Today’s post comes from National Archives Office of Strategy and Communications staff writer Rob Crotty.
Ladies and Gentlemen, what a contest! After long deliberation, the Archivist of the United States has settled on a winning caption from last week’s photo caption contest. Its author will win eternal fame, fortune, and a 30% discount from the Archives eStore. Congratulations to Marilyn R, who won with the following caption:
Project Runway: The War Effort
So just what were those gents doing with mattresses strapped around their waists? Great question. The original caption to the First World War–era photo, taken in April 1917 by the War Department, reads: “Recruits with their mattresses tied to them to serve as life preservers. Photo taken at Newport Naval Training Station, Rhode Island.” The local identifier is 165-WW-326B(1).
While mattress-clad recruits make a great photo op, there is plenty more of the strange and unusual in our still photo section just waiting for a good caption. So, on to this week’s photo. As a reminder, our expert panel of judges will announce the winner next week, and whoever gets the most giggles will earn 30% off at the Archives eStore, and the gratitude of a nation.
For starters:
“People were upset to discover what Bill meant when he said Prohibition would be a barrel of laughs.”
Before technology modernized today’s petroleum industry, oil spills were smaller and mostly done by hand.
Curb Your Grog
BP execs in training
(f)Rat party in the sewers tonight!
All together now boys:
Roll out the barrel, we’ll have a barrel of fun
Roll out the barrel, we’ve got the blues on the run
Zing boom tararrel, ring out a song of good cheer
Now’s the time to roll the barrel, for the gang’s all here
There’s just nothing funny about prohibition. Ever.
There was some confusion at the onset of the invention of the “kegger” to what exactly the purpose of this activity was. Many years later, it would still receive mixed reviews from the neighbors.
“Pouring one for my homies” used to be an activity taken very seriously by the upper-class Protestant community.
“Well officer, we find that cleaning the street with beer gives it that ‘healthy glow’.”
The precursor to the keg-stand left one essential element to be desired…
Although more extravagent in nature, toasts during the Prohibition never quite had the same effect as in the 1920s…
Much to the chagrin of Prohibitionists nation-wide, this midlife crisis practice never quite took hold as much as buying a porche and dating younger women.
“Shall we gather at the River…..The beautiful the beautiful river”
And thus Urban Dictionary was born, when the friendly gent in the middle referred to this act as ‘Alcohol Abuse’.
We found a way to bypass first running the beer through a human
Jim suddenly doubted his banker’s advice about liquidating all his assets.
Keep filling it up boys! Our giant 200 foot tall alien masters will be back soon, and thirsty for a drink from their massive beer glass!
As the beer flowed, so did the tears..poor, poor beer…
After today, let’s start tapping the kegs from the top.