Curious Cultures - Ripley's Believe It or Not!

elieVe iT or noT!
During your visit to Ripley’s Believe It or Not! look for these artefacts from other cultures.
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Trepanning Tool Used for drilling into the skull for intracranial treatment.
bone saw Used by a ‘sawbones’ (surgeon), naturally.
maori Cannibal ForK This bizarre carved implement was used as a fork by Fiji’s cannibals in the 1800s. They considered it taboo
to eat human flesh with their bare hands!
Vampire Killing KiT Devised in the 1840s by Professor Ernst Bloomberg, this kit includes anti-vampire serum, silver bullets, and
a pistol designed for the specific purpose of vampiricide. Similar kits, intended originally for sale to European
travellers, have auctioned for over $20,000!
pieCe oF DraCula’s Cape This piece of fabric is from the cape Bela Lugosi wore in his immortal film portrayal of Dracula (1931). Lugosi
had played the role on Broadway years earlier, and he was buried in a cape from the Dracula
stage play!
ChupaCabra FooTprinT The notorious Chupacabra (‘goat-sucker’) is a vampire-like creature said to drain the blood of livestock
in Puerto Rico, Mexico, and the U.S. This casting was taken after a sighting in rural Miami, Florida in 1996.
general wolFe leTTers General James Wolfe’s bold defeat of the French in the 19th century brought Canada into arms of the British
Empire. Seen here are two letters from his personal correspondence.
iron maiDen Beware the intimate embrace of this rare 16th century Fräulein, obtained in Nuremburg by Ripley himself.
As those succumbing to her charms risk profuse blood-loss and asphyxiation, her sleek contours are perhaps
best appreciated from without.
TorTurer’s branDing iron Despite a bit of rust and chipping, this 17th century branding iron is in remarkably fine repair. Though the
prisoners it was used on may disagree, it’s a sizzling example of Qing Dynasty workmanship…I confess!
eXeCuTioner’s hooD Though justifiably proud of a job well done and a service dutifully performed, there are some selfless
labourers who seek the humble anonymity afforded by accessories such as this Executioner’s mask from
the 16th century.
henry Viii’s shoe Henry VIII loved his shoes! In 1526 he ordered 10 pairs of English leather boots; 10 pairs of Spanish leather
buskins; 1 pair of velvet buskins; 38 pairs of velvet shoes in purple, black and crimson; 3 pairs of black
velvet slippers; three pairs of arming shoes; six pairs of English leather shoes; 6 pairs of shoes in Spanish
leather and a pair of football boots. All of these for just six months!
abDiCaTion speeCh Edward VIII declares in this speech “I have found it impossible to carry the heavy burden of responsibility
and to discharge my duties as king as I would wish to do without the help and support of the woman I love”.
Edward gave up the British throne to marry his beloved, the American divorcee Wallis Simpson!
berlin wall mural Graffiti has long been an expression of rebellion, an assertion of personal freedom. Perhaps there is no
more triumphant realization of that expression than the symbols scrawled on these toppled fragments of
the Berlin Wall.
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