Precious Disney Artifacts

After yesterdays entry involving butchered human bodies, let's talk about something a little more pleasant today, and believe it or not, this happened under the same roof.

After visiting the living nightmare that is "Body Slices" at the Museum of Science and Industry we had the opportunity to check out a temporary exhibit "Treasures of the Walt Disney Archive".  Now, I am a HUGE fan of the Disney Parks.  This exhibit was amazing.  It is leaving Chicago and I am not sure where it is going next, but any fan of Disney Theme Parks or Disney in general needs to check this out.

They have the sort of thing you'd expect, like rare original hand painted animation cells from Disney Classics....

From Pinocchio

As you may know, a lot of the original Disney movies based on fairy tales would begin with a live action book opening.  They had ALL of them.

Now that's enough to make a grown man enchanted with Disney Princesses!

They also had some other cool movie props including a model of the Nautilus used in 20,000 Leagues Under the Sea.

Does anyone else really miss the 20,000 Leagues Rides from Disney World?

They also had a lot of classic costumes worn in Disney Movies....

Of course my favorite things were the artifacts from the Theme Parks.....Check it out, genuine Small World Doll!

And they had the original bride from the Haunted Mansion in Disney World.....

The new bride has a fairly cool projection screen face, but I can't help but love this green weirdo more.

An here is something truly special...........

This little birdie was purchased by Walt Disney himself in New Orleans, LA.  It is a mechanical clock work bird that could move on its own.  This little bird inspired Walt to revolutionize the art of animtronics that is so prevalent at Disney Parks.  Personally, the animatronics are my absolute favorite part.  I have to believe this little bird led directly to the concept of the most old school animatronics show at Disney:  The Tiki Room.

The even had some of Walts very first attempts at animatronics.

Here is the original Mr. Lincoln head.....

I don't know what else to say other then this exhibit blew me away.  If you have a chance to see it, do NOT miss it.

The Carpetbagger

I love hearing from people please comment below.  Also, feel free to email me at jacobthecarpetbagger@gmail.com

Make sure you add me on Facebook and Instagram.

Check out my Youtube Page where I regularly post videos. 

And I can't forget my Flickr Photostream, where all this got started.

Return of the Body Slices

I remember it like it was yesterday.  A young boy only in second grade.  We were on an innocent field trip to Museum of Science and Industry.  We were set to learn about exciting things like coal mining and baby chickens.  Me and several other students walked up a dark stair case and I saw it.  Two horrific slices of human bodies sat encased in plexiglass.  "They are real!"  another little boy declared.  "No way", I said.  I knew that a museum would never display something so gruesome and just stick it in a random dark stair case.  I edged closer.  The detail was undeniable.  Tiny hairs protruded from the thin strips of flesh.  These were not created by the hand of man.  They were created by the hand of God....and then mutilated by the hand of man.  Sickness filled my body and my stomach.  I wanted to run out of the museum.  I would have been no less horrified to find a murdered body in that hallway. 

My whole life the images sat in my brain.  I never forgot my encounter with The Museum of Science and Industry's notorious "Body Slices" exhibit. 

I returned to the museum several times.  Where I lived in Indiana a trip to the Museum was an almost annual occurrence.   I never saw the body slices again.  Maybe they had placed them in storage.  Maybe I just somehow avoided that horrifying dark stair case.

Fast forward to modern day.  My family took a trip to Museum of Science and Industry in Chicago while visiting family this Christmas season.  Its a good museum.  There is no denying that.  Some good hands-on education for the kids. 

They had some cloned mice......

They had a really cool Circus exhibit.....

The exhibit also included some great Circus miniatures.....

Including a menagerie....

And a little freak show!

Other exhibits in the museum are downright whimsical....

They even had a set of my beloved Mold-A-Rama machines.....

As we reached the end of our tour, we stepped into the exhibit innocently referred to as "You!  The Experience".  And then I saw them......

The Body Slices.  In all their disgusting glory.

They were every bit of revolting and traumatizing as I remember.  "Those are awesome!" My 10 year old daughter declared.

Okay, maybe they were a little less creepy in a well lit exhibit hall instead of a dark staircase.  

The two original body slices were now accompanied by a whole room full of respectfully preserved human remains, like this sliced foot.

And this human thigh cut like a slice of country ham.

Oh, but it doesn't there.  I had a chance to see something I had never seen before:  Plastinated human bodies.

For those who are unfamiliar, plastination is where human tissue is altered through chemicals that transform flesh into plastic to create cadavers that do not rot or stink......

They are really gross.

Check out this freaky exploding corpse monster.......

The Museum of Science and Industry....Where your nightmares are made flesh......

Later I asked my daughter what her favorite part of the museum was, she said it was the bodies.......

The Carpetbagger

I love hearing from people please comment below.  Also, feel free to email me at jacobthecarpetbagger@gmail.com

Make sure you add me on Facebook and Instagram.

Check out my Youtube Page where I regularly post videos. 

And I can't forget my Flickr Photostream, where all this got started.

The Long Lost Sanders Cafe in Asheville, NC

A lot of people know about the original Sanders Cafe in Corbin, KY, the original KFC run by Colonel Harland Sanders.  What a lot of people don't realize is that the Colonel operated a second location in Asheville, NC.  In the following video the Carpetbagger visits both locations.

For more on the good Colonel click HERE.

The Carpetbagger

I love hearing from people please comment below.  Also, feel free to email me at jacobthecarpetbagger@gmail.com

Make sure you add me on Facebook and Instagram.

Check out my Youtube Page where I regularly post videos. 

And I can't forget my Flickr Photostream, where all this got started.

The Sordid Origins of Abraham Lincoln: The Bostic Lincoln Center

History books will tell you that Abraham Lincoln was born to Nancy Hanks and Thomas Lincoln in Kentucky on February 12, 1809, the EXACT same day as Charles Darwin.  However, not everyone is buying this story.  A small town in North Carolina claims that Lincoln was not only born there, but was born in a salacious manner.  Lets look at the facts.

The Carpetbagger

I love hearing from people please comment below.  Also, feel free to email me at jacobthecarpetbagger@gmail.com

Make sure you add me on Facebook and Instagram.

Check out my Youtube Page where I regularly post videos. 

And I can't forget my Flickr Photostream, where all this got started.

Metropolis, IL: Hometown of Superman

Metropolis is the home town of Superman.  Yes, Superman.  The alien super hero with a list of infinite superpowers.  Now there are a few differences between the real life Metropolis and the fictional version.  While the fictional version of Metropolis is a bustling, er "metropolis", that resembles New York City, the real life Metropolis is a small town in in Southern Illinois. 

But make no mistake about it.  Metropolis IS the hometown of Superman.  If you have any doubts just go head into town.

Outside a gas station on the outskirts of town sits a set of comic foregrounds.....

The gas station sold tons of Superman merch and even had superhero themed bathrooms.......

I find the above image hilarious.  Can you imagine being trapped on the toilet with no toilet paper, just to have Superman come to your rescue.

As you head into town you start to realize how deeply the town's civic pride runs.  This is something you have to admire.  So many towns are so half hearted about their civic pride.....

Sadly, this is false advertising

The people of Metropolis are all in when it comes to Superman.  I have never seen a town this proud.

Various things around town are named after Superman and Superman lore.  The local Newspaper is called "The Planet".

The video game store is called "Planet Krypton"

The gym goes a little off brand.......

The centerpiece of this Civic Pride is the massive Superman statue that sits in the middle of town.

Tourists line up to have their photos taken with the Superman statue.  The line was so long, I was ready to start looking for a Fastpass machine.

Finally I had a chance to stand in front of Superman.  A friendly lady offer to take my picture.  Sher apparently didn't think including Superman's head was important.

Down a few blocks is a much more low key statue of Lois Lane.

Near the Superman Statue is a Museum dedicated to Superman. 

The museum was in the back of a Superhero themed toy store, so I was basically expecting a bunch of old Superman toys, but I was actually blown away by how awesome it was.  They did indeed have a bunch of vintage Superman merch.

But they have so much more.....Including Wax figures of both Christopher Reeve and George Reeves (no relation).

Not to mention a Wax Clark Kent.

They also have an amazing collection of movie and TV props, including suits and capes from all the classic Supermen....

Christopher Reeve.....

George Reeves....

The Superboy TV Show....

Outfits from "Louis and Clark"

Including a large portion of of Teri Hatcher's wardrobe....

Supergirl has her own section.....

Other awesome movie props include "flying harnesses" used in movies....

Kryptonite.....

A rip-away Clark Kent Suit.....

An authentic pair of George Reeves' Clark Kent glasses....

A large collection of Christopher Reeve's Superman curls........

Plus Marlon Brando's wig.....

And Bizzaro Superboy's head.....

Overall, the Superman museum is AWESOME.  Anyone with a love or appreciation of Superman would be in heaven here.

Another attraction that is heavily touted in Metropolis is the Americana Hollywood Museum.  I traveled the short distance through Metropolis to the museum.

Sadly, the museum appears to have been shuttered for some time.

A peek in the window, showed that the museum looked like an abandoned toy store.

So sadly, we are not going to get to tour the Americana Hollywood Museum.  However, sticking with the Superman theme, they do have a big honking piece of Kryptonite outside.

The Carpetbagger

I love hearing from people please comment below.  Also, feel free to email me at jacobthecarpetbagger@gmail.com

Make sure you add me on Facebook and Instagram.

Check out my Youtube Page where I regularly post videos. 

And I can't forget my Flickr Photostream, where all this got started.