On this date in 1886 Charles Martin Hall produced the first samples of man-made aluminum. And not even a hundred years later this material would be put to good use in the swamplands of central Florida. In the seventies it was common for men to wear their pants too tight while sitting in a split level ranch house. But sculptor Howard Solomon wanted something a bit different-looking in 1974. So he built himself a medieval castle, complete with a moat, out of aluminum printing plates thrown out by a local newspaper. Because when I think medieval, I think…I don’t know…aluminum foil. The 12,000 sq. ft. castle includes a courtyard full of animal sculptures made from discarded automotive parts and oil drums, a light house, a chair made out of 86 beer cans, a collection of player piano rolls, about 80 stained-glass windows and the “Ala-Schmoe”. Then there is the 60-foot replica of a 16th century Portuguese galleon that serves as the official “Boat in the Moat Restaurant” where tourists can eat lasagna after paying Solomon to show them around. And if you can’t get enough of the place, you can actually spend the night. Um…I’ll think about that one. But you better act fast, who knows how much longer this place will be open to the public as Solomon is currently trying to sell his creation with a listing price of $2.5 million. Why? I thought every man’s home is his castle. Well, I guess not this one. At least not anymore.
This Belongs in a Museum
Bringing you museum-approved grammatical errors and typos since 2010.
Oh, and sorry - I DO NOT FOLLOW BACK!
Exactly 45 years ago today, Martin Luther King, Jr. was assassinated at the Lorraine Motel in Memphis. He was only 39 years old. Today the site is part of a 4 acre complex of buildings that make up the National Civil Rights Museum. The motel is connected by underground tunnel to the Young and Morrow Buildings, where James Earl Ray initially confessed (and later recanted) to shooting King. Another component, Canipe’s Amusement Store, is next door to the rooming house where the alleged murder weapon (along with Ray’s fingerprints) was found. The museum traces the history of the Civil Rights Movement from the 17th century to the present day. A temporary exhibit called Freedom’s Sisters dedicated to African American women who fought for equality, like Ida B. Wells and Myrlie Evers-Williams, is now on display through the rest of 2013. Interesting to note the motel’s owner’s wife suffered a stroke hours after King’s assassination, and died 5 days later. I did not know that.
August 21, 1911: Theft of the Mona Lisa
On this day in 1911, Leonardo da Vinci’s masterpiece, the Mona Lisa, was stolen from the Louvre in Paris by a former employee who walked out of the museum with the painting in his jacket.
The thief, Vincenzo Peruggia, claimed to have been motivated by his patriotism to Italy, to where he believed the Mona Lisa should be returned. However, after two years of having the da Vinci painting in his possession, Peruggia was apprehended trying to exchange it for ransom money.
He had stolen it by entering the building during regular hours, hiding in a broom closet and walking out after the museum had closed and the guard house was left unattended. In Italy Peruggia was hailed for his crime, but he still served six months in jail. Today it would be impossible to commit such an act as the painting is covered with bulletproof glass, shielded from visitors with a waist-high barrier and protected by security guards.
(via pbsthisdayinhistory)
