Books . . .
#vintage illustration #illustration #library book
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This May Surprise You (permalink)
Did you know that every Monday is Job's birthday [observed]?  The text reads, "Job's birthday—the date be cursed!  You'd better celebrate the death of the day."  From an 1896 ad for laundry soap in The Ladies' Home Journal.
> read more from This May Surprise You . . .
#vintage illustration #vintage ad #illustration #monday #laundry day #job #ad
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Precursors (permalink)
Here's a precursor to "A Boy Named Sue": a buoy named "Soon."  From English Illustrated, 1894.
> read more from Precursors . . .
#vintage illustration #seagull #buoy #boy named sue #illustration
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Restoring the Lost Sense (permalink)
From Fun magazine, 1885.
[Inexplicable images from generations ago invite us to restore the lost sense of immediacy.  We follow the founder of the Theater of Spontaneity, Jacob Moreno, who proposed stringing together "now and then flashes" to unfetter illusion and let imagination run free.  The images we have collected for this series came at a tremendous price, which we explained previously.]
> read more from Restoring the Lost Sense . . .
#vintage illustration #knight #cosplay #bear costume #illustration #armor
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Restoring the Lost Sense (permalink)
[Inexplicable images from generations ago invite us to restore the lost sense of immediacy.  We follow the founder of the Theater of Spontaneity, Jacob Moreno, who proposed stringing together "now and then flashes" to unfetter illusion and let imagination run free.  The images we have collected for this series came at a tremendous price, which we explained previously.]
> read more from Restoring the Lost Sense . . .
#vintage illustration #dragon #Hypnerotomachia Poliphili #illustration
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Restoring the Lost Sense (permalink)
"Gee! it's great to be crazy."  From 1908.
[Inexplicable images from generations ago invite us to restore the lost sense of immediacy.  We follow the founder of the Theater of Spontaneity, Jacob Moreno, who proposed stringing together "now and then flashes" to unfetter illusion and let imagination run free.  The images we have collected for this series came at a tremendous price, which we explained previously.]
> read more from Restoring the Lost Sense . . .
#vintage postcard #crazy #liquid fudge #postcard
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Restoring the Lost Sense (permalink)
From the Annual Report of the Board of Regents of the Smithsonian Institution, 1846.
[Inexplicable images from generations ago invite us to restore the lost sense of immediacy.  We follow the founder of the Theater of Spontaneity, Jacob Moreno, who proposed stringing together "now and then flashes" to unfetter illusion and let imagination run free.  The images we have collected for this series came at a tremendous price, which we explained previously.]
> read more from Restoring the Lost Sense . . .
#vintage illustration #sun #vintage diagram #diagram #animal vegetable mineral #illustration
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Restoring the Lost Sense (permalink)
From Jugend, 1896.
[Inexplicable images from generations ago invite us to restore the lost sense of immediacy.  We follow the founder of the Theater of Spontaneity, Jacob Moreno, who proposed stringing together "now and then flashes" to unfetter illusion and let imagination run free.  The images we have collected for this series came at a tremendous price, which we explained previously.]
> read more from Restoring the Lost Sense . . .
#vintage illustration #centaur #illustration
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Restoring the Lost Sense (permalink)
"'Take me away,' Leonie whispered hoarsely."  From Leonie of the Jungle by Joan Conquest, 1921.
[Inexplicable images from generations ago invite us to restore the lost sense of immediacy.  We follow the founder of the Theater of Spontaneity, Jacob Moreno, who proposed stringing together "now and then flashes" to unfetter illusion and let imagination run free.  The images we have collected for this series came at a tremendous price, which we explained previously.]
> read more from Restoring the Lost Sense . . .
#vintage illustration #fear #ominous #glowing eyes #illustration
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March 26, 2017

Old News (permalink)
They didn't mention how these dishes will shrink in the wash (but, as a side effect, they're good for portion control).  "Dishes that will not break made of cotton."  From Popular Mechanics, 1930.
> read more from Old News . . .
#vintage headline
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Restoring the Lost Sense (permalink)
From Jugend, 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.]
> read more from Restoring the Lost Sense . . .
#vintage illustration #tiny people #illustration #art
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Restoring the Lost Sense (permalink)
From Die Muskete, 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.]
> read more from Restoring the Lost Sense . . .
#vintage illustration #angel #spirit #goddess #illustration
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Restoring the Lost Sense (permalink)
"Br'er Rabbit and Br'er Fox alone on a hillside."  From Popular Mechanics, 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.]
> read more from Restoring the Lost Sense . . .
#vintage illustration #anthropomorphism #fox #rabbit #illustration #Uncle Remus #1910s
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Restoring the Lost Sense (permalink)
From The Magical Land of Noom, written and illustrated by Johnny Gruelle, 1922.
[Inexplicable images from generations ago invite us to restore the lost sense of immediacy.  We follow the founder of the Theater of Spontaneity, Jacob Moreno, who proposed stringing together "now and then flashes" to unfetter illusion and let imagination run free.  The images we have collected for this series came at a tremendous price, which we explained previously.]
> read more from Restoring the Lost Sense . . .
#vintage illustration #illustration #magic umbrella #falry tale
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Restoring the Lost Sense (permalink)
From Un Autre Monde by Grandville.
[Inexplicable images from generations ago invite us to restore the lost sense of immediacy.  We follow the founder of the Theater of Spontaneity, Jacob Moreno, who proposed stringing together "now and then flashes" to unfetter illusion and let imagination run free.  The images we have collected for this series came at a tremendous price, which we explained previously.]
> read more from Restoring the Lost Sense . . .
#vintage illustration #anthropomorphism #fireplace #grandville #bellows #illustration
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Restoring the Lost Sense (permalink)
"If my onion is good as a credential, I'll accept the invitation gladly."  From Everybody's Magazine, 1908.
[Inexplicable images from generations ago invite us to restore the lost sense of immediacy.  We follow the founder of the Theater of Spontaneity, Jacob Moreno, who proposed stringing together "now and then flashes" to unfetter illusion and let imagination run free.  The images we have collected for this series came at a tremendous price, which we explained previously.]
> read more from Restoring the Lost Sense . . .
#vintage illustration #onion #illustration
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Restoring the Lost Sense (permalink)
From Die Muskete, 1910.
[Inexplicable images from generations ago invite us to restore the lost sense of immediacy.  We follow the founder of the Theater of Spontaneity, Jacob Moreno, who proposed stringing together "now and then flashes" to unfetter illusion and let imagination run free.  The images we have collected for this series came at a tremendous price, which we explained previously.]
> read more from Restoring the Lost Sense . . .
#vintage illustration #comet #shooting star #illustration
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Restoring the Lost Sense (permalink)
From Grip, 1890. 
[Inexplicable images from generations ago invite us to restore the lost sense of immediacy.  We follow the founder of the Theater of Spontaneity, Jacob Moreno, who proposed stringing together "now and then flashes" to unfetter illusion and let imagination run free.  The images we have collected for this series came at a tremendous price, which we explained previously.]
> read more from Restoring the Lost Sense . . .
#vintage illustration #hybrid #human headed #illustration #cock fight
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Restoring the Lost Sense (permalink)
"Smithson had the reputation of knowing a great deal about art, but strong drink had affected his English."  From English Illustrated, 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.]
> read more from Restoring the Lost Sense . . .
#vintage illustration #alcohol #slurred speech #illustration
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Precursors (permalink)
Before the "Magic 8-Ball," there had to be a magic Figure 8.  Here it is, in The Saturday Evening Post, 1920.
> read more from Precursors . . .
#vintage illustration #vintage ad #magic #figure 8 #illustration #ad
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Restoring the Lost Sense (permalink)
From Fun magazine, 1885.
[Inexplicable images from generations ago invite us to restore the lost sense of immediacy.  We follow the founder of the Theater of Spontaneity, Jacob Moreno, who proposed stringing together "now and then flashes" to unfetter illusion and let imagination run free.  The images we have collected for this series came at a tremendous price, which we explained previously.]
> read more from Restoring the Lost Sense . . .
#vintage illustration #demon #halloween #october #devil costume #demon costume #illustration
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Restoring the Lost Sense (permalink)
The reference here to "the boa-constrictor trick" is little-used anymore, but it means to terrify one's victim so as to render him inanimate and then win the game.  Pétroleuses were rumored arsonists blamed for burning down much of Paris with Molotov coctails in 1871.
The caption reads: "A 'Pétroleuse,' bent evidently on no good; does the boa-constrictor trick, and swallows her blanket."  From Judy, Or The London Serio-Comic Journal, 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.]
> read more from Restoring the Lost Sense . . .
#vintage illustration #pétroleuse #illustration
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Restoring the Lost Sense (permalink)
"What's on" -- a detail from Glasgow University's Guardian, 1977.
[Inexplicable images from generations ago invite us to restore the lost sense of immediacy.  We follow the founder of the Theater of Spontaneity, Jacob Moreno, who proposed stringing together "now and then flashes" to unfetter illusion and let imagination run free.  The images we have collected for this series came at a tremendous price, which we explained previously.]
> read more from Restoring the Lost Sense . . .
#vintage illustration #eyes #glasgow university #what's on #1970s #illustration
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Restoring the Lost Sense (permalink)
"Camp Curry's Fire Fall," date uncertain.

[Inexplicable images from generations ago invite us to restore the lost sense of immediacy.  We follow the founder of the Theater of Spontaneity, Jacob Moreno, who proposed stringing together "now and then flashes" to unfetter illusion and let imagination run free.  The images we have collected for this series came at a tremendous price, which we explained previously.]
> read more from Restoring the Lost Sense . . .
#california #vintage postcard #vintage california #firefall #falling fire #camp curry #postcard
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Precursors (permalink)
Before the Bermuda Triangle came the Bermuda Pyramid, as we see in Gabrielis Rollenhagii Selectorum Emblematum Centuria Secunda, 1613.
> read more from Precursors . . .
#vintage illustration #emblem #pyramid #illustration #1610s
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Restoring the Lost Sense (permalink)
From Jugend, 1898.
[Inexplicable images from generations ago invite us to restore the lost sense of immediacy.  We follow the founder of the Theater of Spontaneity, Jacob Moreno, who proposed stringing together "now and then flashes" to unfetter illusion and let imagination run free.  The images we have collected for this series came at a tremendous price, which we explained previously.]
> read more from Restoring the Lost Sense . . .
#vintage illustration #medusa #illustration #gordon
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Restoring the Lost Sense (permalink)
From Pick Me Up, 1892.
[Inexplicable images from generations ago invite us to restore the lost sense of immediacy.  We follow the founder of the Theater of Spontaneity, Jacob Moreno, who proposed stringing together "now and then flashes" to unfetter illusion and let imagination run free.  The images we have collected for this series came at a tremendous price, which we explained previously.]
> read more from Restoring the Lost Sense . . .
#vintage illustration #monk #fairy #illustration
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March 25, 2017

This May Surprise You (permalink)
We were delighted to receive a photo from someone who got two copies of our guide to writing Cursive Numbers.  Why write numbers in cursive?  Because "it's important to do what others are not doing" (Kristin M. White, It's the Student, Not the College).  Plus, cursive adds more than a little flair to a numerical sequence.  It's been wisely said that "flair is crucial" (Joseph Needham, The Shorter Science and Civilisation in China), and even though Taoists believe flair cannot be taught or transferred but rather attained only by minute concentration, this guide to cursive numbers will, without a doubt, instill flair into your every integer.  Let us never forget that "Embellishment with flair is crucial to provide something that people will remember" (H. J. M. Claessen, Time Past, Time Present, Time Future).  
> read more from This May Surprise You . . .
#calligraphy #math art #handwriting #cursive #cursive numbers
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Restoring the Lost Sense (permalink)
From Jugend, 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.]
> read more from Restoring the Lost Sense . . .
#vintage illustration #death #grim reaper #severed head #illustration #deadly sport #art
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Restoring the Lost Sense (permalink)
"Night covering the earth."  From Pick Me Up, 1892.
[Inexplicable images from generations ago invite us to restore the lost sense of immediacy.  We follow the founder of the Theater of Spontaneity, Jacob Moreno, who proposed stringing together "now and then flashes" to unfetter illusion and let imagination run free.  The images we have collected for this series came at a tremendous price, which we explained previously.]
> read more from Restoring the Lost Sense . . .
#vintage illustration #goddess #darkness #night #illustration
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Restoring the Lost Sense (permalink)
From Die Muskete, 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.]
> read more from Restoring the Lost Sense . . .
#vintage illustration #bird #imagination #giant bird #illustration
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This May Surprise You (permalink)
"Concert in a lion's den."  From Popular Mechanics, 1911.
> read more from This May Surprise You . . .
#vintage illustration #lion #caged animal #lion's den #illustration
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Everybody's Doing This Now (permalink)
From Pitzmaroon Or The Magic Hammer by Charles A. Beach, 1874.
> read more from Everybody's Doing This Now . . .
#vintage illustration #fairy tale #dancing #illustration
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Separated at Birth? (permalink)
Our custom widget that checks for duplicated images suggested this unlikely pairing.  Click each image for its source.
27143 18311
> read more from Separated at Birth? . . .
#vintage illustration #fear #bat #starving artist #phobia #writing life #illustration #fear of bats #art
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Restoring the Lost Sense (permalink)
"An impulse led me hastily to put the crystal out of sight."  From Everybody's Magazine, 1908.
[Inexplicable images from generations ago invite us to restore the lost sense of immediacy.  We follow the founder of the Theater of Spontaneity, Jacob Moreno, who proposed stringing together "now and then flashes" to unfetter illusion and let imagination run free.  The images we have collected for this series came at a tremendous price, which we explained previously.]
> read more from Restoring the Lost Sense . . .
#vintage illustration #illustration #crystal
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Restoring the Lost Sense (permalink)
From Die Muskete, 1910.
[Inexplicable images from generations ago invite us to restore the lost sense of immediacy.  We follow the founder of the Theater of Spontaneity, Jacob Moreno, who proposed stringing together "now and then flashes" to unfetter illusion and let imagination run free.  The images we have collected for this series came at a tremendous price, which we explained previously.]
> read more from Restoring the Lost Sense . . .
#vintage illustration #clockwork #timepiece #illustration
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Restoring the Lost Sense (permalink)
From Johnnykin and the Goblins, written and illustrated by Charles Leland, 1877.
[Inexplicable images from generations ago invite us to restore the lost sense of immediacy.  We follow the founder of the Theater of Spontaneity, Jacob Moreno, who proposed stringing together "now and then flashes" to unfetter illusion and let imagination run free.  The images we have collected for this series came at a tremendous price, which we explained previously.]
> read more from Restoring the Lost Sense . . .
#vintage illustration #owl #full moon #illustration
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Restoring the Lost Sense (permalink)
Here's a mermaid sitting on a capital O.  From Judy, Or The London Serio-Comic Journal, 1884.
[Inexplicable images from generations ago invite us to restore the lost sense of immediacy.  We follow the founder of the Theater of Spontaneity, Jacob Moreno, who proposed stringing together "now and then flashes" to unfetter illusion and let imagination run free.  The images we have collected for this series came at a tremendous price, which we explained previously.]
> read more from Restoring the Lost Sense . . .
#vintage illustration #ornate capital #mermaid #capital o #letter o #illustration
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Restoring the Lost Sense (permalink)
"Our funny moon."  From an 1863 issue of Fun magazine.
[Inexplicable images from generations ago invite us to restore the lost sense of immediacy.  We follow the founder of the Theater of Spontaneity, Jacob Moreno, who proposed stringing together "now and then flashes" to unfetter illusion and let imagination run free.  The images we have collected for this series came at a tremendous price, which we explained previously.]
> read more from Restoring the Lost Sense . . .
#vintage illustration #moon #man in the moon #illustration
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Yearbook Weirdness (permalink)
From Hunter College's Wistarion yearbook, 1907.  See How to Hoodoo Hack a Yearbook.
> read more from Yearbook Weirdness . . .
#vintage illustration #skeleton #occult #vintage yearbook #yearbook #fraternities #secret society #illustration
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Restoring the Lost Sense (permalink)
From Antiguas Ciudades de América.
[Inexplicable images from generations ago invite us to restore the lost sense of immediacy.  We follow the founder of the Theater of Spontaneity, Jacob Moreno, who proposed stringing together "now and then flashes" to unfetter illusion and let imagination run free.  The images we have collected for this series came at a tremendous price, which we explained previously.]
> read more from Restoring the Lost Sense . . .
#vintage illustration #wind #blowing #illustration
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Restoring the Lost Sense (permalink)
"This is a dead place so I will —."  From c. 1905.
There's one weird secret to rolling blank dice -- and we reveal it in our video about the mysteries of blank dice.
[Inexplicable images from generations ago invite us to restore the lost sense of immediacy.  We follow the founder of the Theater of Spontaneity, Jacob Moreno, who proposed stringing together "now and then flashes" to unfetter illusion and let imagination run free.  The images we have collected for this series came at a tremendous price, which we explained previously.]
> read more from Restoring the Lost Sense . . .
#death #skeleton #dice #vintage postcard #postcard
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Restoring the Lost Sense (permalink)
From Achillis Bocchii Bonon, 1555.  Speaking of which, what exactly are a snowball's chances in hell?  See A Snowball's Chance in Hell.
[Inexplicable images from generations ago invite us to restore the lost sense of immediacy.  We follow the founder of the Theater of Spontaneity, Jacob Moreno, who proposed stringing together "now and then flashes" to unfetter illusion and let imagination run free.  The images we have collected for this series came at a tremendous price, which we explained previously.]
> read more from Restoring the Lost Sense . . .
#vintage illustration #devil #satan #emblem #goat legged #illustration
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Restoring the Lost Sense (permalink)
From Jugend, 1898.
[Inexplicable images from generations ago invite us to restore the lost sense of immediacy.  We follow the founder of the Theater of Spontaneity, Jacob Moreno, who proposed stringing together "now and then flashes" to unfetter illusion and let imagination run free.  The images we have collected for this series came at a tremendous price, which we explained previously.]
> read more from Restoring the Lost Sense . . .
#vintage illustration #processional #illustration
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Restoring the Lost Sense (permalink)
"Face covered with spider-web veil."  From Popular Mechanics, 1910.
[Inexplicable images from generations ago invite us to restore the lost sense of immediacy.  We follow the founder of the Theater of Spontaneity, Jacob Moreno, who proposed stringing together "now and then flashes" to unfetter illusion and let imagination run free.  The images we have collected for this series came at a tremendous price, which we explained previously.]
> read more from Restoring the Lost Sense . . .
#vintage illustration #cobweb #spider web #veil #illustration #goth
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March 24, 2017

Precursors (permalink)
This "home with or without a dining room" is a precursor to repurposing unused rooms in your house.  As Bob Vila said in "Why 7 Families Ditched the Dining Room," "Formal dining rooms are starting to go the way of the formal living room—out of service.  While many homes have dining rooms, the square footage devoted to them often isn't justified by the little use most families get out of them."  Our illustration is from Popular Mechanics, 1931.
> read more from Precursors . . .
#vintage illustration #architecture #illustration #vintage home #dining room #repurposed room #art #home
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Everybody's Doing This Now (permalink)
From Jugend, 1910.
> read more from Everybody's Doing This Now . . .
#vintage illustration #dandies #illustration #dancing dog #men dancing #dog walker #art
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Restoring the Lost Sense (permalink)
"The Witch."  From Die Muskete, 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.]
> read more from Restoring the Lost Sense . . .
#vintage illustration #witch #illustration
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Restoring the Lost Sense (permalink)
From Popular Mechanics, 1911.
[Inexplicable images from generations ago invite us to restore the lost sense of immediacy.  We follow the founder of the Theater of Spontaneity, Jacob Moreno, who proposed stringing together "now and then flashes" to unfetter illusion and let imagination run free.  The images we have collected for this series came at a tremendous price, which we explained previously.]
> read more from Restoring the Lost Sense . . .
#vintage illustration #giant #illustration
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Restoring the Lost Sense (permalink)
From The Rime of the Ancient Mariner by Samuel Taylor Coleridge, 1857.
[Inexplicable images from generations ago invite us to restore the lost sense of immediacy.  We follow the founder of the Theater of Spontaneity, Jacob Moreno, who proposed stringing together "now and then flashes" to unfetter illusion and let imagination run free.  The images we have collected for this series came at a tremendous price, which we explained previously.]
> read more from Restoring the Lost Sense . . .
#vintage illustration #spirit #bird #illustration #ancient mariner #coleridge #albatross
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Restoring the Lost Sense (permalink)
From Die Muskete, 1918. 
[Inexplicable images from generations ago invite us to restore the lost sense of immediacy.  We follow the founder of the Theater of Spontaneity, Jacob Moreno, who proposed stringing together "now and then flashes" to unfetter illusion and let imagination run free.  The images we have collected for this series came at a tremendous price, which we explained previously.]
> read more from Restoring the Lost Sense . . .
#vintage illustration #swords #hands #illustration #hand sword
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Restoring the Lost Sense (permalink)
"Guildeluec reviving Guilliadun, from The Old Fashioned Fairy Book by Mrs. Burton Harrison and illustrated by Rosina Emmet, 1887.
[Inexplicable images from generations ago invite us to restore the lost sense of immediacy.  We follow the founder of the Theater of Spontaneity, Jacob Moreno, who proposed stringing together "now and then flashes" to unfetter illusion and let imagination run free.  The images we have collected for this series came at a tremendous price, which we explained previously.]
> read more from Restoring the Lost Sense . . .
#vintage illustration #fairy tale #illustration
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Restoring the Lost Sense (permalink)
"It was then that 'That Night' took on capital letters."  From Wayside Tales, 1922.
[Inexplicable images from generations ago invite us to restore the lost sense of immediacy.  We follow the founder of the Theater of Spontaneity, Jacob Moreno, who proposed stringing together "now and then flashes" to unfetter illusion and let imagination run free.  The images we have collected for this series came at a tremendous price, which we explained previously.]
> read more from Restoring the Lost Sense . . .
#vintage illustration #1920s #illustration #that night #capital letters
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Something, Defined (permalink)
From David Hallamshire's Yorkshire Fables.

> read more from Something, Defined . . .
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Restoring the Lost Sense (permalink)
"She knew that horror, for she had been overtaken by it once before."  From English Illustrated, 1890.
[Inexplicable images from generations ago invite us to restore the lost sense of immediacy.  We follow the founder of the Theater of Spontaneity, Jacob Moreno, who proposed stringing together "now and then flashes" to unfetter illusion and let imagination run free.  The images we have collected for this series came at a tremendous price, which we explained previously.]
> read more from Restoring the Lost Sense . . .
#vintage illustration #ghost #spectre #spirit #horror #spiritualism #illustration
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Restoring the Lost Sense (permalink)
From Judy, Or The London Serio-Comic Journal, 1882.
[Inexplicable images from generations ago invite us to restore the lost sense of immediacy.  We follow the founder of the Theater of Spontaneity, Jacob Moreno, who proposed stringing together "now and then flashes" to unfetter illusion and let imagination run free.  The images we have collected for this series came at a tremendous price, which we explained previously.]
> read more from Restoring the Lost Sense . . .
#mummy #sarcophagus #vintage illustration #ancient egypt #illustration
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Restoring the Lost Sense (permalink)
From an 1863 issue of Fun magazine.
[Inexplicable images from generations ago invite us to restore the lost sense of immediacy.  We follow the founder of the Theater of Spontaneity, Jacob Moreno, who proposed stringing together "now and then flashes" to unfetter illusion and let imagination run free.  The images we have collected for this series came at a tremendous price, which we explained previously.]
> read more from Restoring the Lost Sense . . .
#vintage illustration #winged monster #flying monkey #illustration
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Restoring the Lost Sense (permalink)
"'Home, sweet home.'  So jolly to come back to it unexpectedly!"  From Judy, Or The London Serio-Comic Journal, 1873.
[Inexplicable images from generations ago invite us to restore the lost sense of immediacy.  We follow the founder of the Theater of Spontaneity, Jacob Moreno, who proposed stringing together "now and then flashes" to unfetter illusion and let imagination run free.  The images we have collected for this series came at a tremendous price, which we explained previously.]
> read more from Restoring the Lost Sense . . .
#vintage illustration #owl #spider #cobweb #home sweet home #illustration
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Yesterday's Weather (permalink)
By Gustave Doré for Don Quixote.
> read more from Yesterday's Weather . . .
#vintage illustration #crown #windy #don quixote #illustration
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Restoring the Lost Sense (permalink)
"Leap for life" in the Garden of the Gods, Colorado.
[Inexplicable images from generations ago invite us to restore the lost sense of immediacy.  We follow the founder of the Theater of Spontaneity, Jacob Moreno, who proposed stringing together "now and then flashes" to unfetter illusion and let imagination run free.  The images we have collected for this series came at a tremendous price, which we explained previously.]
> read more from Restoring the Lost Sense . . .
#leaping #mountains #vintage postcard #leap of faith #garden of the gods #colorado #postcard
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Restoring the Lost Sense (permalink)
[Inexplicable images from generations ago invite us to restore the lost sense of immediacy.  We follow the founder of the Theater of Spontaneity, Jacob Moreno, who proposed stringing together "now and then flashes" to unfetter illusion and let imagination run free.  The images we have collected for this series came at a tremendous price, which we explained previously.]
> read more from Restoring the Lost Sense . . .
#vintage illustration #emblem #celestial #sun and moon #heavens #illustration
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Restoring the Lost Sense (permalink)
From Jugend, 1897.
[Inexplicable images from generations ago invite us to restore the lost sense of immediacy.  We follow the founder of the Theater of Spontaneity, Jacob Moreno, who proposed stringing together "now and then flashes" to unfetter illusion and let imagination run free.  The images we have collected for this series came at a tremendous price, which we explained previously.]
> read more from Restoring the Lost Sense . . .
#vintage illustration #macabre #death #grim reaper #illustration
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Restoring the Lost Sense (permalink)
From Pick Me Up, 1892.
[Inexplicable images from generations ago invite us to restore the lost sense of immediacy.  We follow the founder of the Theater of Spontaneity, Jacob Moreno, who proposed stringing together "now and then flashes" to unfetter illusion and let imagination run free.  The images we have collected for this series came at a tremendous price, which we explained previously.]
> read more from Restoring the Lost Sense . . .
#vintage illustration #witch #geese #tiny men #illustration
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March 23, 2017

Old News (permalink)
Just shoot me -- "'Mercy' bullet brings sleep instead of death."  From Popular Mechanics, 1930.
> read more from Old News . . .
#mercy #vintage headline #tranquilizer #headline
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Restoring the Lost Sense (permalink)
[Inexplicable images from generations ago invite us to restore the lost sense of immediacy.  We follow the founder of the Theater of Spontaneity, Jacob Moreno, who proposed stringing together "now and then flashes" to unfetter illusion and let imagination run free.  The images we have collected for this series came at a tremendous price, which we explained previously.]
> read more from Restoring the Lost Sense . . .
#vintage illustration #magick #wizard #occult #harvard lampoon #illustration #art
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Restoring the Lost Sense (permalink)
From Jugend, 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.]
> read more from Restoring the Lost Sense . . .
#vintage illustration #phrenology #therapy #illustration #art
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Restoring the Lost Sense (permalink)
From Pick Me Up, 1892.
[Inexplicable images from generations ago invite us to restore the lost sense of immediacy.  We follow the founder of the Theater of Spontaneity, Jacob Moreno, who proposed stringing together "now and then flashes" to unfetter illusion and let imagination run free.  The images we have collected for this series came at a tremendous price, which we explained previously.]
> read more from Restoring the Lost Sense . . .
#vintage illustration #lion #illustration
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Strange Dreams (permalink)
"The mountain lion sneaking around us as we sleep."  From Wild Animals I Have Known, written and illustrated by Ernest Thompson Seton, 1898.
If you have a strange dream to share, send it along!
> read more from Strange Dreams . . .
#vintage illustration #predator #illustration #mountain lion
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This May Surprise You (permalink)
If you ever wondered about the workings of Dali's melting timepieces, here's a droopy gear from Popular Mechanics, 1908.

> read more from This May Surprise You . . .
#vintage illustration #illustration #persistence of memory #dali
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Restoring the Lost Sense (permalink)
From Un Autre Monde by Grandville.
[Inexplicable images from generations ago invite us to restore the lost sense of immediacy.  We follow the founder of the Theater of Spontaneity, Jacob Moreno, who proposed stringing together "now and then flashes" to unfetter illusion and let imagination run free.  The images we have collected for this series came at a tremendous price, which we explained previously.]
> read more from Restoring the Lost Sense . . .
#vintage illustration #demon #mask #grandville #illustration
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Restoring the Lost Sense (permalink)
"If I could have waited till the light came!"  From Everybody's Magazine, 1908.
[Inexplicable images from generations ago invite us to restore the lost sense of immediacy.  We follow the founder of the Theater of Spontaneity, Jacob Moreno, who proposed stringing together "now and then flashes" to unfetter illusion and let imagination run free.  The images we have collected for this series came at a tremendous price, which we explained previously.]
> read more from Restoring the Lost Sense . . .
#vintage illustration #dark night of the soul #darkness #illustration
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Restoring the Lost Sense (permalink)
From Die Muskete, 1910.
[Inexplicable images from generations ago invite us to restore the lost sense of immediacy.  We follow the founder of the Theater of Spontaneity, Jacob Moreno, who proposed stringing together "now and then flashes" to unfetter illusion and let imagination run free.  The images we have collected for this series came at a tremendous price, which we explained previously.]
> read more from Restoring the Lost Sense . . .
#vintage illustration #sea monster #monsters #creatures #tentacles #illustration
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I Found a Penny Today, So Here's a Thought (permalink)
"It's never too late to be who you might have been." —George Eliot
> read more from I Found a Penny Today, So Here's a Thought . . .
#prof. oddfellow #george eliot #what might have been #graffiti #never too late
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Restoring the Lost Sense (permalink)
"I am afraid the habits of the crocodile, even when domesticated, are rather startling."  From English Illustrated, 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.]
> read more from Restoring the Lost Sense . . .
#vintage illustration #crocodile #animal trainer #illustration
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Restoring the Lost Sense (permalink)
From Judy, Or The London Serio-Comic Journal, 1882.
[Inexplicable images from generations ago invite us to restore the lost sense of immediacy.  We follow the founder of the Theater of Spontaneity, Jacob Moreno, who proposed stringing together "now and then flashes" to unfetter illusion and let imagination run free.  The images we have collected for this series came at a tremendous price, which we explained previously.]
> read more from Restoring the Lost Sense . . .
#vintage illustration #keg #barrel #alcohol #illustration
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Restoring the Lost Sense (permalink)
From an 1863 issue of Fun magazine.
[Inexplicable images from generations ago invite us to restore the lost sense of immediacy.  We follow the founder of the Theater of Spontaneity, Jacob Moreno, who proposed stringing together "now and then flashes" to unfetter illusion and let imagination run free.  The images we have collected for this series came at a tremendous price, which we explained previously.]
> read more from Restoring the Lost Sense . . .
#vintage illustration #nose #jester #long nose #illustration
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Restoring the Lost Sense (permalink)
"Rags and bones," from Judy, Or The London Serio-Comic Journal, 1873.
[Inexplicable images from generations ago invite us to restore the lost sense of immediacy.  We follow the founder of the Theater of Spontaneity, Jacob Moreno, who proposed stringing together "now and then flashes" to unfetter illusion and let imagination run free.  The images we have collected for this series came at a tremendous price, which we explained previously.]
> read more from Restoring the Lost Sense . . .
#vintage illustration #hand lettering #rag doll #illustration #doll
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Postcard Transformations (permalink)
INSTRUCTIONS: Click to turn on the night.

Dune Hotel
> read more from Postcard Transformations . . .
#vintage postcard #night and day #dunes hotel #gif #postcard
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Restoring the Lost Sense (permalink)
"Never entertain the ___.  Say Skidoo!! '23.'"  From 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.]
> read more from Restoring the Lost Sense . . .
#devil #vintage postcard #23 skidoo #postcard
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Restoring the Lost Sense (permalink)
From Jugend, 1908.
[Inexplicable images from generations ago invite us to restore the lost sense of immediacy.  We follow the founder of the Theater of Spontaneity, Jacob Moreno, who proposed stringing together "now and then flashes" to unfetter illusion and let imagination run free.  The images we have collected for this series came at a tremendous price, which we explained previously.]
> read more from Restoring the Lost Sense . . .
#vintage illustration #illustration #bodiless #invisible man #suitors #suits #art
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March 22, 2017

This May Surprise You (permalink)
The magazine that scoffed at the time-honored conception of Earth-Air-Fire-Water-Spirit being the Five Elements actually suggested that the "mysterious realms" of Rock, Water, and Gas harbor strange creatures.  From Popular Mechanics, 1929.
> read more from This May Surprise You . . .
#vintage illustration #exploration #illustration #five elements #art
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Restoring the Lost Sense (permalink)
When [cows, goats, and] pigs fly.  From Jugend, 1910.
[Inexplicable images from generations ago invite us to restore the lost sense of immediacy.  We follow the founder of the Theater of Spontaneity, Jacob Moreno, who proposed stringing together "now and then flashes" to unfetter illusion and let imagination run free.  The images we have collected for this series came at a tremendous price, which we explained previously.]
> read more from Restoring the Lost Sense . . .
#vintage illustration #when pigs fly #illustration #flying cow #flying animals #art
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Restoring the Lost Sense (permalink)
From Die Muskete, 1924.
[Inexplicable images from generations ago invite us to restore the lost sense of immediacy.  We follow the founder of the Theater of Spontaneity, Jacob Moreno, who proposed stringing together "now and then flashes" to unfetter illusion and let imagination run free.  The images we have collected for this series came at a tremendous price, which we explained previously.]
> read more from Restoring the Lost Sense . . .
#vintage illustration #skull #illustration
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Restoring the Lost Sense (permalink)
From The Magic Skin by Honoré de Balzac, privately printed for members of the Society of English Bibliophilists, 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.]
> read more from Restoring the Lost Sense . . .
#vintage illustration #wizard #illustration #balzac
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Restoring the Lost Sense (permalink)
"The angel took the form of a beggar."  From The Laughing Prince by Parker Fillmore and illustrated by Jay Van Everen, 1921.
[Inexplicable images from generations ago invite us to restore the lost sense of immediacy.  We follow the founder of the Theater of Spontaneity, Jacob Moreno, who proposed stringing together "now and then flashes" to unfetter illusion and let imagination run free.  The images we have collected for this series came at a tremendous price, which we explained previously.]
> read more from Restoring the Lost Sense . . .
#vintage illustration #angel #shape shifter #illustration
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The Right Word (permalink)
> read more from The Right Word . . .
#vintage illustration #sentence diagram #illustration #overcome by evil #overcome evil
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Two Sides / Same Coin (permalink)
Two sides of the same coin in The Old Fashioned Fairy Book by Mrs. Burton Harrison and illustrated by Rosina Emmet, 1887.
* Inspired by Jeff Hawkins.
> read more from Two Sides / Same Coin . . .
#vintage illustration #fairy #angel #two sides of the same coin #illustration
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Restoring the Lost Sense (permalink)
"Do our 'best' women drink?" from Wayside Tales, 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.]
> read more from Restoring the Lost Sense . . .
#vintage illustration #drinking #alcoholism #alcohol #illustration #women who drink
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Uncharted Territories (permalink)
"Where the map ends is where the world ends." —Sword of Tilk Trilogy: Book One: Worlds Apart
> read more from Uncharted Territories . . .
#end of the world #edge of the map #maps
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Restoring the Lost Sense (permalink)
"And again she appeared."  From English Illustrated, 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.]
> read more from Restoring the Lost Sense . . .
#vintage illustration #ghost #appearance #illustration
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Restoring the Lost Sense (permalink)
Here's some crystal gazing from an 1863 issue of Fun magazine.
[Inexplicable images from generations ago invite us to restore the lost sense of immediacy.  We follow the founder of the Theater of Spontaneity, Jacob Moreno, who proposed stringing together "now and then flashes" to unfetter illusion and let imagination run free.  The images we have collected for this series came at a tremendous price, which we explained previously.]
> read more from Restoring the Lost Sense . . .
#vintage illustration #political cartoon #divination #crystal ball #crystal gazing #illustration
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Restoring the Lost Sense (permalink)
Here's how to properly notate a shower of good wishes and slippers, from Judy, Or The London Serio-Comic Journal, 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.]
> read more from Restoring the Lost Sense . . .
#vintage illustration #asterisks #illustration
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Restoring the Lost Sense (permalink)
From 1900.
[Inexplicable images from generations ago invite us to restore the lost sense of immediacy.  We follow the founder of the Theater of Spontaneity, Jacob Moreno, who proposed stringing together "now and then flashes" to unfetter illusion and let imagination run free.  The images we have collected for this series came at a tremendous price, which we explained previously.]
> read more from Restoring the Lost Sense . . .
#skull #phrenology #vintage magazine #magazine
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Restoring the Lost Sense (permalink)
From Songs of a Savoyard by W. S. Gilbert, 1890.
[Inexplicable images from generations ago invite us to restore the lost sense of immediacy.  We follow the founder of the Theater of Spontaneity, Jacob Moreno, who proposed stringing together "now and then flashes" to unfetter illusion and let imagination run free.  The images we have collected for this series came at a tremendous price, which we explained previously.]
> read more from Restoring the Lost Sense . . .
#vintage illustration #brain #illustration
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Restoring the Lost Sense (permalink)
From Die Muskete, 1919.
[Inexplicable images from generations ago invite us to restore the lost sense of immediacy.  We follow the founder of the Theater of Spontaneity, Jacob Moreno, who proposed stringing together "now and then flashes" to unfetter illusion and let imagination run free.  The images we have collected for this series came at a tremendous price, which we explained previously.]
> read more from Restoring the Lost Sense . . .
#vintage illustration #question mark #illustration
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Restoring the Lost Sense (permalink)
"The sirens of the sky."  From Popular Mechanics, 1911.
[Inexplicable images from generations ago invite us to restore the lost sense of immediacy.  We follow the founder of the Theater of Spontaneity, Jacob Moreno, who proposed stringing together "now and then flashes" to unfetter illusion and let imagination run free.  The images we have collected for this series came at a tremendous price, which we explained previously.]
> read more from Restoring the Lost Sense . . .
#vintage illustration #death #grim reaper #airplane #illustration #airplane crash
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Restoring the Lost Sense (permalink)
From Jugend, 1907.
[Inexplicable images from generations ago invite us to restore the lost sense of immediacy.  We follow the founder of the Theater of Spontaneity, Jacob Moreno, who proposed stringing together "now and then flashes" to unfetter illusion and let imagination run free.  The images we have collected for this series came at a tremendous price, which we explained previously.]
> read more from Restoring the Lost Sense . . .
#vintage illustration #devil #satan #illustration #art
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March 21, 2017

Old News (permalink)
This sort of embarrassing hubris spans the centuries.  There are no "new" types of prehistoric Indians in Texas, only types new to the so-called discoverer who is merely extraordinarly behind the times.  From Popular Mechanics, 1931.
> read more from Old News . . .
#texas #vintage headline #hubris #prehistory #headline
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Restoring the Lost Sense (permalink)
"A hair pin, dear boy."  From Pick Me Up, 1892.
[Inexplicable images from generations ago invite us to restore the lost sense of immediacy.  We follow the founder of the Theater of Spontaneity, Jacob Moreno, who proposed stringing together "now and then flashes" to unfetter illusion and let imagination run free.  The images we have collected for this series came at a tremendous price, which we explained previously.]
> read more from Restoring the Lost Sense . . .
#vintage illustration #dandy #illustration #hair pin
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Restoring the Lost Sense (permalink)
From Die Muskete, 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.]
> read more from Restoring the Lost Sense . . .
#vintage illustration #puppeteer #puppet #illustration
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Yesterday's Weather (permalink)
"Windows for umbrellas."  From Popular Mechanics, 1911.
> read more from Yesterday's Weather . . .
#vintage illustration #rainy day #umbrella #illustration
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Restoring the Lost Sense (permalink)
From The Verdict of the Gods by Sarath Kumar Ghosh, 1905.
[Inexplicable images from generations ago invite us to restore the lost sense of immediacy.  We follow the founder of the Theater of Spontaneity, Jacob Moreno, who proposed stringing together "now and then flashes" to unfetter illusion and let imagination run free.  The images we have collected for this series came at a tremendous price, which we explained previously.]
> read more from Restoring the Lost Sense . . .
#vintage illustration #tiger #tied up #illustration
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Restoring the Lost Sense (permalink)
From Tales of Ireland by William Carleton, 1834.
[Inexplicable images from generations ago invite us to restore the lost sense of immediacy.  We follow the founder of the Theater of Spontaneity, Jacob Moreno, who proposed stringing together "now and then flashes" to unfetter illusion and let imagination run free.  The images we have collected for this series came at a tremendous price, which we explained previously.]
> read more from Restoring the Lost Sense . . .
#vintage illustration #shadow #ireland #illustration #shadow boxing
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Restoring the Lost Sense (permalink)
From Die Muskete, 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.]
> read more from Restoring the Lost Sense . . .
#vintage illustration #devil #war #bridge #illustration
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Restoring the Lost Sense (permalink)
"The friendly spectre stood by me," from Ghosts I Have Met and Some Others by John Kendrick Bangs, 1898.
[Inexplicable images from generations ago invite us to restore the lost sense of immediacy.  We follow the founder of the Theater of Spontaneity, Jacob Moreno, who proposed stringing together "now and then flashes" to unfetter illusion and let imagination run free.  The images we have collected for this series came at a tremendous price, which we explained previously.]
> read more from Restoring the Lost Sense . . .
#vintage illustration #ghost #spectre #spirit #illustration
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Simple Answers (permalink)

"The simple answer is we don't know for sure and may never know." —The HolyPhone Confessional Crisis

If this is not the answer you’re looking for,
click here for a different answer.
> read more from Simple Answers . . .
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Restoring the Lost Sense (permalink)
"Sitting down opposite the cheese."  From English Illustrated, 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.]
> read more from Restoring the Lost Sense . . .
#vintage illustration #cheese #1890s #illustration
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Restoring the Lost Sense (permalink)
A detail of an ad for eye drops, 1947.
[Inexplicable images from generations ago invite us to restore the lost sense of immediacy.  We follow the founder of the Theater of Spontaneity, Jacob Moreno, who proposed stringing together "now and then flashes" to unfetter illusion and let imagination run free.  The images we have collected for this series came at a tremendous price, which we explained previously.]
> read more from Restoring the Lost Sense . . .
#vintage illustration #vintage ad #eyes #tired eyes #bloodshot eyes #eyedrops #illustration #ad
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Restoring the Lost Sense (permalink)
Here's a skeleton whose bottom half is made of thread, stabbing a capital T with a needle.  From an 1863 issue of Fun magazine.
[Inexplicable images from generations ago invite us to restore the lost sense of immediacy.  We follow the founder of the Theater of Spontaneity, Jacob Moreno, who proposed stringing together "now and then flashes" to unfetter illusion and let imagination run free.  The images we have collected for this series came at a tremendous price, which we explained previously.]
> read more from Restoring the Lost Sense . . .
#vintage illustration #death #skeleton #needle and thread #illustration
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Yearbook Weirdness (permalink)
"Walk - Don't run."  From Hunter College's Wistarion yearbook, 1965.  See How to Hoodoo Hack a Yearbook.
> read more from Yearbook Weirdness . . .
#diving #vintage yearbook #yearbook #swimming #1960s #warning sign #don't run #slippery #sign
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Postcard Transformations (permalink)
INSTRUCTIONS: Click to add tinting.

Public Library, Canton, Ohio
> read more from Postcard Transformations . . .
#vintage postcard #ohio #canton #public library #gif #postcard
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How to Believe in Your Elf (permalink)
* There is a vast world of reality into which science can no more enter than an elf can be Santa Claus.  We regret to observe that rather than face it, and confess its inability to measure it, science turns its back upon it.  Life is not always every-day life, and the insolvable mysteries are correlated not to formal rules but to spirit and inspiration.  Are bits of wisdom liable to dwarf the subject?  Indeed — and rightly!  James Howell described the ingredients of a good proverb to be "sense, shortness, and salt."  May Howell's cry resound through this present collection of maxims on believing in one's elf.

> read more from How to Believe in Your Elf . . .
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Restoring the Lost Sense (permalink)
From Jugend, 1897.
[Inexplicable images from generations ago invite us to restore the lost sense of immediacy.  We follow the founder of the Theater of Spontaneity, Jacob Moreno, who proposed stringing together "now and then flashes" to unfetter illusion and let imagination run free.  The images we have collected for this series came at a tremendous price, which we explained previously.]
> read more from Restoring the Lost Sense . . .
#vintage illustration #merman #illustration #catching fish
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Restoring the Lost Sense (permalink)
From Torn From Its Foundations by David Ker and illustrated by A. Pearse, 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.]
> read more from Restoring the Lost Sense . . .
#vintage illustration #horse #leaping #chasm #illustration
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I Found a Penny Today, So Here's a Thought (permalink)
"I did not say it was possible; I only said it was true." —Dumas, or Sir Astley Cooper, or "the Fool in the play," or a character in The Castle Spectre, or [in actuality] Florent Carton Dancourt, Le Chevalier à La Mode1687 (as popularly translated into English).
> read more from I Found a Penny Today, So Here's a Thought . . .
#quotation #impossible but true
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Restoring the Lost Sense (permalink)
The patron saint of (so-called ethical) hunting.  From Jugend, 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.]
> read more from Restoring the Lost Sense . . .
#vintage illustration #stag #hunting #deer #deer hunter #illustration #saint hubertus #st. hubert #art
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March 20, 2017

Old News (permalink)
Here's one of the few headlines in Popular Mechanics that we've actually believed.  "Artists in butterfly wings do their work backward."  From 1929.
> read more from Old News . . .
#weird headline #vintage headline #butterfly wings #artists #headline
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Restoring the Lost Sense (permalink)
Old Man Winter glowers at the pansy Spring.  From Jugend, 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.]
> read more from Restoring the Lost Sense . . .
#vintage illustration #spring #old man winter #flowers #illustration #seasons #art
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Restoring the Lost Sense (permalink)
Hairdressing cacti, from Mocca, 1931.  Previously, we saw a cactus shaving itself.  Cactus lovers will also be interested in This Book is a Cactus.  
[Inexplicable images from generations ago invite us to restore the lost sense of immediacy.  We follow the founder of the Theater of Spontaneity, Jacob Moreno, who proposed stringing together "now and then flashes" to unfetter illusion and let imagination run free.  The images we have collected for this series came at a tremendous price, which we explained previously.]
> read more from Restoring the Lost Sense . . .
#vintage illustration #barber #cactus #illustration #hairdresser #cacti
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Precursors (permalink)
Here's a precursor to the Pinhead character in Hellraiser.  From Pick Me Up, 1891.
> read more from Precursors . . .
#vintage illustration #illustration #facelift #pinhead #hellraiser
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Restoring the Lost Sense (permalink)
From Die Muskete, 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.]
> read more from Restoring the Lost Sense . . .
#vintage illustration #illustration #submerged #lake #crater
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Restoring the Lost Sense (permalink)
"Brazilian war mummy."  From Popular Mechanics, 1911.
[Inexplicable images from generations ago invite us to restore the lost sense of immediacy.  We follow the founder of the Theater of Spontaneity, Jacob Moreno, who proposed stringing together "now and then flashes" to unfetter illusion and let imagination run free.  The images we have collected for this series came at a tremendous price, which we explained previously.]
> read more from Restoring the Lost Sense . . .
#mummy #vintage illustration #macabre #severed head #illustration #war trophy #shrunken head #war mummy #amazonian
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Restoring the Lost Sense (permalink)
The succubus.  From Droll Stories Collected From the Abbeys of Touraine, illustrated by Gustave Doré, 1907.
[Inexplicable images from generations ago invite us to restore the lost sense of immediacy.  We follow the founder of the Theater of Spontaneity, Jacob Moreno, who proposed stringing together "now and then flashes" to unfetter illusion and let imagination run free.  The images we have collected for this series came at a tremendous price, which we explained previously.]
> read more from Restoring the Lost Sense . . .
#vintage illustration #demon #skeleton #heart #illustration #succubus
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Restoring the Lost Sense (permalink)
"There, now—off you go!!!"  From Tales of Ireland by William Carleton, 1834.
[Inexplicable images from generations ago invite us to restore the lost sense of immediacy.  We follow the founder of the Theater of Spontaneity, Jacob Moreno, who proposed stringing together "now and then flashes" to unfetter illusion and let imagination run free.  The images we have collected for this series came at a tremendous price, which we explained previously.]
> read more from Restoring the Lost Sense . . .
#vintage illustration #ireland #illustration #knocked off
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Restoring the Lost Sense (permalink)
"I approached the black, putrid water," from Wayside Tales, 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.]
> read more from Restoring the Lost Sense . . .
#vintage illustration #illustration #black water #putrid
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Everybody's Doing This Now (permalink)
> read more from Everybody's Doing This Now . . .
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Restoring the Lost Sense (permalink)
From English Illustrated, 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.]
> read more from Restoring the Lost Sense . . .
#vintage illustration #ghost #spirit #spiritialism #illustration
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Restoring the Lost Sense (permalink)
You've heard of real photograhers taking photos of ghosts, but here's a real model "posing in his best clothes for imaginary photographs."  From Harper's magazine, 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.]
> read more from Restoring the Lost Sense . . .
#vintage illustration #photography #fashion #vintage fashion #posing #imaginary friend #illustration
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Restoring the Lost Sense (permalink)
From an 1862 issue of Fun magazine.  This should also be of interest: How to Believe in Your Elf.
[Inexplicable images from generations ago invite us to restore the lost sense of immediacy.  We follow the founder of the Theater of Spontaneity, Jacob Moreno, who proposed stringing together "now and then flashes" to unfetter illusion and let imagination run free.  The images we have collected for this series came at a tremendous price, which we explained previously.]
> read more from Restoring the Lost Sense . . .
#vintage illustration #demon #imp #devils #illustration
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Restoring the Lost Sense (permalink)
From Judy, Or The London Serio-Comic Journal, 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.]
> read more from Restoring the Lost Sense . . .
#vintage illustration #faces in things #candle #1870s #snuffed #illustration #candles with faces #art
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Restoring the Lost Sense (permalink)
Here's a lucky black cat from c. 1934.
[Inexplicable images from generations ago invite us to restore the lost sense of immediacy.  We follow the founder of the Theater of Spontaneity, Jacob Moreno, who proposed stringing together "now and then flashes" to unfetter illusion and let imagination run free.  The images we have collected for this series came at a tremendous price, which we explained previously.]
> read more from Restoring the Lost Sense . . .
#black cat #good luck #vintage postcard #postcard
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Restoring the Lost Sense (permalink)
From Jugend, 1908.
[Inexplicable images from generations ago invite us to restore the lost sense of immediacy.  We follow the founder of the Theater of Spontaneity, Jacob Moreno, who proposed stringing together "now and then flashes" to unfetter illusion and let imagination run free.  The images we have collected for this series came at a tremendous price, which we explained previously.]
> read more from Restoring the Lost Sense . . .
#vintage illustration #death #skeleton #illustration #art
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Restoring the Lost Sense (permalink)
From The Magic City by Netta Syrett and illustrated by Mary Corbett, 1903.
[Inexplicable images from generations ago invite us to restore the lost sense of immediacy.  We follow the founder of the Theater of Spontaneity, Jacob Moreno, who proposed stringing together "now and then flashes" to unfetter illusion and let imagination run free.  The images we have collected for this series came at a tremendous price, which we explained previously.]
> read more from Restoring the Lost Sense . . .
#vintage illustration #fairy #angel #fairy tale #illustration
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March 19, 2017

Old News (permalink)
"Hoop-skirt parachute for airmen."  From Popular Mechanics, 1911.
> read more from Old News . . .
#vintage illustration #vintage headline #illustration #hoop skirt #parachute #skydiving #headline
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Did You Hear the One I Just Made Up? (permalink)
Courtesy of literary scalawag Jonathan Caws-Elwitt:

"But are you sure the magician vanished in a cloud of smoke?"

"Yes, we have POOF! positive."

> read more from Did You Hear the One I Just Made Up? . . .
#jonathan caws-elwitt
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Precursors (permalink)
A precursor to Edward Gorey, from Pick Me Up, 1897.
> read more from Precursors . . .
#vintage illustration #illustration #edward gorey
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Restoring the Lost Sense (permalink)
From Die Muskete, 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.]
> read more from Restoring the Lost Sense . . .
#vintage illustration #creature #alien #illustration
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Restoring the Lost Sense (permalink)
From Fairy Prince Follow-My-Lead by Emily E. Reader, 1885. 
[Inexplicable images from generations ago invite us to restore the lost sense of immediacy.  We follow the founder of the Theater of Spontaneity, Jacob Moreno, who proposed stringing together "now and then flashes" to unfetter illusion and let imagination run free.  The images we have collected for this series came at a tremendous price, which we explained previously.]
> read more from Restoring the Lost Sense . . .
#vintage illustration #fairies #fairy tale #fairy kingdom #fairy court #illustration
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Restoring the Lost Sense (permalink)
From Die Muskete, 1918.
[Inexplicable images from generations ago invite us to restore the lost sense of immediacy.  We follow the founder of the Theater of Spontaneity, Jacob Moreno, who proposed stringing together "now and then flashes" to unfetter illusion and let imagination run free.  The images we have collected for this series came at a tremendous price, which we explained previously.]
> read more from Restoring the Lost Sense . . .
#vintage illustration #puppeteer #illustration #hand puppet #puppet show
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Restoring the Lost Sense (permalink)
From Dot and Tot of Merryland by L. Frank Baum and illustrated by W. W. Denslow, 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.]
> read more from Restoring the Lost Sense . . .
#vintage illustration #jester #marotte #l. frank baum #illustration
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Restoring the Lost Sense (permalink)
From The Old Fashioned Fairy Book by Mrs. Burton Harrison and illustrated by Rosina Emmet, 1887.
[Inexplicable images from generations ago invite us to restore the lost sense of immediacy.  We follow the founder of the Theater of Spontaneity, Jacob Moreno, who proposed stringing together "now and then flashes" to unfetter illusion and let imagination run free.  The images we have collected for this series came at a tremendous price, which we explained previously.]
> read more from Restoring the Lost Sense . . .
#vintage illustration #giant #fairy tale #knight #decapitated #illustration
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Restoring the Lost Sense (permalink)
"Th' dead man had th' bottle and was emptyin' it."  From Wayside Tales, 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.]
> read more from Restoring the Lost Sense . . .
#vintage illustration #alcohol #illustration
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Don't Take This the Wrong Way (permalink)
"Don't take this the wrong way, because you've been amazing, but . . . I need to be alone for a bit." —K. A. Tucker, Becoming Rain
> read more from Don't Take This the Wrong Way . . .
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Restoring the Lost Sense (permalink)
"Trample on me, crush me--you cannot save yourself."  From English Illustrated, 1890.
[Inexplicable images from generations ago invite us to restore the lost sense of immediacy.  We follow the founder of the Theater of Spontaneity, Jacob Moreno, who proposed stringing together "now and then flashes" to unfetter illusion and let imagination run free.  The images we have collected for this series came at a tremendous price, which we explained previously.]
> read more from Restoring the Lost Sense . . .
#vintage illustration #save yourself #trampled #illustration
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Restoring the Lost Sense (permalink)
From Judy, Or The London Serio-Comic Journal, 1886.
[Inexplicable images from generations ago invite us to restore the lost sense of immediacy.  We follow the founder of the Theater of Spontaneity, Jacob Moreno, who proposed stringing together "now and then flashes" to unfetter illusion and let imagination run free.  The images we have collected for this series came at a tremendous price, which we explained previously.]
> read more from Restoring the Lost Sense . . .
#vintage illustration #ghost #cthulhu #tentacles #illustration
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Images Moving Through Time (permalink)
Just as a magician should never lift a bunny by the ears, a ventriloquist should never lift a dummy by the throat.  Photo courtesy of the Stanford Archives.
> read more from Images Moving Through Time . . .
#vintage photo #ventriloquism #ventriloquist #photo
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Restoring the Lost Sense (permalink)
An illustration by Francisco Ayala for Cosmópolis, 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.]
> read more from Restoring the Lost Sense . . .
#vintage illustration #circus #clowns #illustration
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Restoring the Lost Sense (permalink)
"And she was almost calm when a giant mouth suddenly loomed open in front of her." —Phantom Prospect
[Inexplicable images from generations ago invite us to restore the lost sense of immediacy.  We follow the founder of the Theater of Spontaneity, Jacob Moreno, who proposed stringing together "now and then flashes" to unfetter illusion and let imagination run free.  The images we have collected for this series came at a tremendous price, which we explained previously.]
> read more from Restoring the Lost Sense . . .
#dentist #giant mouth #giant teeth #dental care
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Restoring the Lost Sense (permalink)
From The Merry Ballads of the Olden Time, 1880.  Speaking of weddings, see our Collected Lost Meanings of Wedlock.  Why lost meanings? The definition of “marriage” has become hotly debated of late, to the point that the word has become “increasingly unmentionable” (Catholic Herald) or even “has no meaning at all” (Family Policy Institute). It’s been said that only through loss can there be gain, that only through loss can we truly grow and understand what is at stake, that only through loss can that which is beautiful be found. As the poet Joseph August has noted, “Only through loss can we glimpse the deepest meanings, / hints and flashes whispered from below / elucted as from underwater, deep.” The collected lost meanings of wedlock might surprise even those who would otherwise be considered well-informed.  It's the perfect gift for one’s betrothed, or for a wedding planner, or for anyone contemplating matrimony.
[Inexplicable images from generations ago invite us to restore the lost sense of immediacy.  We follow the founder of the Theater of Spontaneity, Jacob Moreno, who proposed stringing together "now and then flashes" to unfetter illusion and let imagination run free.  The images we have collected for this series came at a tremendous price, which we explained previously.]
> read more from Restoring the Lost Sense . . .
#vintage illustration #wedding #francis drake #cannonball #illustration
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Restoring the Lost Sense (permalink)
From Jugend, 1898.   See How to Believe in Your Elf.
[Inexplicable images from generations ago invite us to restore the lost sense of immediacy.  We follow the founder of the Theater of Spontaneity, Jacob Moreno, who proposed stringing together "now and then flashes" to unfetter illusion and let imagination run free.  The images we have collected for this series came at a tremendous price, which we explained previously.]
> read more from Restoring the Lost Sense . . .
#vintage illustration #gnome #fairy #elf #wee folk #illustration
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This May Surprise You (permalink)
Yes, the first article here actually says that wild birds are "anxious" to join their captive brethren in zoos.  The second article is about deer and elk who escape but then voluntarily return to a fenced area.  These are great examples of why we rag on vintage Popular Mechanics.  The undisgused fascism is terrifying.  The first article is from 1929, and the second is from 1931.  As an offensive bonus, note the article about how a hunted wolf commits suicide by shooting itself, from 1932.
> read more from This May Surprise You . . .
#popular mechanics
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Strange Dreams (permalink)
From Jugend, 1912
If you have a strange dream to share, send it along!
> read more from Strange Dreams . . .
#vintage illustration #dreaming #aviation #illustration #art
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March 18, 2017

Restoring the Lost Sense (permalink)
From Kladderadatsch, 1933.
[Inexplicable images from generations ago invite us to restore the lost sense of immediacy.  We follow the founder of the Theater of Spontaneity, Jacob Moreno, who proposed stringing together "now and then flashes" to unfetter illusion and let imagination run free.  The images we have collected for this series came at a tremendous price, which we explained previously.]
> read more from Restoring the Lost Sense . . .
#vintage illustration #death #skeleton #grim reaper #scythe
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Old News (permalink)
"Electric knife is used to restore lost sanity."  From Popular Mechanics, 1927.
> read more from Old News . . .
#vintage illustration #mental illness #weird invention #vintage headline #illustration #insane #mental health #headline #art
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Restoring the Lost Sense (permalink)
A circulation library from Pick Me Up, 1897.
[Inexplicable images from generations ago invite us to restore the lost sense of immediacy.  We follow the founder of the Theater of Spontaneity, Jacob Moreno, who proposed stringing together "now and then flashes" to unfetter illusion and let imagination run free.  The images we have collected for this series came at a tremendous price, which we explained previously.]
> read more from Restoring the Lost Sense . . .
#vintage illustration #drunk #melting building #hallucination #inebriated #illustration
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Restoring the Lost Sense (permalink)
From Die Muskete, 1922.
[Inexplicable images from generations ago invite us to restore the lost sense of immediacy.  We follow the founder of the Theater of Spontaneity, Jacob Moreno, who proposed stringing together "now and then flashes" to unfetter illusion and let imagination run free.  The images we have collected for this series came at a tremendous price, which we explained previously.]
> read more from Restoring the Lost Sense . . .
#vintage illustration #human headed #statue of liberty #living statue #illustration
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Separated at Birth? (permalink)
"Held up with apparently deadly weapon which in reality is only a cigarette case."  From Popular Mechanics, 1911.
> read more from Separated at Birth? . . .
#vintage illustration #illustration #cigarette case
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Images Moving Through Time (permalink)
"How the spirits untie Jacoby."  From Leaves from Conjurers' Scrap Books by Hardin J. Burlingame, 1891.  This should be of interest: Seance Parlor Feng Shui.
> read more from Images Moving Through Time . . .
#vintage illustration #magician #ghosts #spiritualism #seance #illustration #spirit photograph
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Restoring the Lost Sense (permalink)
"The hermit," from Queen Mab's Fairy Realm, 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.]
> read more from Restoring the Lost Sense . . .
#vintage illustration #fairy tale #hermit #illustration
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Restoring the Lost Sense (permalink)
From Die Muskete, 1914.
[Inexplicable images from generations ago invite us to restore the lost sense of immediacy.  We follow the founder of the Theater of Spontaneity, Jacob Moreno, who proposed stringing together "now and then flashes" to unfetter illusion and let imagination run free.  The images we have collected for this series came at a tremendous price, which we explained previously.]
> read more from Restoring the Lost Sense . . .
#vintage illustration #biplane #birds #airplane #illustration
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Colorful Allusions (permalink)
"Clad in cerulean blue, pawing at his things," from Wayside Tales, 1906.
> read more from Colorful Allusions . . .
#vintage illustration #illustration #cerulean
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Call it a Hunch (permalink)
"Call it instinct, call it a hunch—hell, call it a stab in the dark." —David Krugler, The Dead Don't Bleed

A still from the classic Young Frankenstein.
> read more from Call it a Hunch . . .
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Strange Dreams (permalink)
"Another stoops and takes a handful of clay from the earth, and with the pressure of his fingers moulds it to the reality of an unreal image seen in dreams."  From English Illustrated, 1890.
If you have a strange dream to share, send it along!
> read more from Strange Dreams . . .
#vintage illustration #magic #artist #statue #sculpture #illustration
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Restoring the Lost Sense (permalink)
"Clobber my best hat -- my everything -- & sharp --."  From Judy, Or The London Serio-Comic Journal, 1886.
[Inexplicable images from generations ago invite us to restore the lost sense of immediacy.  We follow the founder of the Theater of Spontaneity, Jacob Moreno, who proposed stringing together "now and then flashes" to unfetter illusion and let imagination run free.  The images we have collected for this series came at a tremendous price, which we explained previously.]
> read more from Restoring the Lost Sense . . .
#vintage illustration #musician #illustration #hat
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Restoring the Lost Sense (permalink)
"Oh snakes."  From an 1862 issue of Fun magazine.
[Inexplicable images from generations ago invite us to restore the lost sense of immediacy.  We follow the founder of the Theater of Spontaneity, Jacob Moreno, who proposed stringing together "now and then flashes" to unfetter illusion and let imagination run free.  The images we have collected for this series came at a tremendous price, which we explained previously.]
> read more from Restoring the Lost Sense . . .
#vintage illustration #political cartoon #transvestism #man in a dress #illustration
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Yearbook Weirdness (permalink)
From Hunter College's Wistarion yearbook, 1905.  See How to Hoodoo Hack a Yearbook.
> read more from Yearbook Weirdness . . .
#vintage illustration #witch #skull #occult #vintage yearbook #yearbook #secret society #sororities #hooded figure #1905 #illustration
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Restoring the Lost Sense (permalink)
A World War I-era postcard by Arthur Thiele.
[Inexplicable images from generations ago invite us to restore the lost sense of immediacy.  We follow the founder of the Theater of Spontaneity, Jacob Moreno, who proposed stringing together "now and then flashes" to unfetter illusion and let imagination run free.  The images we have collected for this series came at a tremendous price, which we explained previously.]
> read more from Restoring the Lost Sense . . .
#fashion #vintage fashion #giant hat #vintage postcard #women's fashion #hat #personal space #postcard
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Restoring the Lost Sense (permalink)
[Inexplicable images from generations ago invite us to restore the lost sense of immediacy.  We follow the founder of the Theater of Spontaneity, Jacob Moreno, who proposed stringing together "now and then flashes" to unfetter illusion and let imagination run free.  The images we have collected for this series came at a tremendous price, which we explained previously.]
> read more from Restoring the Lost Sense . . .
#vintage illustration #bat #emblem #illustration
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Do-Re-Midi (permalink)
From Jugend, 1897.
> read more from Do-Re-Midi . . .
#vintage illustration #anthropomorphism #piano #faces in things #illustration #killer piano
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Restoring the Lost Sense (permalink)
"They struggled for a considerable time."  From Queen Mab's Fairy Realm, 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.]
> read more from Restoring the Lost Sense . . .
#vintage illustration #illustration #wrestling
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March 17, 2017

What's In a Name (permalink)
Nicholas Royle would prefer no title for his In Memory of Jacques Derrida, or else a ghostly but irreducible proliferation of titles.
> read more from What's In a Name . . .
#author's note
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Old News (permalink)
Here's an ad that actually promotes Stendhal Syndrome, a psychosomatic disorder in which you hallucinate that you are within a work of art.  The text reads, "Are you inside or outside this picture?  Something to think about!"  From Popular Mechanics, 1930.
> read more from Old News . . .
#vintage illustration #vintage ad #vintage headline #illustration #stendhal syndrome #headline #art #ad
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Restoring the Lost Sense (permalink)
[Inexplicable images from generations ago invite us to restore the lost sense of immediacy.  We follow the founder of the Theater of Spontaneity, Jacob Moreno, who proposed stringing together "now and then flashes" to unfetter illusion and let imagination run free.  The images we have collected for this series came at a tremendous price, which we explained previously.]
> read more from Restoring the Lost Sense . . .
#vintage illustration #haunted #ghost #spooky #spiritualism #seance #planchette #spirit communication #illustration #art
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Restoring the Lost Sense (permalink)
From Jugend, 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.]
> read more from Restoring the Lost Sense . . .
#vintage illustration #dancing #tiny men #matches #men dancing #matchbox
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Restoring the Lost Sense (permalink)
From Pick Me Up, 1892.
[Inexplicable images from generations ago invite us to restore the lost sense of immediacy.  We follow the founder of the Theater of Spontaneity, Jacob Moreno, who proposed stringing together "now and then flashes" to unfetter illusion and let imagination run free.  The images we have collected for this series came at a tremendous price, which we explained previously.]
> read more from Restoring the Lost Sense . . .
#vintage illustration #fishing #pumpkin head #1890s #illustration
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Restoring the Lost Sense (permalink)
From Die Muskete, 1922.
[Inexplicable images from generations ago invite us to restore the lost sense of immediacy.  We follow the founder of the Theater of Spontaneity, Jacob Moreno, who proposed stringing together "now and then flashes" to unfetter illusion and let imagination run free.  The images we have collected for this series came at a tremendous price, which we explained previously.]
> read more from Restoring the Lost Sense . . .
#vintage illustration #deity #god #buddha #third eye #illustration
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Images Moving Through Time (permalink)
Cavendish Morton's tranformation into Falstaff.  From Popular Mechanics, 1911.
> read more from Images Moving Through Time . . .
#vintage illustration #shakespeare #falstaff #makeup #illustration
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Restoring the Lost Sense (permalink)
From The Web of the Golden Spider by Frederick Orin Bartlett, 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.]
> read more from Restoring the Lost Sense . . .
#vintage illustration #cave of wonders #treasure #statue #idol #cavern #illustration
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Restoring the Lost Sense (permalink)
From Die Muskete, 1914.
[Inexplicable images from generations ago invite us to restore the lost sense of immediacy.  We follow the founder of the Theater of Spontaneity, Jacob Moreno, who proposed stringing together "now and then flashes" to unfetter illusion and let imagination run free.  The images we have collected for this series came at a tremendous price, which we explained previously.]
> read more from Restoring the Lost Sense . . .
#vintage illustration #illustration #melancholy
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Non-Circulating Books (permalink)
Non-circulating book.  See our artist’s statement here: https://www.oneletterwords.com/weblog/?c=NonCirculatingBooks.  (Individual cards are available from Zazzle, and deep discount bulk orders of 10 or more are available from Vistaprint.)
> read more from Non-Circulating Books . . .
#vintage illustration #handstand #headstand #illustration #non-circulating #library book
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Restoring the Lost Sense (permalink)
From Johnnykin and the Goblins, written and illustrated by Charles Leland, 1877.
[Inexplicable images from generations ago invite us to restore the lost sense of immediacy.  We follow the founder of the Theater of Spontaneity, Jacob Moreno, who proposed stringing together "now and then flashes" to unfetter illusion and let imagination run free.  The images we have collected for this series came at a tremendous price, which we explained previously.]
> read more from Restoring the Lost Sense . . .
#vintage illustration #owl #illustration
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Restoring the Lost Sense (permalink)
From English Illustrated, 1890.
[Inexplicable images from generations ago invite us to restore the lost sense of immediacy.  We follow the founder of the Theater of Spontaneity, Jacob Moreno, who proposed stringing together "now and then flashes" to unfetter illusion and let imagination run free.  The images we have collected for this series came at a tremendous price, which we explained previously.]
> read more from Restoring the Lost Sense . . .
#vintage illustration #skeleton #wizard #bones #illustration
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Restoring the Lost Sense (permalink)
From Judy, Or The London Serio-Comic Journal, 1886.
[Inexplicable images from generations ago invite us to restore the lost sense of immediacy.  We follow the founder of the Theater of Spontaneity, Jacob Moreno, who proposed stringing together "now and then flashes" to unfetter illusion and let imagination run free.  The images we have collected for this series came at a tremendous price, which we explained previously.]
> read more from Restoring the Lost Sense . . .
#vintage illustration #demon #halloween #monster #october #illustration
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Restoring the Lost Sense (permalink)
From an 1862 issue of Fun magazine.
[Inexplicable images from generations ago invite us to restore the lost sense of immediacy.  We follow the founder of the Theater of Spontaneity, Jacob Moreno, who proposed stringing together "now and then flashes" to unfetter illusion and let imagination run free.  The images we have collected for this series came at a tremendous price, which we explained previously.]
> read more from Restoring the Lost Sense . . .
#vintage illustration #decapitation #detachable head #fake head #illustration
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Puzzles and Games (permalink)
Here's a Chess queen from 1876, courtesy of the Library and Archives Canada.  See If a Chessman Were a Word: A Chess-Calvino Dictionary.
> read more from Puzzles and Games . . .
#october #vintage photo #fancy dress #chess queen #halloween costume #chess board #1800s #chess #photo
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Restoring the Lost Sense (permalink)
The Loch Ness monster.  Date uncertain.
[Inexplicable images from generations ago invite us to restore the lost sense of immediacy.  We follow the founder of the Theater of Spontaneity, Jacob Moreno, who proposed stringing together "now and then flashes" to unfetter illusion and let imagination run free.  The images we have collected for this series came at a tremendous price, which we explained previously.]
> read more from Restoring the Lost Sense . . .
#sea serpent #sea monster #lake monster #vintage postcard #loch ness monster #postcard
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Restoring the Lost Sense (permalink)
"Tomme tønner ramler mest."  By Theodor Kittelsen, 1898.
[Inexplicable images from generations ago invite us to restore the lost sense of immediacy.  We follow the founder of the Theater of Spontaneity, Jacob Moreno, who proposed stringing together "now and then flashes" to unfetter illusion and let imagination run free.  The images we have collected for this series came at a tremendous price, which we explained previously.]
> read more from Restoring the Lost Sense . . .
#vintage illustration #anthropomorphism #faces in things #barrels #empty barrels #illustration
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Restoring the Lost Sense (permalink)
From Jugend, 1908.
[Inexplicable images from generations ago invite us to restore the lost sense of immediacy.  We follow the founder of the Theater of Spontaneity, Jacob Moreno, who proposed stringing together "now and then flashes" to unfetter illusion and let imagination run free.  The images we have collected for this series came at a tremendous price, which we explained previously.]
> read more from Restoring the Lost Sense . . .
#vintage illustration #death #skeleton #grim reaper #illustration #art
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March 16, 2017

Old News (permalink)
Here's a surprising bit of occultism in the world of Big Science.  We daren't ask why, but scientists pointed a tadpole's head at a plant to see if it would encourage growth.  And it did.  The so-called scientific explanation was that invisible radiations from the tadpole's head made it happen.  (We aren't making this up.)  What's hilarious is that Big Science's explanation is along the lines of what Big Magic thinks is going on.  And so this item goes in our very, very slim file of articles in Popular Mechanics that we actually believe.  From 1931.
> read more from Old News . . .
#magick #science #occult #vintage headline #tadpole #headline
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Restoring the Lost Sense (permalink)
From Pick Me Up, 1892.
[Inexplicable images from generations ago invite us to restore the lost sense of immediacy.  We follow the founder of the Theater of Spontaneity, Jacob Moreno, who proposed stringing together "now and then flashes" to unfetter illusion and let imagination run free.  The images we have collected for this series came at a tremendous price, which we explained previously.]
> read more from Restoring the Lost Sense . . .
#vintage illustration #headache #tiny woman #illustration
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Restoring the Lost Sense (permalink)
From Die Muskete, 1922.  Speaking of which, see This Book is a Cactus.
[Inexplicable images from generations ago invite us to restore the lost sense of immediacy.  We follow the founder of the Theater of Spontaneity, Jacob Moreno, who proposed stringing together "now and then flashes" to unfetter illusion and let imagination run free.  The images we have collected for this series came at a tremendous price, which we explained previously.]
> read more from Restoring the Lost Sense . . .
#vintage illustration #cactus #illustration #money bags
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Restoring the Lost Sense (permalink)
From Wild Animals I Have Known, written and illustrated by Ernest Thompson Seton, 1898.
[Inexplicable images from generations ago invite us to restore the lost sense of immediacy.  We follow the founder of the Theater of Spontaneity, Jacob Moreno, who proposed stringing together "now and then flashes" to unfetter illusion and let imagination run free.  The images we have collected for this series came at a tremendous price, which we explained previously.]
> read more from Restoring the Lost Sense . . .
#vintage illustration #bear #handshake #illustration
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Restoring the Lost Sense (permalink)
From The Boy Mechanic, 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.]
> read more from Restoring the Lost Sense . . .
#vintage illustration #illustration #homemade shower #man bathing #washing #bathtub
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Restoring the Lost Sense (permalink)
"The student and the magician sat at the cave mouth," from Queen Mab's Fairy Realm, 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.]
> read more from Restoring the Lost Sense . . .
#vintage illustration #magick #wizard #fairy tale #occult #magician #magic #illustration
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Restoring the Lost Sense (permalink)
"Then he gave himself up to utter and soul satisfying distemper," from Wayside Tales, 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.]
> read more from Restoring the Lost Sense . . .
#vintage illustration #rage #illustration #anger #bad mood #bad temper
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Old News (permalink)
From Peter David's Sir Apropos of Nothing, 2001.
> read more from Old News . . .
#vintage headline #apropos of nothing #lettering #headline
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Restoring the Lost Sense (permalink)
"I say it again!—I would give my immortal soul!"  From "The Witch of Prague" in English Illustrated, 1890.
[Inexplicable images from generations ago invite us to restore the lost sense of immediacy.  We follow the founder of the Theater of Spontaneity, Jacob Moreno, who proposed stringing together "now and then flashes" to unfetter illusion and let imagination run free.  The images we have collected for this series came at a tremendous price, which we explained previously.]
> read more from Restoring the Lost Sense . . .
#vintage illustration #witch #magick #witchcraft #black magic #immortal soul #illustration
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Restoring the Lost Sense (permalink)
From Judy, Or The London Serio-Comic Journal, 1886.
[Inexplicable images from generations ago invite us to restore the lost sense of immediacy.  We follow the founder of the Theater of Spontaneity, Jacob Moreno, who proposed stringing together "now and then flashes" to unfetter illusion and let imagination run free.  The images we have collected for this series came at a tremendous price, which we explained previously.]
> read more from Restoring the Lost Sense . . .
#vintage illustration #monster #illustration
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Restoring the Lost Sense (permalink)
Here's the gin demon with a capital I, from an 1865 issue of Fun magazine.
[Inexplicable images from generations ago invite us to restore the lost sense of immediacy.  We follow the founder of the Theater of Spontaneity, Jacob Moreno, who proposed stringing together "now and then flashes" to unfetter illusion and let imagination run free.  The images we have collected for this series came at a tremendous price, which we explained previously.]
> read more from Restoring the Lost Sense . . .
#vintage illustration #demon #imp #gin #alcohol #illustration
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Restoring the Lost Sense (permalink)
From The Universal Conjuror, or, The Whole Art of Legerdemain, 1829.
[Inexplicable images from generations ago invite us to restore the lost sense of immediacy.  We follow the founder of the Theater of Spontaneity, Jacob Moreno, who proposed stringing together "now and then flashes" to unfetter illusion and let imagination run free.  The images we have collected for this series came at a tremendous price, which we explained previously.]
> read more from Restoring the Lost Sense . . .
#vintage illustration #magician #vintage magic #stage magic #conjuror #legerdemain #illustration
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Postcard Transformations (permalink)
INSTRUCTIONS: Click to reveal the untinted version.

Reverse Curve, High Bridge, Near Cloudcroft, New Mexico
> read more from Postcard Transformations . . .
#railroad #bridge #vintage postcard #new mexico #cloudcroft #gif #postcard
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Restoring the Lost Sense (permalink)
From 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.]
> read more from Restoring the Lost Sense . . .
#rats #vintage postcard #postcard
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Restoring the Lost Sense (permalink)
[Inexplicable images from generations ago invite us to restore the lost sense of immediacy.  We follow the founder of the Theater of Spontaneity, Jacob Moreno, who proposed stringing together "now and then flashes" to unfetter illusion and let imagination run free.  The images we have collected for this series came at a tremendous price, which we explained previously.]
> read more from Restoring the Lost Sense . . .
#vintage illustration #skull face #fairy tale #boat #1920s #illustration #art
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Restoring the Lost Sense (permalink)
From Jugend, 1896.
[Inexplicable images from generations ago invite us to restore the lost sense of immediacy.  We follow the founder of the Theater of Spontaneity, Jacob Moreno, who proposed stringing together "now and then flashes" to unfetter illusion and let imagination run free.  The images we have collected for this series came at a tremendous price, which we explained previously.]
> read more from Restoring the Lost Sense . . .
#vintage illustration #bat #animal headed #hybrid #illustration
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This May Surprise You (permalink)
Doing the impossible requires a short-distance rangefinder.  From Popular Mechanics, 1925.
> read more from This May Surprise You . . .
#vintage illustration #impossible #illustration #rangefinder #art
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Restoring the Lost Sense (permalink)
From Jugend, 1910.
[Inexplicable images from generations ago invite us to restore the lost sense of immediacy.  We follow the founder of the Theater of Spontaneity, Jacob Moreno, who proposed stringing together "now and then flashes" to unfetter illusion and let imagination run free.  The images we have collected for this series came at a tremendous price, which we explained previously.]
> read more from Restoring the Lost Sense . . .
#vintage illustration #art
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March 15, 2017

Old News (permalink)
Here's a precursor to near-literates sharing their every thought on the internet.  "Dummy reproduces writing at a distance."  From Popular Mechanics, 1929.
> read more from Old News . . .
#automaton #dummy #vintage headline #mannequin #headline
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Restoring the Lost Sense (permalink)
You've heard that music makes plants grow better, and apparently it's also good for … er, um.  From Jugend, 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.]
> read more from Restoring the Lost Sense . . .
#vintage illustration #mad scientist #fetus #baby in a jar #two-headed baby #specimen jar #art
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Restoring the Lost Sense (permalink)
From Secrets of Charm by John Robert Powers & Mary Sue Miller and illustrated by Georgia Bloch, 1954.
[Inexplicable images from generations ago invite us to restore the lost sense of immediacy.  We follow the founder of the Theater of Spontaneity, Jacob Moreno, who proposed stringing together "now and then flashes" to unfetter illusion and let imagination run free.  The images we have collected for this series came at a tremendous price, which we explained previously.]
> read more from Restoring the Lost Sense . . .
#vintage illustration #cloud #walking on air #illustration #walking on a cloud #cloud walking
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Yearbook Weirdness (permalink)
From The Scarlet Letter yearbook (Rutgers, 1889).  Speaking of which, what exactly are a snowball's chances in hell?  See A Snowball's Chance in Hell and How to Hoodoo Hack a Yearbook..
> read more from Yearbook Weirdness . . .
#vintage illustration #satan #occult #demons #hell #vintage yearbook #yearbook #illustration
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Restoring the Lost Sense (permalink)
From Die Muskete, 1914.
[Inexplicable images from generations ago invite us to restore the lost sense of immediacy.  We follow the founder of the Theater of Spontaneity, Jacob Moreno, who proposed stringing together "now and then flashes" to unfetter illusion and let imagination run free.  The images we have collected for this series came at a tremendous price, which we explained previously.]
> read more from Restoring the Lost Sense . . .
#vintage illustration #death #skeleton #illustration
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Restoring the Lost Sense (permalink)
"Everything had gone wrong," from Wayside Tales, 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.]
> read more from Restoring the Lost Sense . . .
#vintage illustration #despair #illustration #gone wrong
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This May Surprise You (permalink)
We're not alone in owing success to the prophecies of ancient cat cults.  From the Boston Post, December 4, 1920.
> read more from This May Surprise You . . .
#religion #cat
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Restoring the Lost Sense (permalink)
"You shall suffer indeed."  From English Illustrated, 1890.
[Inexplicable images from generations ago invite us to restore the lost sense of immediacy.  We follow the founder of the Theater of Spontaneity, Jacob Moreno, who proposed stringing together "now and then flashes" to unfetter illusion and let imagination run free.  The images we have collected for this series came at a tremendous price, which we explained previously.]
> read more from Restoring the Lost Sense . . .
#vintage illustration #cemetery #graveyard #tombstone #suffering #illustration
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Restoring the Lost Sense (permalink)
From Judy, Or The London Serio-Comic Journal, 1886.
[Inexplicable images from generations ago invite us to restore the lost sense of immediacy.  We follow the founder of the Theater of Spontaneity, Jacob Moreno, who proposed stringing together "now and then flashes" to unfetter illusion and let imagination run free.  The images we have collected for this series came at a tremendous price, which we explained previously.]
> read more from Restoring the Lost Sense . . .
#vintage illustration #fashion #vintage fashion #harpy #human headed #bird man #lion costume #illustration
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Restoring the Lost Sense (permalink)
The pupils of the monster's eyes are little heads.  From an 1863 issue of Fun magazine.
[Inexplicable images from generations ago invite us to restore the lost sense of immediacy.  We follow the founder of the Theater of Spontaneity, Jacob Moreno, who proposed stringing together "now and then flashes" to unfetter illusion and let imagination run free.  The images we have collected for this series came at a tremendous price, which we explained previously.]
> read more from Restoring the Lost Sense . . .
#vintage illustration #sea monster #andromeda #illustration
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Yearbook Weirdness (permalink)
From Hunter College's Wistarion yearbook, 1930.  See How to Hoodoo Hack a Yearbook.
> read more from Yearbook Weirdness . . .
#vintage illustration #elephant #chinese art #vintage yearbook #yearbook #illustration
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Yesterday's Weather (permalink)
In 1957, TV viewers were able to "see the weather record itself."  Indeed, "The weather expresses itself" (Howard Lull, Unless the Lord Builds the House, 2009).
> read more from Yesterday's Weather . . .
#vintage illustration #vintage photo #weather station #illustration
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Restoring the Lost Sense (permalink)
[Inexplicable images from generations ago invite us to restore the lost sense of immediacy.  We follow the founder of the Theater of Spontaneity, Jacob Moreno, who proposed stringing together "now and then flashes" to unfetter illusion and let imagination run free.  The images we have collected for this series came at a tremendous price, which we explained previously.]
> read more from Restoring the Lost Sense . . .
#vintage illustration #angel #gryphon #illustration
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Restoring the Lost Sense (permalink)
From Jugend, 1898.
[Inexplicable images from generations ago invite us to restore the lost sense of immediacy.  We follow the founder of the Theater of Spontaneity, Jacob Moreno, who proposed stringing together "now and then flashes" to unfetter illusion and let imagination run free.  The images we have collected for this series came at a tremendous price, which we explained previously.]
> read more from Restoring the Lost Sense . . .
#vintage illustration #mythology #woodland gods
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Restoring the Lost Sense (permalink)
From Pick Me Up, 1892.
[Inexplicable images from generations ago invite us to restore the lost sense of immediacy.  We follow the founder of the Theater of Spontaneity, Jacob Moreno, who proposed stringing together "now and then flashes" to unfetter illusion and let imagination run free.  The images we have collected for this series came at a tremendous price, which we explained previously.]
> read more from Restoring the Lost Sense . . .
#vintage illustration #target practice #little man #illustration #bullseye #arrow through the heart
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Old News (permalink)
"Prayers for revenge said by nails driven in wooden statue."  From Popular Mechanics, 1924.
> read more from Old News . . .
#vintage illustration #occult #voodoo #black magic #revenge #vintage headline #illustration #headline #art
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Restoring the Lost Sense (permalink)
From Die Muskete, 1922.
[Inexplicable images from generations ago invite us to restore the lost sense of immediacy.  We follow the founder of the Theater of Spontaneity, Jacob Moreno, who proposed stringing together "now and then flashes" to unfetter illusion and let imagination run free.  The images we have collected for this series came at a tremendous price, which we explained previously.]
> read more from Restoring the Lost Sense . . .
#vintage illustration #demon #grotesque #tiny person #tongue #illustration
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March 14, 2017

Old News (permalink)
"Voice from the sky carried by horns on plane."  From Popular Mechanics, 1930.  (However, the illustration is our own.)
> read more from Old News . . .
#weird headline #vintage headline #voice from the sky #voice of god #headline
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Restoring the Lost Sense (permalink)
From Jugend, 1910.
[Inexplicable images from generations ago invite us to restore the lost sense of immediacy.  We follow the founder of the Theater of Spontaneity, Jacob Moreno, who proposed stringing together "now and then flashes" to unfetter illusion and let imagination run free.  The images we have collected for this series came at a tremendous price, which we explained previously.]
> read more from Restoring the Lost Sense . . .
#vintage illustration #serpent #snake #illustration #art
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Restoring the Lost Sense (permalink)
From Pick Me Up, 1892.
[Inexplicable images from generations ago invite us to restore the lost sense of immediacy.  We follow the founder of the Theater of Spontaneity, Jacob Moreno, who proposed stringing together "now and then flashes" to unfetter illusion and let imagination run free.  The images we have collected for this series came at a tremendous price, which we explained previously.]
> read more from Restoring the Lost Sense . . .
#vintage illustration #witch #owl #black cat #illustration
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Restoring the Lost Sense (permalink)
From Die Muskete, 1922.
[Inexplicable images from generations ago invite us to restore the lost sense of immediacy.  We follow the founder of the Theater of Spontaneity, Jacob Moreno, who proposed stringing together "now and then flashes" to unfetter illusion and let imagination run free.  The images we have collected for this series came at a tremendous price, which we explained previously.]
> read more from Restoring the Lost Sense . . .
#vintage illustration #ghostly #strange light #occult #illustration
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Restoring the Lost Sense (permalink)
"What may develop if the hobble skirt continues in populatity."  From Popular Mechanics, 1911.
[Inexplicable images from generations ago invite us to restore the lost sense of immediacy.  We follow the founder of the Theater of Spontaneity, Jacob Moreno, who proposed stringing together "now and then flashes" to unfetter illusion and let imagination run free.  The images we have collected for this series came at a tremendous price, which we explained previously.]
> read more from Restoring the Lost Sense . . .
#vintage illustration #fashion #vintage fashion #illustration #hobble skirt
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Restoring the Lost Sense (permalink)
"'Hullo, old lady!' he said in a little flute-like voice, 'you don't seem very comfortable."  From Fairy Prince Follow-My-Lead by Emily E. Reader, 1885.
[Inexplicable images from generations ago invite us to restore the lost sense of immediacy.  We follow the founder of the Theater of Spontaneity, Jacob Moreno, who proposed stringing together "now and then flashes" to unfetter illusion and let imagination run free.  The images we have collected for this series came at a tremendous price, which we explained previously.]
> read more from Restoring the Lost Sense . . .
#vintage illustration #fairy #fairy tale #crutches #illustration #fallen down
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Restoring the Lost Sense (permalink)
[Inexplicable images from generations ago invite us to restore the lost sense of immediacy.  We follow the founder of the Theater of Spontaneity, Jacob Moreno, who proposed stringing together "now and then flashes" to unfetter illusion and let imagination run free.  The images we have collected for this series came at a tremendous price, which we explained previously.]
> read more from Restoring the Lost Sense . . .
#vintage illustration #executioner #hooded figure #illustration
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Restoring the Lost Sense (permalink)
"He attacked the creature with all his might," from Queen Mab's Fairy Realm, 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.]
> read more from Restoring the Lost Sense . . .
#vintage illustration #fairy tale #knight #giant spider #illustration
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Restoring the Lost Sense (permalink)
From Die Muskete, 1914.
[Inexplicable images from generations ago invite us to restore the lost sense of immediacy.  We follow the founder of the Theater of Spontaneity, Jacob Moreno, who proposed stringing together "now and then flashes" to unfetter illusion and let imagination run free.  The images we have collected for this series came at a tremendous price, which we explained previously.]
> read more from Restoring the Lost Sense . . .
#vintage illustration #spirits #fire #ghosts #illustration
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Restoring the Lost Sense (permalink)
"I drained a glass of cooking-sherry to the dregs," from Ghosts I Have Met and Some Others by John Kendrick Bangs, 1898.
[Inexplicable images from generations ago invite us to restore the lost sense of immediacy.  We follow the founder of the Theater of Spontaneity, Jacob Moreno, who proposed stringing together "now and then flashes" to unfetter illusion and let imagination run free.  The images we have collected for this series came at a tremendous price, which we explained previously.]
> read more from Restoring the Lost Sense . . .
#vintage illustration #alcohol #illustration #cooking sherry
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This May Surprise You (permalink)

"It may surprise you to hear that humans, by comparison with other species, are conspicuously cooperative and helpful to each other." —Origins of Language: A Slim Guide

 

> read more from This May Surprise You . . .
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Restoring the Lost Sense (permalink)
"At the witch's door."  From English Illustrated, 1890.
[Inexplicable images from generations ago invite us to restore the lost sense of immediacy.  We follow the founder of the Theater of Spontaneity, Jacob Moreno, who proposed stringing together "now and then flashes" to unfetter illusion and let imagination run free.  The images we have collected for this series came at a tremendous price, which we explained previously.]
> read more from Restoring the Lost Sense . . .
#vintage illustration #witch's house #witch's door #illustration
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Rhetorical Questions, Answered! (permalink)
Q: "Who is responsible?" —Judy, Or The London Serio-Comic Journal, 1886.
A: "In all likelihood, the responsibility lies with both of you – even though your role and your faults have only been those of passive neglect." —Ernest Dichter and Motivation Research
> read more from Rhetorical Questions, Answered! . . .
#vintage illustration #illustration #responsibility #1880s
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Restoring the Lost Sense (permalink)
From an 1865 issue of Fun magazine.
[Inexplicable images from generations ago invite us to restore the lost sense of immediacy.  We follow the founder of the Theater of Spontaneity, Jacob Moreno, who proposed stringing together "now and then flashes" to unfetter illusion and let imagination run free.  The images we have collected for this series came at a tremendous price, which we explained previously.]
> read more from Restoring the Lost Sense . . .
#vintage illustration #demon #imp #devil #magick #conjuration #black magic #evocation #illustration
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Restoring the Lost Sense (permalink)
Courtesy of the San Diego Air & Space Museum Archives.
[Inexplicable images from generations ago invite us to restore the lost sense of immediacy.  We follow the founder of the Theater of Spontaneity, Jacob Moreno, who proposed stringing together "now and then flashes" to unfetter illusion and let imagination run free.  The images we have collected for this series came at a tremendous price, which we explained previously.]
> read more from Restoring the Lost Sense . . .
#vintage illustration #space travel #astronaut #space program #nasa #re-entry #illustration
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Restoring the Lost Sense (permalink)
It's not just any hair product that makes one feel carried away by geese.  Circa 1890.
[Inexplicable images from generations ago invite us to restore the lost sense of immediacy.  We follow the founder of the Theater of Spontaneity, Jacob Moreno, who proposed stringing together "now and then flashes" to unfetter illusion and let imagination run free.  The images we have collected for this series came at a tremendous price, which we explained previously.]
> read more from Restoring the Lost Sense . . .
#vintage illustration #vintage ad #geese #carried away #illustration #ad
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Restoring the Lost Sense (permalink)
From Jugend, 1897.
[Inexplicable images from generations ago invite us to restore the lost sense of immediacy.  We follow the founder of the Theater of Spontaneity, Jacob Moreno, who proposed stringing together "now and then flashes" to unfetter illusion and let imagination run free.  The images we have collected for this series came at a tremendous price, which we explained previously.]
> read more from Restoring the Lost Sense . . .
#vintage illustration #ruins #illustration #ruined tower
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March 13, 2017

Restoring the Lost Sense (permalink)
Here's a photographer from an ad in Dansk Ornithologisk Forenings Tidsskrift, 1907.
[Inexplicable images from generations ago invite us to restore the lost sense of immediacy.  We follow the founder of the Theater of Spontaneity, Jacob Moreno, who proposed stringing together "now and then flashes" to unfetter illusion and let imagination run free.  The images we have collected for this series came at a tremendous price, which we explained previously.]
> read more from Restoring the Lost Sense . . .
#vintage illustration #vintage ad #photography #top hat #camera #cape #photographer #illustration #ad
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Nonsense Dept. (permalink)

"Alec Osborne is a dear friend who can speak nonsense like a drunken parrot."
—Catriona McPherson, A Deadly Measure of Brimstone (via Jonathan Caws-Elwitt)

> read more from Nonsense Dept. . . .
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Precursors (permalink)
Here's a precursor to the face-stretching scene in Terry Gilliam's Brazil.  From Pick Me Up, 1891.
> read more from Precursors . . .
#vintage illustration #illustration #face stretching #facelift
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Restoring the Lost Sense (permalink)
From Die Muskete, 1922.
[Inexplicable images from generations ago invite us to restore the lost sense of immediacy.  We follow the founder of the Theater of Spontaneity, Jacob Moreno, who proposed stringing together "now and then flashes" to unfetter illusion and let imagination run free.  The images we have collected for this series came at a tremendous price, which we explained previously.]
> read more from Restoring the Lost Sense . . .
#vintage illustration #tiny person #under glass #homunculus #illustration
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Restoring the Lost Sense (permalink)
Every Night Book, or, Life After Dark by William Clarke, 1827.
[Inexplicable images from generations ago invite us to restore the lost sense of immediacy.  We follow the founder of the Theater of Spontaneity, Jacob Moreno, who proposed stringing together "now and then flashes" to unfetter illusion and let imagination run free.  The images we have collected for this series came at a tremendous price, which we explained previously.]
> read more from Restoring the Lost Sense . . .
#vintage illustration #creature of the night #night person #old book #illustration #nightlife
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Restoring the Lost Sense (permalink)
"The princess who understood magic," from Queen Mab's Fairy Realm, 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.]
> read more from Restoring the Lost Sense . . .
#vintage illustration #magick #fairy tale #occult #magic #princess #illustration
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Restoring the Lost Sense (permalink)
"The shriek of the sacrifice rang forth," from Wayside Tales, 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.]
> read more from Restoring the Lost Sense . . .
#vintage illustration #pagan #idol #sacrifice #illustration
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It Bears Repeating (permalink)
"It has been observed many times but bears repeating; boron is a unique element." —Boron Science: New Technologies and Applications
> read more from It Bears Repeating . . .
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Restoring the Lost Sense (permalink)
"Unora's arms went out to grasp the shadow."  From "The Witch of Prague" in English Illustrated, 1890.
[Inexplicable images from generations ago invite us to restore the lost sense of immediacy.  We follow the founder of the Theater of Spontaneity, Jacob Moreno, who proposed stringing together "now and then flashes" to unfetter illusion and let imagination run free.  The images we have collected for this series came at a tremendous price, which we explained previously.]
> read more from Restoring the Lost Sense . . .
#vintage illustration #ghost #witch #shadow #illustration
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Restoring the Lost Sense (permalink)
From Judy, Or The London Serio-Comic Journal, 1886.
[Inexplicable images from generations ago invite us to restore the lost sense of immediacy.  We follow the founder of the Theater of Spontaneity, Jacob Moreno, who proposed stringing together "now and then flashes" to unfetter illusion and let imagination run free.  The images we have collected for this series came at a tremendous price, which we explained previously.]
> read more from Restoring the Lost Sense . . .
#vintage illustration #caterpillar #steam train #illustration
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Restoring the Lost Sense (permalink)
[Inexplicable images from generations ago invite us to restore the lost sense of immediacy.  We follow the founder of the Theater of Spontaneity, Jacob Moreno, who proposed stringing together "now and then flashes" to unfetter illusion and let imagination run free.  The images we have collected for this series came at a tremendous price, which we explained previously.]
> read more from Restoring the Lost Sense . . .
#vintage illustration #emblem #uroboros #ouroboros #rising sun #anvil #illustration #snake eating itself
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Restoring the Lost Sense (permalink)
From the April 1942 issue of the Old Line magazine, as scanned by the University of Maryland Libraries.
[Inexplicable images from generations ago invite us to restore the lost sense of immediacy.  We follow the founder of the Theater of Spontaneity, Jacob Moreno, who proposed stringing together "now and then flashes" to unfetter illusion and let imagination run free.  The images we have collected for this series came at a tremendous price, which we explained previously.]
> read more from Restoring the Lost Sense . . .
#vintage illustration #cat #octopus #turtle #university of maryland #pelican #mascot #illustration
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Restoring the Lost Sense (permalink)
[Inexplicable images from generations ago invite us to restore the lost sense of immediacy.  We follow the founder of the Theater of Spontaneity, Jacob Moreno, who proposed stringing together "now and then flashes" to unfetter illusion and let imagination run free.  The images we have collected for this series came at a tremendous price, which we explained previously.]
> read more from Restoring the Lost Sense . . .
#vintage illustration #spider #faces in things #eight legs #illustration
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Restoring the Lost Sense (permalink)
From Jugend, 1898.
[Inexplicable images from generations ago invite us to restore the lost sense of immediacy.  We follow the founder of the Theater of Spontaneity, Jacob Moreno, who proposed stringing together "now and then flashes" to unfetter illusion and let imagination run free.  The images we have collected for this series came at a tremendous price, which we explained previously.]
> read more from Restoring the Lost Sense . . .
#vintage illustration #cats #illustration
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Restoring the Lost Sense (permalink)
"Mexican dressed fleas under the microscope."  From Popular Mechanics, 1911.
[Inexplicable images from generations ago invite us to restore the lost sense of immediacy.  We follow the founder of the Theater of Spontaneity, Jacob Moreno, who proposed stringing together "now and then flashes" to unfetter illusion and let imagination run free.  The images we have collected for this series came at a tremendous price, which we explained previously.]
> read more from Restoring the Lost Sense . . .
#vintage illustration #magnifying glass #flea #microscopic art #dressed fleas #tiny art
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Restoring the Lost Sense (permalink)
From Idle Idyls by Carolyn Wells, 1900.
[Inexplicable images from generations ago invite us to restore the lost sense of immediacy.  We follow the founder of the Theater of Spontaneity, Jacob Moreno, who proposed stringing together "now and then flashes" to unfetter illusion and let imagination run free.  The images we have collected for this series came at a tremendous price, which we explained previously.]
> read more from Restoring the Lost Sense . . .
#vintage illustration #angel #illustration
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Restoring the Lost Sense (permalink)
Musical notes wear masks while others go courting atop a giant shoe.  From Jugend, 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.]
> read more from Restoring the Lost Sense . . .
#vintage illustration #musical notes #giant shoe #illustration #art
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Old News (permalink)
We can affirm that a headache weighs almost nothing compared to the smug bullshit in every issue of vintage Popular Mechanics.  (We haven't dared to look in more recent issues.)  "Science to weigh headaches."  From 1928.
> read more from Old News . . .
#headache #weird headline #big science #headline
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March 12, 2017

Old News (permalink)
Here's a subtitle identifying the book as a plain sandwich.  Dragon of the Enchanted Valley: A Plain Sandwich of Facts in Odd Fancies, 1865.
> read more from Old News . . .
#dragon #vintage headline
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Precursors (permalink)
Today we mustn't text while driving.  Back then, it was plucking while flying.  From Jugend, 1910.
> read more from Precursors . . .
#vintage illustration #pegasus #harp #winged horse #illustration #no plucking #art
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The Right Word (permalink)
Here's some profanity from Pick Me Up, 1892.
> read more from The Right Word . . .
#maledicta #expletive #profanity
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Restoring the Lost Sense (permalink)
From Die Muskete, 1922.
[Inexplicable images from generations ago invite us to restore the lost sense of immediacy.  We follow the founder of the Theater of Spontaneity, Jacob Moreno, who proposed stringing together "now and then flashes" to unfetter illusion and let imagination run free.  The images we have collected for this series came at a tremendous price, which we explained previously.]
> read more from Restoring the Lost Sense . . .
#vintage illustration #heaven #illustration #elevator to heaven
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Restoring the Lost Sense (permalink)
From Popular Mechanics, 1911.
[Inexplicable images from generations ago invite us to restore the lost sense of immediacy.  We follow the founder of the Theater of Spontaneity, Jacob Moreno, who proposed stringing together "now and then flashes" to unfetter illusion and let imagination run free.  The images we have collected for this series came at a tremendous price, which we explained previously.]
> read more from Restoring the Lost Sense . . .
#vintage illustration #illustration #giant costume #costume design
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Yesterday's Weather (permalink)
From The Magic Mirror, 1880.
*Inspired by the world's only accurate meteorological report, "Yesterday's Weather," as seen on Check It Out.
> read more from Yesterday's Weather . . .
#vintage illustration #snow #winter #monkey #illustration
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Restoring the Lost Sense (permalink)
"He watched and peeped and spied," from Queen Mab's Fairy Realm, 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.]
> read more from Restoring the Lost Sense . . .
#vintage illustration #fairy tale #illustration
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Restoring the Lost Sense (permalink)
"You're all right—don't be frightened!"  From Wayside Tales, 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.]
> read more from Restoring the Lost Sense . . .
#vintage illustration #light in the darkness #darkness #frightened #night #illustration #headlight
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Restoring the Lost Sense (permalink)
"I suddenly went up in one grand explosion of psychic shrapnel."  From Munsey's, 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.]
> read more from Restoring the Lost Sense . . .
#vintage illustration #illustration
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Restoring the Lost Sense (permalink)
From English Illustrated, 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.]
> read more from Restoring the Lost Sense . . .
#vintage illustration #music #insects #nature sounds #illustration
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Restoring the Lost Sense (permalink)
From Judy, Or The London Serio-Comic Journal, 1869.  (Hat tip to Jonathan Caws-Elwitt, who noticed the Groucho precursor in this illustration.)
[Inexplicable images from generations ago invite us to restore the lost sense of immediacy.  We follow the founder of the Theater of Spontaneity, Jacob Moreno, who proposed stringing together "now and then flashes" to unfetter illusion and let imagination run free.  The images we have collected for this series came at a tremendous price, which we explained previously.]
> read more from Restoring the Lost Sense . . .
#vintage illustration #giants #illustration
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Restoring the Lost Sense (permalink)
From an 1865 issue of Fun magazine.
[Inexplicable images from generations ago invite us to restore the lost sense of immediacy.  We follow the founder of the Theater of Spontaneity, Jacob Moreno, who proposed stringing together "now and then flashes" to unfetter illusion and let imagination run free.  The images we have collected for this series came at a tremendous price, which we explained previously.]
> read more from Restoring the Lost Sense . . .
#vintage illustration #demon #magick #conjuration #dragon #evocation #illustration
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Yearbook Weirdness (permalink)
"Out of order."  From Hunter College's Wistarion yearbook, 1965.  See How to Hoodoo Hack a Yearbook.
> read more from Yearbook Weirdness . . .
#vintage yearbook #yearbook #telephone #spirit communication #1960s #out of order
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Restoring the Lost Sense (permalink)
By William T. Horton, 1907.  The caption reads, "They make their tongues as sharp as a serpent's; the poison of vipers is on their lips. —The Psalm"
[Inexplicable images from generations ago invite us to restore the lost sense of immediacy.  We follow the founder of the Theater of Spontaneity, Jacob Moreno, who proposed stringing together "now and then flashes" to unfetter illusion and let imagination run free.  The images we have collected for this series came at a tremendous price, which we explained previously.]
> read more from Restoring the Lost Sense . . .
#vintage illustration #demon #devil #poison #Psalm 140:3 #serpent tongue #illustration
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Restoring the Lost Sense (permalink)
From the Choice Flower Seeds catalog, 1899.
[Inexplicable images from generations ago invite us to restore the lost sense of immediacy.  We follow the founder of the Theater of Spontaneity, Jacob Moreno, who proposed stringing together "now and then flashes" to unfetter illusion and let imagination run free.  The images we have collected for this series came at a tremendous price, which we explained previously.]
> read more from Restoring the Lost Sense . . .
#vintage illustration #fairies #elves #gnomes #illustration
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Restoring the Lost Sense (permalink)
From The Olive Fairy Book by Andrew Lang, 1907.
[Inexplicable images from generations ago invite us to restore the lost sense of immediacy.  We follow the founder of the Theater of Spontaneity, Jacob Moreno, who proposed stringing together "now and then flashes" to unfetter illusion and let imagination run free.  The images we have collected for this series came at a tremendous price, which we explained previously.]
> read more from Restoring the Lost Sense . . .
#vintage illustration #fairy tale #camel #giant bird #illustration
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Restoring the Lost Sense (permalink)
From Jugend, 1897.
[Inexplicable images from generations ago invite us to restore the lost sense of immediacy.  We follow the founder of the Theater of Spontaneity, Jacob Moreno, who proposed stringing together "now and then flashes" to unfetter illusion and let imagination run free.  The images we have collected for this series came at a tremendous price, which we explained previously.]
> read more from Restoring the Lost Sense . . .
#vintage illustration #men #fish racing
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March 11, 2017

This May Surprise You (permalink)
We checked under a microscope, and this volume really could be described as the result of a "fortuitous concurrence of atoms."  From Recess Studies, 1870.
> read more from This May Surprise You . . .
#preface
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Puzzles and Games (permalink)
From Jugend, 1909.
> read more from Puzzles and Games . . .
#vintage illustration #death #skeleton #grim reaper #chess #illustration #playing chess with death #art
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Restoring the Lost Sense (permalink)
From Die Muskete, 1922.
[Inexplicable images from generations ago invite us to restore the lost sense of immediacy.  We follow the founder of the Theater of Spontaneity, Jacob Moreno, who proposed stringing together "now and then flashes" to unfetter illusion and let imagination run free.  The images we have collected for this series came at a tremendous price, which we explained previously.]
> read more from Restoring the Lost Sense . . .
#vintage illustration #silhouette #illustration
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Restoring the Lost Sense (permalink)
"The Panama Pyramid."  From Popular Mechanics, 1911.
[Inexplicable images from generations ago invite us to restore the lost sense of immediacy.  We follow the founder of the Theater of Spontaneity, Jacob Moreno, who proposed stringing together "now and then flashes" to unfetter illusion and let imagination run free.  The images we have collected for this series came at a tremendous price, which we explained previously.]
> read more from Restoring the Lost Sense . . .
#vintage illustration #pyramids #panama canal #illustration
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Restoring the Lost Sense (permalink)
From The Magic City by Netta Syrett and illustrated by Mary Corbett, 1903.
[Inexplicable images from generations ago invite us to restore the lost sense of immediacy.  We follow the founder of the Theater of Spontaneity, Jacob Moreno, who proposed stringing together "now and then flashes" to unfetter illusion and let imagination run free.  The images we have collected for this series came at a tremendous price, which we explained previously.]
> read more from Restoring the Lost Sense . . .
#vintage illustration #fairy tale #rabbits #bunnies #illustration
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Restoring the Lost Sense (permalink)
From Un Autre Monde by Grandville.
[Inexplicable images from generations ago invite us to restore the lost sense of immediacy.  We follow the founder of the Theater of Spontaneity, Jacob Moreno, who proposed stringing together "now and then flashes" to unfetter illusion and let imagination run free.  The images we have collected for this series came at a tremendous price, which we explained previously.]
> read more from Restoring the Lost Sense . . .
#vintage illustration #fashion #vintage fashion #wheel of fortune #illustration #hats
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Restoring the Lost Sense (permalink)
"The death-candle, the apparition, the ghost, formed so many articles of her creed, and she was not altogether without faith in the doctrine, that, by certain ceremonies and incantations, man may project his power into the sphere of the invisible world, and affect the movements and the thoughts of spirits."  From Sir Cosmo Digby by James Augustus St. John, 1843.
> read more from Restoring the Lost Sense . . .
#otherworld #spirits #ghosts #apparition #spiritualism #invisible world #death candle
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Restoring the Lost Sense (permalink)
From Die Muskete, 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.]
> read more from Restoring the Lost Sense . . .
#vintage illustration #scarecrow #illustration
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Restoring the Lost Sense (permalink)
From English Illustrated, 1890.  This should also be of interest: How to Be Your Own Cat.
[Inexplicable images from generations ago invite us to restore the lost sense of immediacy.  We follow the founder of the Theater of Spontaneity, Jacob Moreno, who proposed stringing together "now and then flashes" to unfetter illusion and let imagination run free.  The images we have collected for this series came at a tremendous price, which we explained previously.]
> read more from Restoring the Lost Sense . . .
#vintage illustration #cat #birds #cat bird seat #in clover #illustration
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The Right Word (permalink)
An entire chapter of type symbols, from Judy, Or The London Serio-Comic Journal, 1869.
> read more from The Right Word . . .
#vintage illustration #visual poetry #symbols #illustration
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Restoring the Lost Sense (permalink)
From an 1863 issue of Fun magazine.
[Inexplicable images from generations ago invite us to restore the lost sense of immediacy.  We follow the founder of the Theater of Spontaneity, Jacob Moreno, who proposed stringing together "now and then flashes" to unfetter illusion and let imagination run free.  The images we have collected for this series came at a tremendous price, which we explained previously.]
> read more from Restoring the Lost Sense . . .
#vintage illustration #demon #imp #monster #illustration
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Restoring the Lost Sense (permalink)
"The great French wizard," from The Book of Magic, or, The Young Conjuror’s Guide.  Also very much of interest: The Young Wizard's Hexopedia.
[Inexplicable images from generations ago invite us to restore the lost sense of immediacy.  We follow the founder of the Theater of Spontaneity, Jacob Moreno, who proposed stringing together "now and then flashes" to unfetter illusion and let imagination run free.  The images we have collected for this series came at a tremendous price, which we explained previously.]
> read more from Restoring the Lost Sense . . .
#vintage illustration #magician #vintage magic #magic #stage magic #french wizard #illustration
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Postcard Transformations (permalink)
INSTRUCTIONS: Click to initiate a shift.

Chateau Frontenac and Champlain Monument, Quebec, Canada
> read more from Postcard Transformations . . .
#canada #vintage postcard #quebec #frontenac #gif #postcard
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Restoring the Lost Sense (permalink)
From the Arthur and Fritz Kahn Collection, courtesy of the Leo Baeck Institute Archives.
[Inexplicable images from generations ago invite us to restore the lost sense of immediacy.  We follow the founder of the Theater of Spontaneity, Jacob Moreno, who proposed stringing together "now and then flashes" to unfetter illusion and let imagination run free.  The images we have collected for this series came at a tremendous price, which we explained previously.]
> read more from Restoring the Lost Sense . . .
#vintage illustration #mask #happy and sad #comedy and tragedy #frown mask #mood swings #illustration
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Restoring the Lost Sense (permalink)
From Shakespeare's Comedy of A Midsummer-Night's Dream, illustrated by William Heath Robinson, 1914.

[Inexplicable images from generations ago invite us to restore the lost sense of immediacy.  We follow the founder of the Theater of Spontaneity, Jacob Moreno, who proposed stringing together "now and then flashes" to unfetter illusion and let imagination run free.  The images we have collected for this series came at a tremendous price, which we explained previously.]
> read more from Restoring the Lost Sense . . .
#vintage illustration #fairy #shakespeare #midsummer's night dream #fairy cake #illustration
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Restoring the Lost Sense (permalink)
From Jugend, 1898.
[Inexplicable images from generations ago invite us to restore the lost sense of immediacy.  We follow the founder of the Theater of Spontaneity, Jacob Moreno, who proposed stringing together "now and then flashes" to unfetter illusion and let imagination run free.  The images we have collected for this series came at a tremendous price, which we explained previously.]
> read more from Restoring the Lost Sense . . .
#vintage illustration #mythology #satyr #faun #illustration
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Restoring the Lost Sense (permalink)
"The dragon."  From Pick Me Up, 1892.
[Inexplicable images from generations ago invite us to restore the lost sense of immediacy.  We follow the founder of the Theater of Spontaneity, Jacob Moreno, who proposed stringing together "now and then flashes" to unfetter illusion and let imagination run free.  The images we have collected for this series came at a tremendous price, which we explained previously.]
> read more from Restoring the Lost Sense . . .
#vintage illustration #dragon #dragon costume #illustration
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March 10, 2017

Old News (permalink)
Here's a fan tuning into a song by The Kinks, 24 years before the band formed.  From Popular Mechanics, 1930.
> read more from Old News . . .
#vintage headline
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Nonsense Dept. (permalink)
"The body is said to have only five senses, but the greatest sense of all is omitted.  Nonsense!"  From The Harvard Lampoon, 1921.
> read more from Nonsense Dept. . . .
#harvard lampoon #nonsense
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Restoring the Lost Sense (permalink)
From Jugend, 1910.
[Inexplicable images from generations ago invite us to restore the lost sense of immediacy.  We follow the founder of the Theater of Spontaneity, Jacob Moreno, who proposed stringing together "now and then flashes" to unfetter illusion and let imagination run free.  The images we have collected for this series came at a tremendous price, which we explained previously.]
> read more from Restoring the Lost Sense . . .
#vintage illustration #death #mortality #execution #illustration #black swans #art
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Restoring the Lost Sense (permalink)
"Begin with the blood."  From an ad in Pick Me Up, 1892.
[Inexplicable images from generations ago invite us to restore the lost sense of immediacy.  We follow the founder of the Theater of Spontaneity, Jacob Moreno, who proposed stringing together "now and then flashes" to unfetter illusion and let imagination run free.  The images we have collected for this series came at a tremendous price, which we explained previously.]
> read more from Restoring the Lost Sense . . .
#vintage illustration #vintage ad #hand #illustration #blood #ad
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Restoring the Lost Sense (permalink)
"There is the monster's head."  From Fairy Tale Plays and How to Act Them by Mrs. Hugh Bell, 1896.
[Inexplicable images from generations ago invite us to restore the lost sense of immediacy.  We follow the founder of the Theater of Spontaneity, Jacob Moreno, who proposed stringing together "now and then flashes" to unfetter illusion and let imagination run free.  The images we have collected for this series came at a tremendous price, which we explained previously.]
> read more from Restoring the Lost Sense . . .
#vintage illustration #giant #fairy tale #decapitated #illustration
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Restoring the Lost Sense (permalink)
Here's Caliban from The Sketch, 1905.
[Inexplicable images from generations ago invite us to restore the lost sense of immediacy.  We follow the founder of the Theater of Spontaneity, Jacob Moreno, who proposed stringing together "now and then flashes" to unfetter illusion and let imagination run free.  The images we have collected for this series came at a tremendous price, which we explained previously.]
> read more from Restoring the Lost Sense . . .
#vintage illustration #monster #shakespeare #the tempest #illustration #caliban
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Restoring the Lost Sense (permalink)
Mesmerizing and demesmerizing, from The Illustrated Practical Mesmerist by William Davey, 1854.
[Inexplicable images from generations ago invite us to restore the lost sense of immediacy.  We follow the founder of the Theater of Spontaneity, Jacob Moreno, who proposed stringing together "now and then flashes" to unfetter illusion and let imagination run free.  The images we have collected for this series came at a tremendous price, which we explained previously.]
> read more from Restoring the Lost Sense . . .
#vintage illustration #mesmerism #hypnotism #illustration #men holding hands
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Restoring the Lost Sense (permalink)
"The ravages of …"  From Pearson's, 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.]
> read more from Restoring the Lost Sense . . .
#vintage illustration #death #skulls #ellipses #illustration
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Restoring the Lost Sense (permalink)
Eyes and I's, from Judy, Or The London Serio-Comic Journal, 1869.
[Inexplicable images from generations ago invite us to restore the lost sense of immediacy.  We follow the founder of the Theater of Spontaneity, Jacob Moreno, who proposed stringing together "now and then flashes" to unfetter illusion and let imagination run free.  The images we have collected for this series came at a tremendous price, which we explained previously.]
> read more from Restoring the Lost Sense . . .
#vintage illustration #ornate capital #capital I #eyes #illustration
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Restoring the Lost Sense (permalink)
From an 1865 issue of Fun magazine.  This should also be of interest: How to Believe in Your Elf.
[Inexplicable images from generations ago invite us to restore the lost sense of immediacy.  We follow the founder of the Theater of Spontaneity, Jacob Moreno, who proposed stringing together "now and then flashes" to unfetter illusion and let imagination run free.  The images we have collected for this series came at a tremendous price, which we explained previously.]
> read more from Restoring the Lost Sense . . .
#vintage illustration #demon #imp #illustration
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Restoring the Lost Sense (permalink)
"Never burn your candle at both ends" (Erica Kane, Having It All, 1997).  Our illustration is from El Mundo Físico by A. Guillemin, 1882.
[Inexplicable images from generations ago invite us to restore the lost sense of immediacy.  We follow the founder of the Theater of Spontaneity, Jacob Moreno, who proposed stringing together "now and then flashes" to unfetter illusion and let imagination run free.  The images we have collected for this series came at a tremendous price, which we explained previously.]
> read more from Restoring the Lost Sense . . .
#vintage illustration #reflection #candle #illustration
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This Terrible Problem That Is the Sea (permalink)
An illustration by Edouard Riou from In Search of the Castaways by Jules Verne, 1873.
   ,(   ,(   ,(   ,(   ,(   ,(   ,(   ,(
`-' `-' `-' `-' `-' `-' `-' `-' `
"The sea is a cruel mistress. Yet again the sea has behaved unconscionably. It's time to address this terrible problem that is the sea." —Captain Neddie, from the hilarious BBC series Broken News
> read more from This Terrible Problem That Is the Sea . . .
#vintage illustration #illustration #tsunami #tidal wave
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Restoring the Lost Sense (permalink)
From Beschryving van Ysland, Groenland en de Straat Davis, 1756.
[Inexplicable images from generations ago invite us to restore the lost sense of immediacy.  We follow the founder of the Theater of Spontaneity, Jacob Moreno, who proposed stringing together "now and then flashes" to unfetter illusion and let imagination run free.  The images we have collected for this series came at a tremendous price, which we explained previously.]
> read more from Restoring the Lost Sense . . .
#vintage illustration #whale #1700s #illustration
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Restoring the Lost Sense (permalink)
From Wally Wanderoon and His Story-Telling Machine by Joel Chandler Harris, 1903.
[Inexplicable images from generations ago invite us to restore the lost sense of immediacy.  We follow the founder of the Theater of Spontaneity, Jacob Moreno, who proposed stringing together "now and then flashes" to unfetter illusion and let imagination run free.  The images we have collected for this series came at a tremendous price, which we explained previously.]
> read more from Restoring the Lost Sense . . .
#vintage illustration #moon #man in the moon #faces in things #joel chandler harris #illustration
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Restoring the Lost Sense (permalink)
From Die Muskete, 1919.
[Inexplicable images from generations ago invite us to restore the lost sense of immediacy.  We follow the founder of the Theater of Spontaneity, Jacob Moreno, who proposed stringing together "now and then flashes" to unfetter illusion and let imagination run free.  The images we have collected for this series came at a tremendous price, which we explained previously.]
> read more from Restoring the Lost Sense . . .
#vintage illustration #mad scientist #illustration #test tube baby #specimen jar
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Old News (permalink)
"Get an elephant."  From Popular Mechanics, 1911.
> read more from Old News . . .
#vintage illustration #elephant #vintage headline #illustration #vintage automobile #towing #automobile #headline
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Do-Re-Midi (permalink)
From Jugend, 1897.
> read more from Do-Re-Midi . . .
#vintage illustration #music #illustration #musik #art
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March 9, 2017

Old News (permalink)
The magazine that glamorized big game hunting and the clubbing of seals for their fur (not to mention poaching eggs from critically endangered species—for merely one example, see "Youth Fights Condor to Win Thousand-Dollar Egg" from the Nov. '29 issue, in which the condor's near-extinction is noted), promoted smoking, considered rainforests to have "no practical purpose," and predicted that blimps would end of war and disease by the year 2000 ... this same magazine was smugly skeptical of physiognomy.  Hence, we're less skeptical of physiognomy than ever before.  From Popular Mechanics, 1928.
> read more from Old News . . .
#physiognomy #vintage headline #big science #bullshit #science says #headline
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Restoring the Lost Sense (permalink)
"The acrobat dentist."  From Pick Me Up, 1892.
[Inexplicable images from generations ago invite us to restore the lost sense of immediacy.  We follow the founder of the Theater of Spontaneity, Jacob Moreno, who proposed stringing together "now and then flashes" to unfetter illusion and let imagination run free.  The images we have collected for this series came at a tremendous price, which we explained previously.]
> read more from Restoring the Lost Sense . . .
#vintage illustration #weightless #dentist #illustration #spinning #acrobat
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Restoring the Lost Sense (permalink)
From Die Muskete, 1922.
[Inexplicable images from generations ago invite us to restore the lost sense of immediacy.  We follow the founder of the Theater of Spontaneity, Jacob Moreno, who proposed stringing together "now and then flashes" to unfetter illusion and let imagination run free.  The images we have collected for this series came at a tremendous price, which we explained previously.]
> read more from Restoring the Lost Sense . . .
#vintage illustration #illustration
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Restoring the Lost Sense (permalink)
From Fairy Tales by Henry Morley and illustrated by Charles H. Bennett, 1867.
[Inexplicable images from generations ago invite us to restore the lost sense of immediacy.  We follow the founder of the Theater of Spontaneity, Jacob Moreno, who proposed stringing together "now and then flashes" to unfetter illusion and let imagination run free.  The images we have collected for this series came at a tremendous price, which we explained previously.]
> read more from Restoring the Lost Sense . . .
#vintage illustration #spirits #shadows #strife #illustration
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Yearbook Weirdness (permalink)
From The Scarlet Letter yearbook (Rutgers, 1912).   See How to Hoodoo Hack a Yearbook.
> read more from Yearbook Weirdness . . .
#vintage illustration #angel #vintage yearbook #yearbook #fraternities #illustration
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Old News (permalink)
You've heard of "zombie Jesus," but some deceased bishops are also at large.  By Richard Henry Clarke, 1872.
> read more from Old News . . .
#vintage illustration #zombie #bishop #vintage headline #headline
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Restoring the Lost Sense (permalink)
Here are some faces in things from Dot and Tot of Merryland by L. Frank Baum and illustrated by W. W. Denslow, 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.]
> read more from Restoring the Lost Sense . . .
#vintage illustration #faces in things #l. frank baum #illustration
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Restoring the Lost Sense (permalink)
[Inexplicable images from generations ago invite us to restore the lost sense of immediacy.  We follow the founder of the Theater of Spontaneity, Jacob Moreno, who proposed stringing together "now and then flashes" to unfetter illusion and let imagination run free.  The images we have collected for this series came at a tremendous price, which we explained previously.]
> read more from Restoring the Lost Sense . . .
#vintage illustration #vintage book cover #life after death #occult #book cover #book #illustration #beyond the grave
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Restoring the Lost Sense (permalink)
I want my money, from Die Muskete, 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.]
> read more from Restoring the Lost Sense . . .
#vintage illustration #beard #illustration #where's my money #pay me #i want my money
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Precursors (permalink)
Here's a precursor to the Pepper's Ghost illusions gracing the spooky portaits in Disneyland's Haunted Mansion.  From Judy, Or The London Serio-Comic Journal, 1875.
> read more from Precursors . . .
#vintage illustration #haunted mansion #haunted painting #illustration
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Postcard Transformations (permalink)
INSTRUCTIONS: Click to brighten the day.

Schooner J.T. Wing, Passing Blue Water International Bridge, Port Huron, Michigan
> read more from Postcard Transformations . . .
#ship #bridge #vintage postcard #michigan #schooner #port huron #blue water #gif #postcard
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The Right Word (permalink)
"Who the ___ is the Prince of Good Fellows?"  From 1905.  Speaking of which, what exactly are a snowball's chances in hell?  See A Snowball's Chance in Hell.
> read more from The Right Word . . .
#devil #satan #vintage devil #vintage postcard #postcard
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Restoring the Lost Sense (permalink)
[Inexplicable images from generations ago invite us to restore the lost sense of immediacy.  We follow the founder of the Theater of Spontaneity, Jacob Moreno, who proposed stringing together "now and then flashes" to unfetter illusion and let imagination run free.  The images we have collected for this series came at a tremendous price, which we explained previously.]
> read more from Restoring the Lost Sense . . .
#fairy tale #polar bear
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I Found a Penny Today, So Here's a Thought (permalink)
The phrase "what clowns drink" is a Googlewhack, but here's your answer.  And this is what it looks like to be "off the [circus] wagon."  From a 1908 ad in Jugend.
> read more from I Found a Penny Today, So Here's a Thought . . .
#vintage illustration #vintage ad #clown #alcohol #illustration #bottle #art #ad
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Restoring the Lost Sense (permalink)
From Die Bühne, 1925.
[Inexplicable images from generations ago invite us to restore the lost sense of immediacy.  We follow the founder of the Theater of Spontaneity, Jacob Moreno, who proposed stringing together "now and then flashes" to unfetter illusion and let imagination run free.  The images we have collected for this series came at a tremendous price, which we explained previously.]
> read more from Restoring the Lost Sense . . .
#vintage illustration #death #cemetery #graveyard #ghosts #processional #illustration
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Old News (permalink)
"Strange ways of making a living."  From Popular Mechanics, 1925.  If you wish to know a very strange way of making a living, see what we've been up to, here.
> read more from Old News . . .
#weird #hand lettering #vintage headline #odd #strange #headline
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Restoring the Lost Sense (permalink)
From Jugend, 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.]
> read more from Restoring the Lost Sense . . .
#vintage illustration #vintage ad #cork #popping cork #cannon #art #ad
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March 8, 2017

This May Surprise You (permalink)
Indeed, a magazine highly skeptical of mysticism and the occult encourages using shadows to trace grotesque, horned entities.  From Popular Mechanics, 1928.
> read more from This May Surprise You . . .
#vintage illustration #occult #drawing #shadows #illustration #art
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Restoring the Lost Sense (permalink)
From Jugend, 1910.
[Inexplicable images from generations ago invite us to restore the lost sense of immediacy.  We follow the founder of the Theater of Spontaneity, Jacob Moreno, who proposed stringing together "now and then flashes" to unfetter illusion and let imagination run free.  The images we have collected for this series came at a tremendous price, which we explained previously.]
> read more from Restoring the Lost Sense . . .
#vintage illustration #illustration #art
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Restoring the Lost Sense (permalink)
A vow of friendship from Pick Me Up, 1892.
[Inexplicable images from generations ago invite us to restore the lost sense of immediacy.  We follow the founder of the Theater of Spontaneity, Jacob Moreno, who proposed stringing together "now and then flashes" to unfetter illusion and let imagination run free.  The images we have collected for this series came at a tremendous price, which we explained previously.]
> read more from Restoring the Lost Sense . . .
#vintage illustration #illustration #friendship #men kissing #locked lips
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Old News (permalink)
"Grain in wood resembles head of animal."  From Popular Mechanics, 1911.
> read more from Old News . . .
#vintage illustration #faces in things #vintage headline #illustration #wood grain #animal face #headline
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Restoring the Lost Sense (permalink)
From The Rime of the Ancient Mariner by Samuel Taylor Coleridge, 1857.
[Inexplicable images from generations ago invite us to restore the lost sense of immediacy.  We follow the founder of the Theater of Spontaneity, Jacob Moreno, who proposed stringing together "now and then flashes" to unfetter illusion and let imagination run free.  The images we have collected for this series came at a tremendous price, which we explained previously.]
> read more from Restoring the Lost Sense . . .
#vintage illustration #bird #illustration #ancient mariner #coleridge #albatross
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Restoring the Lost Sense (permalink)
"An egg marked with a comet."  From Astronomical Myths by John Frederick Blake, 1877.
[Inexplicable images from generations ago invite us to restore the lost sense of immediacy.  We follow the founder of the Theater of Spontaneity, Jacob Moreno, who proposed stringing together "now and then flashes" to unfetter illusion and let imagination run free.  The images we have collected for this series came at a tremendous price, which we explained previously.]
> read more from Restoring the Lost Sense . . .
#vintage illustration #mythology #comet #egg #illustration #world egg
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The Right Word (permalink)
"To enjoy is to obey."  From Brown's First Lessons in Language and Grammar, 1904.
> read more from The Right Word . . .
#vintage illustration #sentence diagram #illustration #enjoyment #obey
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Nonsense Dept. (permalink)
A Defence of Nonsense by G. K. Chesterton, 1911.
> read more from Nonsense Dept. . . .
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Restoring the Lost Sense (permalink)
"Well, I never!"  From Pearson's, 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.]
> read more from Restoring the Lost Sense . . .
#vintage illustration #unbelievable #illustration #i never
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Restoring the Lost Sense (permalink)
"In less than five seconds I had that plate of fish out, and shot them into the street."  From English Illustrated, 1907.
[Inexplicable images from generations ago invite us to restore the lost sense of immediacy.  We follow the founder of the Theater of Spontaneity, Jacob Moreno, who proposed stringing together "now and then flashes" to unfetter illusion and let imagination run free.  The images we have collected for this series came at a tremendous price, which we explained previously.]
> read more from Restoring the Lost Sense . . .
#vintage illustration #fish #illustration
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Restoring the Lost Sense (permalink)
Here's a bogey from an 1865 issue of Fun magazine.
[Inexplicable images from generations ago invite us to restore the lost sense of immediacy.  We follow the founder of the Theater of Spontaneity, Jacob Moreno, who proposed stringing together "now and then flashes" to unfetter illusion and let imagination run free.  The images we have collected for this series came at a tremendous price, which we explained previously.]
> read more from Restoring the Lost Sense . . .
#vintage illustration #political cartoon #halloween #october #bogey #illustration
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Restoring the Lost Sense (permalink)
From Old and New London by Walter Thornbury, 1873.
[Inexplicable images from generations ago invite us to restore the lost sense of immediacy.  We follow the founder of the Theater of Spontaneity, Jacob Moreno, who proposed stringing together "now and then flashes" to unfetter illusion and let imagination run free.  The images we have collected for this series came at a tremendous price, which we explained previously.]
> read more from Restoring the Lost Sense . . .
#vintage illustration #lion #illustration #british art
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Restoring the Lost Sense (permalink)
From Lello Universal.
[Inexplicable images from generations ago invite us to restore the lost sense of immediacy.  We follow the founder of the Theater of Spontaneity, Jacob Moreno, who proposed stringing together "now and then flashes" to unfetter illusion and let imagination run free.  The images we have collected for this series came at a tremendous price, which we explained previously.]
> read more from Restoring the Lost Sense . . .
#vintage illustration #flying machine #butterfly #contraption #drone #illustration
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Restoring the Lost Sense (permalink)
"Health is happiness.  So think Tom and Jerry; and whenever they have an opportunity, Jerry takes out his watch, and feels his pulse, while Tom looks at his tongue in a small pocket-glass."  From Punch, 1877.
[Inexplicable images from generations ago invite us to restore the lost sense of immediacy.  We follow the founder of the Theater of Spontaneity, Jacob Moreno, who proposed stringing together "now and then flashes" to unfetter illusion and let imagination run free.  The images we have collected for this series came at a tremendous price, which we explained previously.]
> read more from Restoring the Lost Sense . . .
#vintage illustration #hypochrondria #self-diagnosis #pulse diagnosis #tongue diagnosis #health is happiness #illustration
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Restoring the Lost Sense (permalink)
From The Cuba Review, 1911.
[Inexplicable images from generations ago invite us to restore the lost sense of immediacy.  We follow the founder of the Theater of Spontaneity, Jacob Moreno, who proposed stringing together "now and then flashes" to unfetter illusion and let imagination run free.  The images we have collected for this series came at a tremendous price, which we explained previously.]
> read more from Restoring the Lost Sense . . .
#vintage illustration #political cartoon #phonograph #yes or no #conflicting answers #illustration
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Restoring the Lost Sense (permalink)
[Inexplicable images from generations ago invite us to restore the lost sense of immediacy.  We follow the founder of the Theater of Spontaneity, Jacob Moreno, who proposed stringing together "now and then flashes" to unfetter illusion and let imagination run free.  The images we have collected for this series came at a tremendous price, which we explained previously.]
> read more from Restoring the Lost Sense . . .
#vintage illustration #devil #ornate capital #capital k #letter k #illustration
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Restoring the Lost Sense (permalink)
From Jugend, 1898.
[Inexplicable images from generations ago invite us to restore the lost sense of immediacy.  We follow the founder of the Theater of Spontaneity, Jacob Moreno, who proposed stringing together "now and then flashes" to unfetter illusion and let imagination run free.  The images we have collected for this series came at a tremendous price, which we explained previously.]
> read more from Restoring the Lost Sense . . .
#vintage illustration #pan pipes #illustration
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March 7, 2017

Restoring the Lost Sense (permalink)
"It was jiu-jitsu!"  From Pearson's, 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.]
> read more from Restoring the Lost Sense . . .
#vintage illustration #illustration #self defense #?? #jujutsu #jujitsu #jiujitsu #Jiu-Jitsu #martial arts #柔術
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What's In a Name (permalink)
Here's a book entitled What the Sam Hill (What the Sam Hill by Wib. F. Clements, 1911), along with the explanation.
> read more from What's In a Name . . .
#author's note
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Old News (permalink)
Here's one of the only Popular Mechanics headlines we've ever believed.  "Mysteries of stars' origin increase with time."  From 1928.
> read more from Old News . . .
#we are all made of stars #vintage headline #big science #stardust #star origin #space mysteries #headline
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Restoring the Lost Sense (permalink)
From Jugend, 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.]
> read more from Restoring the Lost Sense . . .
#vintage illustration #reading #imagination #illustration #story book #art
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Restoring the Lost Sense (permalink)
"The king of the swans," from Queen Mab's Fairy Realm, 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.]
> read more from Restoring the Lost Sense . . .
#vintage illustration #fairy tale #dwarf #illustration #swan king
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Restoring the Lost Sense (permalink)
From an 1865 issue of Fun magazine
[Inexplicable images from generations ago invite us to restore the lost sense of immediacy.  We follow the founder of the Theater of Spontaneity, Jacob Moreno, who proposed stringing together "now and then flashes" to unfetter illusion and let imagination run free.  The images we have collected for this series came at a tremendous price, which we explained previously.]
> read more from Restoring the Lost Sense . . .
#vintage illustration #mythology #dumbo #flying elephant #winged elephant #illustration
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No News Is Good News (permalink)
From Judy, Or The London Serio-Comic Journal, 1879.
> read more from No News Is Good News . . .
#vintage illustration #no news is good news #illustration
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Restoring the Lost Sense (permalink)
The dog Tige and a sheet ghost: a detail from a Buster Brown comic.
[Inexplicable images from generations ago invite us to restore the lost sense of immediacy.  We follow the founder of the Theater of Spontaneity, Jacob Moreno, who proposed stringing together "now and then flashes" to unfetter illusion and let imagination run free.  The images we have collected for this series came at a tremendous price, which we explained previously.]
> read more from Restoring the Lost Sense . . .
#dog #sheet ghost #vintage comic #buster brown #comic
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Restoring the Lost Sense (permalink)
"It is as if we are aware that we are boxed in" (Peter Munz, Philosophical Darwinism, 2002).  Our illustration is from Biology and Man by Benjamin Gruenberg, 1944.
[Inexplicable images from generations ago invite us to restore the lost sense of immediacy.  We follow the founder of the Theater of Spontaneity, Jacob Moreno, who proposed stringing together "now and then flashes" to unfetter illusion and let imagination run free.  The images we have collected for this series came at a tremendous price, which we explained previously.]
> read more from Restoring the Lost Sense . . .
#vintage illustration #exercise #boxed in #illustration #calories
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Postcard Transformations (permalink)
INSTRUCTIONS: Click to see the photo that inspired the postcard.

High & Main St. Bridge, Hamilton, Ohio
> read more from Postcard Transformations . . .
#vintage illustration #bridge #vintage postcard #ohio #illustration #gif #postcard
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Restoring the Lost Sense (permalink)
"Can you give me possesion at once?"  From The Apparition by James Rymer, 1846.
[Inexplicable images from generations ago invite us to restore the lost sense of immediacy.  We follow the founder of the Theater of Spontaneity, Jacob Moreno, who proposed stringing together "now and then flashes" to unfetter illusion and let imagination run free.  The images we have collected for this series came at a tremendous price, which we explained previously.]
> read more from Restoring the Lost Sense . . .
#vintage illustration #ghost #macabre #skeleton #skull face #apparition #ghost story #living dead #illustration
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Old News (permalink)
A ruler-like spirit board spells out messages from the great beyond.  From Popular Mechanics, 1920.
> read more from Old News . . .
#spirits #spiritualism #spirit board #planchette #vintage headline #headline
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Restoring the Lost Sense (permalink)
From Jugend, 1896.
[Inexplicable images from generations ago invite us to restore the lost sense of immediacy.  We follow the founder of the Theater of Spontaneity, Jacob Moreno, who proposed stringing together "now and then flashes" to unfetter illusion and let imagination run free.  The images we have collected for this series came at a tremendous price, which we explained previously.]
> read more from Restoring the Lost Sense . . .
#vintage illustration #spooky #night #creatures of the night #illustration
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Strange Dreams (permalink)
From Die Muskete, 1914.
If you have a strange dream to share, send it along!
> read more from Strange Dreams . . .
#vintage illustration #dreaming #sleeping #illustration
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Restoring the Lost Sense (permalink)
From Die Muskete, 1937.
[Inexplicable images from generations ago invite us to restore the lost sense of immediacy.  We follow the founder of the Theater of Spontaneity, Jacob Moreno, who proposed stringing together "now and then flashes" to unfetter illusion and let imagination run free.  The images we have collected for this series came at a tremendous price, which we explained previously.]
> read more from Restoring the Lost Sense . . .
#vintage illustration #candle #museum #illustration #gallery #art collector
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Restoring the Lost Sense (permalink)
In 1910, light was more of a particle than a wave.  From Jugend.
[Inexplicable images from generations ago invite us to restore the lost sense of immediacy.  We follow the founder of the Theater of Spontaneity, Jacob Moreno, who proposed stringing together "now and then flashes" to unfetter illusion and let imagination run free.  The images we have collected for this series came at a tremendous price, which we explained previously.]
> read more from Restoring the Lost Sense . . .
#vintage illustration #candlelight #candle #light #particle or wave #illustration #photons #art
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Restoring the Lost Sense (permalink)
From Die Muskete, 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.]
> read more from Restoring the Lost Sense . . .
#vintage illustration #thumbing nose #illustration
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March 6, 2017

What's In a Name (permalink)
Here's a book entitled Green Peas, along with the explanation.
> read more from What's In a Name . . .
#old book #preface #pea #peas
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Precursors (permalink)
Here's a precursor to D. J. Taylor's New Book of Snobs (2017).  From The Harvard Lampoon, 1885.
> read more from Precursors . . .
#vintage illustration #jester #snob
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Precursors (permalink)
Then as now -- watching movies on a 3-inch screen.  From Popular Mechanics, 1928.
> read more from Precursors . . .
#vintage tv #tiny television #vintage television #television #tv
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Restoring the Lost Sense (permalink)
From Jugend, 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.]
> read more from Restoring the Lost Sense . . .
#vintage illustration #beetle #giant insect #fear of insects #illustration #fear of bugs #kafkaesque #art
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Precursors (permalink)
Here's a precursor to the drill bit scene in the film Body Double.  From Pick Me Up, 1890.
> read more from Precursors . . .
#vintage illustration #body double #illustration #drill bit
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Restoring the Lost Sense (permalink)
From Die Muskete, 1922.
[Inexplicable images from generations ago invite us to restore the lost sense of immediacy.  We follow the founder of the Theater of Spontaneity, Jacob Moreno, who proposed stringing together "now and then flashes" to unfetter illusion and let imagination run free.  The images we have collected for this series came at a tremendous price, which we explained previously.]
> read more from Restoring the Lost Sense . . .
#vintage illustration #lighthouse #boat #illustration #peace angel
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Old News (permalink)
"Receiving a message while standing on a manhole."  From Popular Mechanics, 1911.

> read more from Old News . . .
#vintage illustration #vintage headline #illustration #wireless #headline #manhole cover
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Restoring the Lost Sense (permalink)
From The Boy Mechanic, 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.]
> read more from Restoring the Lost Sense . . .
#vintage illustration #magician #levitation #vintage magic #magic trick #illustration
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Precursors (permalink)
Here's a precursor to Harry Hill's spoofing of bad television acting involving kitchen disasters, from The Sketch, 1914.
> read more from Precursors . . .
#vintage illustration #egg #illustration #broken egg
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Restoring the Lost Sense (permalink)
"A yell proclaimed that one of the great crystal chandeliers was falling."  From Pearson's, 1903.
[Inexplicable images from generations ago invite us to restore the lost sense of immediacy.  We follow the founder of the Theater of Spontaneity, Jacob Moreno, who proposed stringing together "now and then flashes" to unfetter illusion and let imagination run free.  The images we have collected for this series came at a tremendous price, which we explained previously.]
> read more from Restoring the Lost Sense . . .
#vintage illustration #illustration #chandelier #crashing down
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Restoring the Lost Sense (permalink)
"The psychology of bells."  From English Illustrated, 1907.
[Inexplicable images from generations ago invite us to restore the lost sense of immediacy.  We follow the founder of the Theater of Spontaneity, Jacob Moreno, who proposed stringing together "now and then flashes" to unfetter illusion and let imagination run free.  The images we have collected for this series came at a tremendous price, which we explained previously.]
> read more from Restoring the Lost Sense . . .
#vintage illustration #bells #illustration
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Restoring the Lost Sense (permalink)
A mischievous winged insect walks her dog, from Judy, Or The London Serio-Comic Journal, 1875.
[Inexplicable images from generations ago invite us to restore the lost sense of immediacy.  We follow the founder of the Theater of Spontaneity, Jacob Moreno, who proposed stringing together "now and then flashes" to unfetter illusion and let imagination run free.  The images we have collected for this series came at a tremendous price, which we explained previously.]
> read more from Restoring the Lost Sense . . .
#vintage illustration #fairy #people who look like their dogs #illustration #pet walker
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Restoring the Lost Sense (permalink)
[Inexplicable images from generations ago invite us to restore the lost sense of immediacy.  We follow the founder of the Theater of Spontaneity, Jacob Moreno, who proposed stringing together "now and then flashes" to unfetter illusion and let imagination run free.  The images we have collected for this series came at a tremendous price, which we explained previously.]
> read more from Restoring the Lost Sense . . .
#vintage illustration #Hypnerotomachia Poliphili #tree people #illustration #family tree
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Restoring the Lost Sense (permalink)
"A pyramid of lost articles," from the Honolulu Star-Bulletin, 1915.  "Just because you lost it is not sign that you'll never see it again.  On the contrary, the chances are 96% in your favor!"
[Inexplicable images from generations ago invite us to restore the lost sense of immediacy.  We follow the founder of the Theater of Spontaneity, Jacob Moreno, who proposed stringing together "now and then flashes" to unfetter illusion and let imagination run free.  The images we have collected for this series came at a tremendous price, which we explained previously.]
> read more from Restoring the Lost Sense . . .
#pyramid #newspaper #news #lost and found #lost article #vintage newspaper
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Restoring the Lost Sense (permalink)
"Fountain of Youth" Florida Water, from c. 1890.
[Inexplicable images from generations ago invite us to restore the lost sense of immediacy.  We follow the founder of the Theater of Spontaneity, Jacob Moreno, who proposed stringing together "now and then flashes" to unfetter illusion and let imagination run free.  The images we have collected for this series came at a tremendous price, which we explained previously.]
> read more from Restoring the Lost Sense . . .
#vintage illustration #vintage ad #rainbow #timelessness #fountain of youth #florida water #ageless #ageing #cologne #illustration #ad
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How to Believe in Your Elf (permalink)
> read more from How to Believe in Your Elf . . .
#elf
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Restoring the Lost Sense (permalink)
A bat blows out a candle to demonstrate "the power of darkness."  From Jugend, 1898.
[Inexplicable images from generations ago invite us to restore the lost sense of immediacy.  We follow the founder of the Theater of Spontaneity, Jacob Moreno, who proposed stringing together "now and then flashes" to unfetter illusion and let imagination run free.  The images we have collected for this series came at a tremendous price, which we explained previously.]
> read more from Restoring the Lost Sense . . .
#vintage illustration #bat #darkness #candles #illustration #power of darkness
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March 5, 2017

Precursors (permalink)
Here's a precursor to Legos, back when earthen bricks had to be used.  From Popular Mechanics, 1928.
> read more from Precursors . . .
#bricks #legos
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Your Ship Will Come In (permalink)
"Hung high in the air, as if sailing over the clouds."  From Torn From Its Foundations by David Ker and illustrated by A. Pearse, 1902.
> read more from Your Ship Will Come In . . .
#vintage illustration #ghost ship #illustration #phantom ship
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Restoring the Lost Sense (permalink)
[Inexplicable images from generations ago invite us to restore the lost sense of immediacy.  We follow the founder of the Theater of Spontaneity, Jacob Moreno, who proposed stringing together "now and then flashes" to unfetter illusion and let imagination run free.  The images we have collected for this series came at a tremendous price, which we explained previously.]
> read more from Restoring the Lost Sense . . .
#vintage illustration #fairy tale #wolf #illustration
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Restoring the Lost Sense (permalink)
From Die Muskete, 1910.
[Inexplicable images from generations ago invite us to restore the lost sense of immediacy.  We follow the founder of the Theater of Spontaneity, Jacob Moreno, who proposed stringing together "now and then flashes" to unfetter illusion and let imagination run free.  The images we have collected for this series came at a tremendous price, which we explained previously.]
> read more from Restoring the Lost Sense . . .
#vintage illustration #death #grim reaper #illustration
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Non-Circulating Books (permalink)
Non-circulating book.  See our artist’s statement here: https://www.oneletterwords.com/weblog/?c=NonCirculatingBooks.  (Individual cards are available from Zazzle, and deep discount bulk orders of 10 or more are available from Vistaprint.)
> read more from Non-Circulating Books . . .
#vintage illustration #illustration #library book #monotheism
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Restoring the Lost Sense (permalink)
"What is wanted is a rapid elevator which should at once precipitate the performer on to the platform," from Pearson's, 1903.
[Inexplicable images from generations ago invite us to restore the lost sense of immediacy.  We follow the founder of the Theater of Spontaneity, Jacob Moreno, who proposed stringing together "now and then flashes" to unfetter illusion and let imagination run free.  The images we have collected for this series came at a tremendous price, which we explained previously.]
> read more from Restoring the Lost Sense . . .
#vintage illustration #pianist #illustration
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Restoring the Lost Sense (permalink)
Here's Dear Fido in a whirlwind, from Fun magazine, 1886.
[Inexplicable images from generations ago invite us to restore the lost sense of immediacy.  We follow the founder of the Theater of Spontaneity, Jacob Moreno, who proposed stringing together "now and then flashes" to unfetter illusion and let imagination run free.  The images we have collected for this series came at a tremendous price, which we explained previously.]
> read more from Restoring the Lost Sense . . .
#vintage illustration #weird #dog #whirlwind #illustration #spinning
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Postcard Transformations (permalink)
INSTRUCTIONS: Click to change the clouds and colors of the Stanford memorial arch before it was destroyed by earthquake in 1906.

Stanford University Memorial Arch, destroyed by earthquake April 18, 1906
> read more from Postcard Transformations . . .
#vintage postcard #stanford #memorial arch #gif #arch #postcard
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Restoring the Lost Sense (permalink)
From Judy, Or The London Serio-Comic Journal, 1875.
[Inexplicable images from generations ago invite us to restore the lost sense of immediacy.  We follow the founder of the Theater of Spontaneity, Jacob Moreno, who proposed stringing together "now and then flashes" to unfetter illusion and let imagination run free.  The images we have collected for this series came at a tremendous price, which we explained previously.]
> read more from Restoring the Lost Sense . . .
#vintage illustration #ponytail #long hair #braided hair #illustration
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Restoring the Lost Sense (permalink)
Here's a mermaid from Lake Huron, 1907.
[Inexplicable images from generations ago invite us to restore the lost sense of immediacy.  We follow the founder of the Theater of Spontaneity, Jacob Moreno, who proposed stringing together "now and then flashes" to unfetter illusion and let imagination run free.  The images we have collected for this series came at a tremendous price, which we explained previously.]
> read more from Restoring the Lost Sense . . .
#mermaid #vintage postcard #michigan #lake huron #postcard
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Restoring the Lost Sense (permalink)
At first we thought this was a rain of pollen.  Fellow allergy-sufferers will delight in knowing that it's just some fly swatting.  From Beggars on Horseback: A Riding Tour of North Wales by Martin Ross, illustrated by E. Somerville, 1895.
[Inexplicable images from generations ago invite us to restore the lost sense of immediacy.  We follow the founder of the Theater of Spontaneity, Jacob Moreno, who proposed stringing together "now and then flashes" to unfetter illusion and let imagination run free.  The images we have collected for this series came at a tremendous price, which we explained previously.]
> read more from Restoring the Lost Sense . . .
#vintage illustration #infestation #fly swatter #swarm #bugs #illustration
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Restoring the Lost Sense (permalink)
From Die Muskete, 1922.
[Inexplicable images from generations ago invite us to restore the lost sense of immediacy.  We follow the founder of the Theater of Spontaneity, Jacob Moreno, who proposed stringing together "now and then flashes" to unfetter illusion and let imagination run free.  The images we have collected for this series came at a tremendous price, which we explained previously.]
> read more from Restoring the Lost Sense . . .
#vintage illustration #satyr #illustration
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The Ghost in the [Scanning] Machine (permalink)

From Wayfarers in Arcady by Charles Vince, 1922.

> read more from The Ghost in the [Scanning] Machine . . .
#vintage illustration #tree #illustration #mirroring
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Restoring the Lost Sense (permalink)
Here's how a dandy metamorphoses.  From Jugend, 1898.
[Inexplicable images from generations ago invite us to restore the lost sense of immediacy.  We follow the founder of the Theater of Spontaneity, Jacob Moreno, who proposed stringing together "now and then flashes" to unfetter illusion and let imagination run free.  The images we have collected for this series came at a tremendous price, which we explained previously.]
> read more from Restoring the Lost Sense . . .
#vintage illustration #dandy #illustration #dandyism #art
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Strange Dreams (permalink)
From Die Muskete, 1938.
If you have a strange dream to share, send it along!
> read more from Strange Dreams . . .
#vintage illustration #mask #shaman #illustration #witch doctor
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Old News (permalink)
Here's a precursor to the all-mannequin cast of the Japanese series The Fuccons (a.k.a. Oh! Mikey).  From Popular Mechanics, 1920.

> read more from Old News . . .
#vintage headline #mannequin #headline
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Restoring the Lost Sense (permalink)
From Jugend, 1910.
[Inexplicable images from generations ago invite us to restore the lost sense of immediacy.  We follow the founder of the Theater of Spontaneity, Jacob Moreno, who proposed stringing together "now and then flashes" to unfetter illusion and let imagination run free.  The images we have collected for this series came at a tremendous price, which we explained previously.]
> read more from Restoring the Lost Sense . . .
#vintage illustration #book lover #warthog #hunter #illustration #art
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March 4, 2017

Presumptive Conundrums (permalink)
Looks like midnight falls at nine o'clock.  From Die Muskete, 1916.
* Learn more about Presumptive Conundrums at Amazon.com.
> read more from Presumptive Conundrums . . .
#vintage illustration #time #window display #illustration #temporal anomaly #strange clock #timeless #watch #1910s
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Old News (permalink)
Here's a precursor to the "tinfoil hats" of those shielding against mind control by governmental or paranormal forces.  In 1920s England, tinfoil hats were a fashion statement.  From Popular Mechanics, 1927.
> read more from Old News . . .
#vintage illustration #fashion #news #vintage headline #illustration #tinfoil hat #vintage news #aluminum foil fashion #headline #art
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Precursors (permalink)
Remember that famous ad featuring polar bears drinking cola?  Turns out that was a mixer, as we learn in these earlier ads from Jugend, 1910.
> read more from Precursors . . .
#vintage illustration #vintage ad #polar bear #alcohol #bears #illustration #art #ad
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Restoring the Lost Sense (permalink)
From Wiener Revue, 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.]
> read more from Restoring the Lost Sense . . .
#vintage illustration #beard #quill pen #long beard #illustration
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Restoring the Lost Sense (permalink)
From Die Muskete, 1938.
[Inexplicable images from generations ago invite us to restore the lost sense of immediacy.  We follow the founder of the Theater of Spontaneity, Jacob Moreno, who proposed stringing together "now and then flashes" to unfetter illusion and let imagination run free.  The images we have collected for this series came at a tremendous price, which we explained previously.]
> read more from Restoring the Lost Sense . . .
#vintage illustration #costume party #illustration #costumes
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Images Moving Through Time (permalink)
"Grotesque German design makes auto like whale."  From Popular Mechanics, 1920 (top) and 1914 (bottom).
> read more from Images Moving Through Time . . .
#vintage illustration #vintage car #car #illustration #vintage automobile #whale car #german car #very like a whale #automobile
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This Terrible Problem That Is the Sea (permalink)
"You do understand why the sea behaved the way it did?"  From The Quartered Sea by Tanya Huff, 2015.
   ,(   ,(   ,(   ,(   ,(   ,(   ,(   ,(
`-' `-' `-' `-' `-' `-' `-' `-' `
"The sea is a cruel mistress. Yet again the sea has behaved unconscionably. It's time to address this terrible problem that is the sea." —Captain Neddie, from the hilarious BBC series Broken News
> read more from This Terrible Problem That Is the Sea . . .
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The Right Word (permalink)
"Am I going to marry my affinity, madam?"  "Maybe you are, miss; but your first marriage will be to a husband."  From Cariacture, Wit and Humor of a Nation in Picture, Song and Story, 1911.
> read more from The Right Word . . .
#vintage illustration #fortune teller #palm reader #palmistry #illustration
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The Right Word (permalink)
Here's a note signed "Yours usually."  From "The Diamond Beetle" by F. C. Philips, in English Illustrated, 1907.
> read more from The Right Word . . .
#vintage illustration #asterisks #usually #illustration
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Restoring the Lost Sense (permalink)
If it's the very last chorus, sing from the chest.  Here's what it looks like, from Judy, Or The London Serio-Comic Journal, 1875.
[Inexplicable images from generations ago invite us to restore the lost sense of immediacy.  We follow the founder of the Theater of Spontaneity, Jacob Moreno, who proposed stringing together "now and then flashes" to unfetter illusion and let imagination run free.  The images we have collected for this series came at a tremendous price, which we explained previously.]
> read more from Restoring the Lost Sense . . .
#vintage illustration #vocalist #singing #illustration
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Restoring the Lost Sense (permalink)
"Taking the waters.  'What devilish stuff is this!'"  Date uncertain.  Speaking of which, what exactly are a snowball's chances in hell?  See A Snowball's Chance in Hell.
[Inexplicable images from generations ago invite us to restore the lost sense of immediacy.  We follow the founder of the Theater of Spontaneity, Jacob Moreno, who proposed stringing together "now and then flashes" to unfetter illusion and let imagination run free.  The images we have collected for this series came at a tremendous price, which we explained previously.]
> read more from Restoring the Lost Sense . . .
#devil #satan #vintage devil #alcoholism #vintage postcard #postcard
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Restoring the Lost Sense (permalink)
From Emblemes, 1635.
[Inexplicable images from generations ago invite us to restore the lost sense of immediacy.  We follow the founder of the Theater of Spontaneity, Jacob Moreno, who proposed stringing together "now and then flashes" to unfetter illusion and let imagination run free.  The images we have collected for this series came at a tremendous price, which we explained previously.]
> read more from Restoring the Lost Sense . . .
#vintage illustration #angel #sphere #emblem #earth #celestial #top of the world #illustration
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Yesterday's Weather (permalink)
From Die Muskete, 1922.
*Inspired by the world's only accurate meteorological report, "Yesterday's Weather," as seen on Check It Out.
> read more from Yesterday's Weather . . .
#vintage illustration #snow #winter #weather deity #old man winter #illustration
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Restoring the Lost Sense (permalink)
[Inexplicable images from generations ago invite us to restore the lost sense of immediacy.  We follow the founder of the Theater of Spontaneity, Jacob Moreno, who proposed stringing together "now and then flashes" to unfetter illusion and let imagination run free.  The images we have collected for this series came at a tremendous price, which we explained previously.]
> read more from Restoring the Lost Sense . . .
#alcoholism #old book
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Restoring the Lost Sense (permalink)
Always the bridesmaid, never the bride.  From Jugend, 1908.   Also very much of interest: The Collected Lost Meanings of Wedlock.
[Inexplicable images from generations ago invite us to restore the lost sense of immediacy.  We follow the founder of the Theater of Spontaneity, Jacob Moreno, who proposed stringing together "now and then flashes" to unfetter illusion and let imagination run free.  The images we have collected for this series came at a tremendous price, which we explained previously.]
> read more from Restoring the Lost Sense . . .
#vintage illustration #death #skeleton #grim reaper #illustration #bride #art
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Restoring the Lost Sense (permalink)
From Die Muskete, 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.]
> read more from Restoring the Lost Sense . . .
#vintage illustration #steamroller #illustration #so-called progress
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March 3, 2017

Restoring the Lost Sense (permalink)
From Jugend, 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.]
> read more from Restoring the Lost Sense . . .
#vintage illustration #hybrid #human headed #sausage #illustration #man dog #art
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Restoring the Lost Sense (permalink)
From Die Bühne, 1925.
[Inexplicable images from generations ago invite us to restore the lost sense of immediacy.  We follow the founder of the Theater of Spontaneity, Jacob Moreno, who proposed stringing together "now and then flashes" to unfetter illusion and let imagination run free.  The images we have collected for this series came at a tremendous price, which we explained previously.]
> read more from Restoring the Lost Sense . . .
#vintage illustration #dancing #rooster #illustration #giant cock #huge cock #monster cock
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Restoring the Lost Sense (permalink)
From Die Muskete, 1938.
[Inexplicable images from generations ago invite us to restore the lost sense of immediacy.  We follow the founder of the Theater of Spontaneity, Jacob Moreno, who proposed stringing together "now and then flashes" to unfetter illusion and let imagination run free.  The images we have collected for this series came at a tremendous price, which we explained previously.]
> read more from Restoring the Lost Sense . . .
#vintage illustration #circus #illustration #trapeze #5
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Restoring the Lost Sense (permalink)
[Inexplicable images from generations ago invite us to restore the lost sense of immediacy.  We follow the founder of the Theater of Spontaneity, Jacob Moreno, who proposed stringing together "now and then flashes" to unfetter illusion and let imagination run free.  The images we have collected for this series came at a tremendous price, which we explained previously.]
> read more from Restoring the Lost Sense . . .
#vintage illustration #divination #occult #vintage diagram #crystal ball #diagram #crystal gazing #illustration #clairvoyance
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This May Surprise You (permalink)
Life itself has an anonymous author.  From 1844.
> read more from This May Surprise You . . .
#asterisks #life #anonymous
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Restoring the Lost Sense (permalink)
[Inexplicable images from generations ago invite us to restore the lost sense of immediacy.  We follow the founder of the Theater of Spontaneity, Jacob Moreno, who proposed stringing together "now and then flashes" to unfetter illusion and let imagination run free.  The images we have collected for this series came at a tremendous price, which we explained previously.]
> read more from Restoring the Lost Sense . . .
#vintage illustration #beard #fairy tale #dwarf #illustration
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Restoring the Lost Sense (permalink)
" Masks and faces!  Strange beings of the mountains."  From The Sketch, 1911.
[Inexplicable images from generations ago invite us to restore the lost sense of immediacy.  We follow the founder of the Theater of Spontaneity, Jacob Moreno, who proposed stringing together "now and then flashes" to unfetter illusion and let imagination run free.  The images we have collected for this series came at a tremendous price, which we explained previously.]
> read more from Restoring the Lost Sense . . .
#vintage illustration #masks #mountain spirits #illustration
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Restoring the Lost Sense (permalink)
From Pearson's, 1903.
[Inexplicable images from generations ago invite us to restore the lost sense of immediacy.  We follow the founder of the Theater of Spontaneity, Jacob Moreno, who proposed stringing together "now and then flashes" to unfetter illusion and let imagination run free.  The images we have collected for this series came at a tremendous price, which we explained previously.]
> read more from Restoring the Lost Sense . . .
#vintage illustration #monkey #illustration #human zoo
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Postcard Transformations (permalink)
INSTRUCTIONS: Click to change the season at Herbert Hoover's home at Stanford.

President Herbert Hoover's Home on the Stanford University Campus
> read more from Postcard Transformations . . .
#architecture #vintage postcard #stanford #herbert hoover #gif #postcard
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Yearbook Weirdness (permalink)
"Individualities," from Hunter College's Wistarion yearbook, 1901.  See How to Hoodoo Hack a Yearbook.
> read more from Yearbook Weirdness . . .
#vintage illustration #genie #djinn #vintage yearbook #yearbook #hunter college #individuality #illustration
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Restoring the Lost Sense (permalink)
From Cosmópolis, 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.]
> read more from Restoring the Lost Sense . . .
#vintage illustration #halo #writing #quill pen #illustration
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Restoring the Lost Sense (permalink)
Here's some double vision from 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.]
> read more from Restoring the Lost Sense . . .
#double vision #drunk #vintage postcard #inebriation #postcard
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Restoring the Lost Sense (permalink)
"Better than horses."  From Fairy Tales, written and illustrated by Alfred Crowquill, 1857.
[Inexplicable images from generations ago invite us to restore the lost sense of immediacy.  We follow the founder of the Theater of Spontaneity, Jacob Moreno, who proposed stringing together "now and then flashes" to unfetter illusion and let imagination run free.  The images we have collected for this series came at a tremendous price, which we explained previously.]
> read more from Restoring the Lost Sense . . .
#vintage illustration #hand of god #giant hands #illustration
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Restoring the Lost Sense (permalink)
[Inexplicable images from generations ago invite us to restore the lost sense of immediacy.  We follow the founder of the Theater of Spontaneity, Jacob Moreno, who proposed stringing together "now and then flashes" to unfetter illusion and let imagination run free.  The images we have collected for this series came at a tremendous price, which we explained previously.]
> read more from Restoring the Lost Sense . . .
#vintage illustration #emblem #mermaid #illustration
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Restoring the Lost Sense (permalink)
From Die Muskete, 1922.
[Inexplicable images from generations ago invite us to restore the lost sense of immediacy.  We follow the founder of the Theater of Spontaneity, Jacob Moreno, who proposed stringing together "now and then flashes" to unfetter illusion and let imagination run free.  The images we have collected for this series came at a tremendous price, which we explained previously.]
> read more from Restoring the Lost Sense . . .
#vintage illustration #silhouette #priest #shadow #illustration #omibous
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This May Surprise You (permalink)
Crop circles in embryo, from Popular Mechanics, 1920.
> read more from This May Surprise You . . .
#vintage illustration #vintage photo #illustration #crop circle #turning radius #tractor
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Precursors (permalink)
Here's a precursor to the film The War of the Roses (1989, starring Kathleen Turner and Michael Douglas).  From Jugend, 1907.
> read more from Precursors . . .
#vintage illustration #cannon #domestic violence #illustration #fear of intimacy #boundaries #art
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March 2, 2017

Old News (permalink)
You've heard that necessity is the mother of invention, but necessity was raped.  The headline reads, "Necessity is forced to mother another invention."  This blog supports necessity's right to choose.  From Popular Mechanics, 1925.
> read more from Old News . . .
#vintage headline #necessity #mother of invention #headline
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Restoring the Lost Sense (permalink)
"Here is no place for you."  From Jugend, 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.]
> read more from Restoring the Lost Sense . . .
#vintage illustration #giant #immigration #illustration #border control #art
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Restoring the Lost Sense (permalink)
From Die Muskete, 1922.
[Inexplicable images from generations ago invite us to restore the lost sense of immediacy.  We follow the founder of the Theater of Spontaneity, Jacob Moreno, who proposed stringing together "now and then flashes" to unfetter illusion and let imagination run free.  The images we have collected for this series came at a tremendous price, which we explained previously.]
> read more from Restoring the Lost Sense . . .
#vintage illustration #angels #demons #good and evil #tug of war #illustration
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Restoring the Lost Sense (permalink)
"The Tsar of the Snakes listened carefully."  From The Laughing Prince by Parker Fillmore and illustrated by Jay Van Everen, 1921.
[Inexplicable images from generations ago invite us to restore the lost sense of immediacy.  We follow the founder of the Theater of Spontaneity, Jacob Moreno, who proposed stringing together "now and then flashes" to unfetter illusion and let imagination run free.  The images we have collected for this series came at a tremendous price, which we explained previously.]
> read more from Restoring the Lost Sense . . .
#vintage illustration #fairy tale #snake #illustration #serpent king #snake king
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Restoring the Lost Sense (permalink)
[Inexplicable images from generations ago invite us to restore the lost sense of immediacy.  We follow the founder of the Theater of Spontaneity, Jacob Moreno, who proposed stringing together "now and then flashes" to unfetter illusion and let imagination run free.  The images we have collected for this series came at a tremendous price, which we explained previously.]
> read more from Restoring the Lost Sense . . .
#vintage illustration #giant #fairy tale #knight #illustration
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Restoring the Lost Sense (permalink)
From Die Muskete, 1910.
[Inexplicable images from generations ago invite us to restore the lost sense of immediacy.  We follow the founder of the Theater of Spontaneity, Jacob Moreno, who proposed stringing together "now and then flashes" to unfetter illusion and let imagination run free.  The images we have collected for this series came at a tremendous price, which we explained previously.]
> read more from Restoring the Lost Sense . . .
#vintage illustration #reading #book #illustration
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Separated at Birth? (permalink)
Our custom widget that checks for duplicated images suggested this pairing.  Click each image for its source.
24175 24205
> read more from Separated at Birth? . . .
#vintage illustration #mesmerism #hypnotism #willpower #bamboozled #art
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Restoring the Lost Sense (permalink)
From Pearson's, 1905.
[Inexplicable images from generations ago invite us to restore the lost sense of immediacy.  We follow the founder of the Theater of Spontaneity, Jacob Moreno, who proposed stringing together "now and then flashes" to unfetter illusion and let imagination run free.  The images we have collected for this series came at a tremendous price, which we explained previously.]
> read more from Restoring the Lost Sense . . .
#vintage illustration #ghost #spirit #near death experience #illustration
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Restoring the Lost Sense (permalink)
From English Illustrated, 1907.
[Inexplicable images from generations ago invite us to restore the lost sense of immediacy.  We follow the founder of the Theater of Spontaneity, Jacob Moreno, who proposed stringing together "now and then flashes" to unfetter illusion and let imagination run free.  The images we have collected for this series came at a tremendous price, which we explained previously.]
> read more from Restoring the Lost Sense . . .
#vintage illustration #death #angels #skeleton #hourglass #bells #father time #scythe #illustration
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Strange Dreams (permalink)
From an 1865 issue of Fun magazine.
If you have a strange dream to share, send it along!
> read more from Strange Dreams . . .
#vintage illustration #nightmare #monster #illustration
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Restoring the Lost Sense (permalink)
Here's a mirror imp from Judy, Or The London Serio-Comic Journal, 1875.
[Inexplicable images from generations ago invite us to restore the lost sense of immediacy.  We follow the founder of the Theater of Spontaneity, Jacob Moreno, who proposed stringing together "now and then flashes" to unfetter illusion and let imagination run free.  The images we have collected for this series came at a tremendous price, which we explained previously.]
> read more from Restoring the Lost Sense . . .
#vintage illustration #demon #imp #mirror #haunted mirror #narcissism #illustration
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Postcard Transformations (permalink)
INSTRUCTIONS: Click for a different print of this card.

Scene on the Belen Cut-Off Near Vaughn, New Mexico
> read more from Postcard Transformations . . .
#railroad #vintage postcard #new mexico #gif #postcard
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Images Moving Through Time (permalink)
"The handwriting reads, "I don't remember.  64 years ago.  I don't want it back.  Throw it out."  From 1907.  One is reminded of this spirit communication in which the spirit doesn't remember its time on earth.
> read more from Images Moving Through Time . . .
#vintage postcard #michigan #old postcard #1907 #postcard
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Restoring the Lost Sense (permalink)
From Dierkundig Mengelwerk by P. S. Pallas, 1770.
[Inexplicable images from generations ago invite us to restore the lost sense of immediacy.  We follow the founder of the Theater of Spontaneity, Jacob Moreno, who proposed stringing together "now and then flashes" to unfetter illusion and let imagination run free.  The images we have collected for this series came at a tremendous price, which we explained previously.]
> read more from Restoring the Lost Sense . . .
#vintage illustration #bat #illustration
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Restoring the Lost Sense (permalink)
[Inexplicable images from generations ago invite us to restore the lost sense of immediacy.  We follow the founder of the Theater of Spontaneity, Jacob Moreno, who proposed stringing together "now and then flashes" to unfetter illusion and let imagination run free.  The images we have collected for this series came at a tremendous price, which we explained previously.]
> read more from Restoring the Lost Sense . . .
#vintage illustration #fairy tale #illustration #art
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Restoring the Lost Sense (permalink)
Here's one for the armchair psychologist.  From Jugend, 1897.
[Inexplicable images from generations ago invite us to restore the lost sense of immediacy.  We follow the founder of the Theater of Spontaneity, Jacob Moreno, who proposed stringing together "now and then flashes" to unfetter illusion and let imagination run free.  The images we have collected for this series came at a tremendous price, which we explained previously.]
> read more from Restoring the Lost Sense . . .
#vintage illustration #nightmare #vision #faces in things #illustration #art
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Restoring the Lost Sense (permalink)
The giant and the steamroller, from A Book of Giants, written and engraved by William Strang, 1898.
[Inexplicable images from generations ago invite us to restore the lost sense of immediacy.  We follow the founder of the Theater of Spontaneity, Jacob Moreno, who proposed stringing together "now and then flashes" to unfetter illusion and let imagination run free.  The images we have collected for this series came at a tremendous price, which we explained previously.]
> read more from Restoring the Lost Sense . . .
#vintage illustration #giant #steamroller #steam train #illustration
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March 1, 2017

Old News (permalink)
You've heard of counting tree rings to determine the age, but did you know that the rings in Panama hats are counted as well?  Here are Panama hats being harvested, from Popular Mechanics, 1924.
> read more from Old News . . .
#1920s #vintage headline #hat #headline
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This May Surprise You (permalink)
Where submarines come from, via Jugend, 1912.
> read more from This May Surprise You . . .
#vintage illustration #weird #lion #illustration #submarines #giant lion #art
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Go Out in a Blaze of Glory (permalink)

We're honored by this review of our unique book on dice divination, Astragalomancy, over on Amazon.
5-Stars
Reviewed by R. Bakhtiari
Every time I roll dice while playing a board game, I notice how the little spots on the cubes sometimes seem to form pictures. There's the dreaded "snake eyes" of two ones, but I've also wondered about the pictures formed by other dice combinations. Searching online for information about dice meanings, I encountered this book on Astragalomancy. What impressed me was how this book's illustrations show you HOW to see the meanings in the dice. And I also like how the interpretations can serve as very positive affirmations, so that you can do a simple dice roll and get a new perspective on your day or on a particular circumstance. There are 21 different meanings to memorize (if you wish to do a dice reading but don't have the book handy), but I found the symbolism to be self-apparent (once you know what to look for). There's some interesting bonus material, too, about how to use blank dice (for more esoteric readers, I think) and on how to design your own custom dice (I found this part very intriguing and inspiring).
> read more from Go Out in a Blaze of Glory . . .
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Restoring the Lost Sense (permalink)
If an auto mechanic has ever milked you for all the money you had, here's how it's done.  From Mocca, 1936.
[Inexplicable images from generations ago invite us to restore the lost sense of immediacy.  We follow the founder of the Theater of Spontaneity, Jacob Moreno, who proposed stringing together "now and then flashes" to unfetter illusion and let imagination run free.  The images we have collected for this series came at a tremendous price, which we explained previously.]
> read more from Restoring the Lost Sense . . .
#vintage illustration #cow #illustration #mechanic
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Restoring the Lost Sense (permalink)
From Ambition magazine, 1911.
[Inexplicable images from generations ago invite us to restore the lost sense of immediacy.  We follow the founder of the Theater of Spontaneity, Jacob Moreno, who proposed stringing together "now and then flashes" to unfetter illusion and let imagination run free.  The images we have collected for this series came at a tremendous price, which we explained previously.]
> read more from Restoring the Lost Sense . . .
#vintage illustration #book #hand #vintage magazine #illustration #hand in book #payday #magazine
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Restoring the Lost Sense (permalink)
"March rose in turn, and stirred the fire with the staff, when, behold! … It was spring."  From The Fairy Ring by Kate Douglas Wiggin & Nora Archibald Smith, illustrated by Elizabeth MacKinstry, 1916.1571350219.6867.6191_source
[Inexplicable images from generations ago invite us to restore the lost sense of immediacy.  We follow the founder of the Theater of Spontaneity, Jacob Moreno, who proposed stringing together "now and then flashes" to unfetter illusion and let imagination run free.  The images we have collected for this series came at a tremendous price, which we explained previously.]
> read more from Restoring the Lost Sense . . .
#vintage illustration #mythology #spring #illustration
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Separated at Birth? (permalink)
Our custom widget that checks for duplicated images suggested this unlikely pairing.  Click each image for its source.
25656 29767
> read more from Separated at Birth? . . .
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Restoring the Lost Sense (permalink)
From Die Muskete, 1910.
[Inexplicable images from generations ago invite us to restore the lost sense of immediacy.  We follow the founder of the Theater of Spontaneity, Jacob Moreno, who proposed stringing together "now and then flashes" to unfetter illusion and let imagination run free.  The images we have collected for this series came at a tremendous price, which we explained previously.]
> read more from Restoring the Lost Sense . . .
#vintage illustration #fairy #folklore #giant #fairy tale #illustration #ogre
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Restoring the Lost Sense (permalink)
From Johnnykin and the Goblins, written and illustrated by Charles Leland, 1877.
[Inexplicable images from generations ago invite us to restore the lost sense of immediacy.  We follow the founder of the Theater of Spontaneity, Jacob Moreno, who proposed stringing together "now and then flashes" to unfetter illusion and let imagination run free.  The images we have collected for this series came at a tremendous price, which we explained previously.]
> read more from Restoring the Lost Sense . . .
#vintage illustration #otherworld #fairies #illustration
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Restoring the Lost Sense (permalink)
Here's a spirit sitting on a capital E.  From Judy, Or The London Serio-Comic Journal, 1884.
[Inexplicable images from generations ago invite us to restore the lost sense of immediacy.  We follow the founder of the Theater of Spontaneity, Jacob Moreno, who proposed stringing together "now and then flashes" to unfetter illusion and let imagination run free.  The images we have collected for this series came at a tremendous price, which we explained previously.]
> read more from Restoring the Lost Sense . . .
#vintage illustration #ornate capital #spirit #hooded figure #capital e #illustration #letter e
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Images Moving Through Time (permalink)
INSTRUCTIONS: Click for another version of the portrait.
Photos courtesy of the NDSU Archives

Photos courtesy of the NDSU University Archives
> read more from Images Moving Through Time . . .
#vintage photo #deterioration #vintage man #man #gif
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Yearbook Weirdness (permalink)
Here's an Ex Libris from Hunter College's Wistarion yearbook, 1930.  See How to Hoodoo Hack a Yearbook.
> read more from Yearbook Weirdness . . .
#vintage illustration #dragon #knight #vintage yearbook #yearbook #ex libris #illustration
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Restoring the Lost Sense (permalink)
"Tea and palmistry," from Punch, 1887.
[Inexplicable images from generations ago invite us to restore the lost sense of immediacy.  We follow the founder of the Theater of Spontaneity, Jacob Moreno, who proposed stringing together "now and then flashes" to unfetter illusion and let imagination run free.  The images we have collected for this series came at a tremendous price, which we explained previously.]
> read more from Restoring the Lost Sense . . .
#vintage illustration #divination #fortune telling #palm reading #palmistry #illustration
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Strange Dreams (permalink)
"Say!  Talk about having a good time."  Date uncertain.
If you have a strange dream to share, send it along!
> read more from Strange Dreams . . .
#mosquito #bug #insects #vintage postcard #postcard
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Restoring the Lost Sense (permalink)
[Inexplicable images from generations ago invite us to restore the lost sense of immediacy.  We follow the founder of the Theater of Spontaneity, Jacob Moreno, who proposed stringing together "now and then flashes" to unfetter illusion and let imagination run free.  The images we have collected for this series came at a tremendous price, which we explained previously.]
> read more from Restoring the Lost Sense . . .
#vintage illustration #angel #emblem #cherub #breath of god #illustration
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Restoring the Lost Sense (permalink)
An antlered money bag takes a bullet but crosses the U.S. border.  From Jugend, 1907.
[Inexplicable images from generations ago invite us to restore the lost sense of immediacy.  We follow the founder of the Theater of Spontaneity, Jacob Moreno, who proposed stringing together "now and then flashes" to unfetter illusion and let imagination run free.  The images we have collected for this series came at a tremendous price, which we explained previously.]
> read more from Restoring the Lost Sense . . .
#vintage illustration #money #money bag #antlers #1900s #illustration #border crossing #art
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Restoring the Lost Sense (permalink)
From Ballou's Monthly, 1868.
[Inexplicable images from generations ago invite us to restore the lost sense of immediacy.  We follow the founder of the Theater of Spontaneity, Jacob Moreno, who proposed stringing together "now and then flashes" to unfetter illusion and let imagination run free.  The images we have collected for this series came at a tremendous price, which we explained previously.]
> read more from Restoring the Lost Sense . . .
#vintage illustration #illustration #march
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