The Artefacts Quiz 2015

1. The Artefacts Quiz ‘15 Navin Rajaram

2. Rules • Written Quiz • Teams of 2 • 46 Questions worth I don’t know how many points • Multi-part questions – each part worth 1 point • Good luck!

3. • Dating to around 200 BC, the first of this collective group of objects was discovered by Wilhelm König in the basement of the National Museum of Iraq in 1938. • While most archaelogists believe these were storage vessels for sacred scrolls, König proposed a hypothesis, that has since been tested by pouring lemon juice, grape juice or vinegar in the vessel and testing applications such as coin minting and jewelry. • If proven, the hypothesis might establish these objects as predecessors to a seminal 1800s discovery. What is the collective term for these objects, referring to the city where they were discovered and their intended purpose? 1

5. • Possibly the most iconic creation of American industrial designer David Rowland, the object you see here is called the 40/4 (to be read as “40 by 4” or “40 in 4”) and has been in continuous production since 1956 owing to its comfort, simple design and ease of production/storage. Why is it called the 40/4? 2

6. • One of the items displayed at the Smithsonian Museum, this object symbolizes a certain American industry’s obsession with standardization and getting things exactly right every single time. What is the purpose of this object? 3

8. • In ancient Roman religion and magic, these objects symbolized the divine phallus and were representative of the god who protected one from sorcery, witchcraft, envy and evil eyes. • It was customary to use amulets in these shapes, particularly among soldiers who used a “fist and phallus” variant as good luck charms. • The Latin term for these s gives us an English word that originally implied their use as magic and hence the current meaning “to enchant or bewitch”. Name these artefacts or the derived English word. 4

10. • Designed in 1876 by Henry Dreyfuss, the Western Electrics (WE) Model 302 phone was the first telephone to use ringer and network circuitry. • Deployed on the Bell system in 1936, the phone made multiple appearances in films and TV shows, but is fondly remembered by collectors as the ____ phone in reference to its multiple appearances in a 1950s TV comedy where the titular protagonist often speaks animatedly on the phone. Name the show or fill in the blank the protagonist’s name. 5

12. • A collector’s item today, the Holloway Prison brooch was once described as the Victoria Cross of a certain group of people and was first awarded at an Albert Hall meeting in 1909. • Designed by Sylvia _____, the brooch incorporates the portcullis symbol of the House of Commons, has a gate and hanging chains in silver, and the superimposed broad arrow representing the convict’s symbol in purple, green and white, the adopted colours of the group. Which group awarded these brooches? Who, among this group, were eligible to be awarded these brooches? 6

14. • The QF 3-pounder Hotchkiss was a light 47-mm naval gun introduced in 1886 to defend against fast vessels such as torpedo boats and later submarines. • Sometime in 1961, in response to complaints that an existing six- pounder was too loud, the Royal Navy salvaged one such Hotchkiss 3-pounder that saw action in WWI’s Battle of Jutland and presented it to a party. • The Hotchkiss continues to serve the party well without any further cause for complaint. Who/What is the party that received the 3-pounder? What specific use is the Hotchkiss being put to? 7

16. • Arthur Irwin, a Canadian manager and part-time sportsperson, is credited with what was once considered a sporting innovation. • While playing with Providence in 1883, Irwin is said to have injured the third and fourth fingers in his left hand and came up with this to ensure he missed no more games. • By 1884, other players had adopted it and the object came to be called the “Irwin _____”. What ubiquitous sporting artefact? 8

17. • The current appearance of this dining table artefact is attributed to Cardinal Richelieu. • In 1637, the Cardinal is said to have been horrified when he saw a guest pick his teeth, as a result of which he ordered a change to be made. • In 1669, Louis XIV, possibly to avoid succession conspiracies from being executed at dinner, made it mandatory for French cutlers to forge this object the way Richelieu had ordered and it has stayed that way ever since. What object? What exact change? 9

18. • In 2014, the Cleveland Rock & Roll Hall of Fame & Museum announced that the artefact, containing the ashes of X, will be moved to make way forY’s leotards from her tours. • The announcement generated equal parts outrage and amusement with some people saying “this was the guy who started it all” while others went philosophical with “Is Y even rock and roll?”. • Today, a new exhibit for X, in a less frequented part of the museum, features his microphones; the ashes have since been returned to a Cleveland cemetery. Name X andY. 10

20. You are likely to see a collection of such artefacts if you were to visit specific museums in Maine (USA) or Scotland/England. What are these artefacts you see here? (generic term is fine) What kind of a museum would you be visiting? 11

22. • Contrary to appearance, these Victorian era items are not the royal family’s table tennis accessories. • The usage of these objects involved washing them first with salted water to prevent them from becoming sticky, then using them to squeeze excess moisture out of a daily use commodity, before working this commodity into a regular shape. • Some of these objects also came with patterns that could be stamped on the commodity to identify the maker. What were these objects called or briefly explain their purpose? 12

24. (Not strictly artefacts, but please adjust!) • In 1927, someone had the bright idea of doing a flying American tour for promotions with the cargo; consequently a Ryan Brougham plane, similar to the one that Lindbergh flew was modified for this purpose. • Five hours into the flight from San Diego to New York, the plane crashed into the Arizona desert. • The pilot went looking for help and 4 days later, the cargo was still found to be in good shape, having survived some lonely moments of anxiety. Who/what was the cargo? 13

26. • Coinciding with the 1930s national craze for streamlining goods of all kinds, Raymond Loewy patented two designs – one derived from a teardrop and the other derived from a sphere. • The teardrop was the one chosen for fabrication and when the 5½ inch high prototype made its debut at the 1934 NewYork Industrial Arts Exposition, it incited furious debate between streamlined style and functionalism – the former was criticized as giving more importance to form over function. • Loewy himself defended his design saying “My critics did not understand that by streamlining,I tried to minimize maintenance, cleaning and hence simplify function.” What object of daily use was the teardrop bombshell? 14

28. • Philippe Starck was staring at his plate of calamari at Amalfi, pondering his latest commission from the Italian design house Alessi. • As he noticed that he had no _____ to add zing to his calamari, he got an idea that he began scribbling on a paper napkin. • Twenty years on, the greasy, _____-stained napkin is at the Alessi Museum and depicts the very first doodles of what would become a best-selling design. What object, that Michael Czerwinski, of London's Design Museum described as “a perfectly adequate kitchen drawer filler with aspirational desirability” and is eerily reminiscent of a Martin tripod? 15

30. • This oak writing table was installed right next to a window in the Cristal-Room, built on top of Hauteville House at St. Peter Port, from where the individual could look across the Channel Islands to his beloved homeland that he was exiled from. • The table was installed so as to allow him to write while standing, a method he preferred over the conventional seated method. • A unique piece of literary heritage, the table is said to have played a part in the completion of one of his most famous works, as well as numerous poems, essays and letters during the years 1856-1870 when he stayed here. Who? 16

32. • These are accessories used in the context of a repair technique – A ______ egg made of stone, porcelain, wood, or other hard material is inserted into the item to be repaired to provide a firm foundation. Once the repairs are finished, the egg is removed. – A ______ mushroom is a tool usually made of wood, on which the item to be repaired is stretched and gathered tightly around the stalk to hold it in place during the process. – A ______ gourd is a hollow dried gourd with a pronounced neck, on which the item under repair is stretched and held in place. What repair technique are all these accessories used in? What specific item do these accessories help in repairing? 17

34. • Robert Heinlein said he got an idea for these devices after reading a 1918 article in Popular Mechanics, where an individual was affected with myasthenia gravis, an auto-immune disorder that causes muscle weakness and fatigue. • Heinlein went on to publish the short story _______ (1942) in which the protagonist ______ Farthingwaite-Jones patents a device to help him overcome a similar disability. • Today, such devices used in chemical, nuclear and biological research are nicknamed _________s in tribute to Heinlein’s story title. What is the generic name for such devices? What nickname, that might remind you of searching in crowds, are these devices known by? 18

36. • In 1786, the gentleman (pic) won an essay competition and decided that he would devote his time towards a cause. • To research on this front, he visited a trading ship, The Lively, and procured samples of beeswax, carved ivory, palm oil and peppers, which he began adding to his collection. • The result was a travelling chest, a veritable museum of images during his speeches, to convince people that a mutually beneficial system driven by trade must be adopted. Who was the gentleman? What campaign did the travelling chest serve? 19

38. #TCQ – Typical Commie Question • Created by painter and porcelain artist, Mikhail Adamovich, this decorative plate was selected as one of 100 objects that the British Museum would use to teach world history. • Commissioned in 1921, it shows a revolutionary worker stamping on something, represented in Futurist style, to release industrial power that benefits the general proletariat as opposed to a selected set of people. What is the worker stamping on? 20

40. • Titled “In the dull village”, it is one of a series of etchings and aquatint prints made in 1966 by an artist for a selection of poems. • The young artist discovered the writer’s body of work in the 1950s and went on to visit Cairo, Luxor and Alexandria in the hope that he could gain inspiration from the same liberal environs that influenced the writer. • This particular etching, while symbolic of the writer’s work, is based on drawings of the artist’s partially clothed friends in his Notting Hill home. Name the artist. Name the writer. 21

42. • This lantern was originally donated to the University of Oxford in 1641 by the son of the Justice of Peace, who may have grabbed it from the individual in question, a few decades ago. • Made of sheet iron with a holder for a candle inside, it has a hinged door which acts a window for light to glow and an adjustable vent to conceal the light and hence hide the user’s presence. • The user was unable to put the candle flame inside to use, despite best intentions. In whose hand was the lantern found ? 22

43. • In 1908, Dr. Julius Neubronner patented a miniature photography device activated by a timing mechanism, demonstrating it at the 1911 expositions in Dresden and Paris. • Demos involved photos such as the ones shown, that were developed on the spot and turned into postcards. • The invention gained brief interest from the Prussian ministry, but with better methods at their disposal, the technology did not find much use. What was special about this camera? 23

45. • Halteres, which weighed between 1 kg – 4.5 kg were a specific category of dumb-bells in Ancient Greece, that were used both as lifting weights and in the older version of a modern Olympic sport. • The older version involved the athlete holding one haltere in each hand, swinging them forward to increase momentum and using them appropriately to change one’s center of gravity. What modern Olympic sport once involved the use of halteres? 24

47. • The object you see here is an early 1900s fabric cylinder designed to be drawn up and over the nose and mouth, with the open end having leather straps for tightening. • While there was no filtering mechanism, the fabric would have been dipped in neutralizing agents such as phenol or sodium hyposulphite. • Statistics indicate that the efficacy of this item was correlated to better communication, ability to supply faster to the frontlines and general troop morale because of emotional connects. What was the purpose of this object? 25

49. • Called the Chertsey tiles, these artefacts were discovered accidentally in 1852 at a Benedictine Abbey in Surrey and depict two historical individuals. • Date to around 1250 AD, the tile motif takes the liberty of showing one person vanquishing the other, perhaps to improve morale and divert public attention from what was in fact a loss. • The tiles also fuelled a historically inaccurate story, later copied in manuscripts, wall paintings and sculpture. Name both parties in the motif. (no part points) What is historically inaccurate about this tile or other such similar art from that time? 26

51. • The next 7 Questions (multiple parts in each question but one of the answer parts links to the theme) have a common theme running through them. • No points for the theme, but once you figure out the theme, atleast one of the parts in each question is workoutable, if not both.

52. • Like many 18th century gentleman, he had his own cabinet of curiosities that included a staghorn coral, an Indian feather from the Cherokees, a telescope, a globe, swords, guns and others. • Possibly the most curious artefact in this collection is something that came from the order Pristidae,a member of the ray family. • The artefact consists of a protusion of cartilage and bone with ‘teeth’, that are actually scales, and creates an appearance of a common woodworking instrument. Whose collection is this artefact part of? What is the creature, whose anatomical part this is? What common term, from the days of public speaking in Ancient Rome, is applied to this part? 27

54. • This Fannon MP-5 bullhorn is one of the first artefacts that was put on display at the ______ Center opened in Dallas. • Three days after the incident, when the individual visited the area, he wanted to make an impromptu address, but since the bullhorn’s range was just 300 yards, someone in the crowd yelled they could not hear him. • Acknowledging them, he said “I can hear you! The rest of the world hears you! And the people who did this will hear all of us soon.” Who? In the context of what incident were these words spoken? 28

56. • In 1961, three days before stepping aside, he made a speech that touched upon the nation’s prosperity, but warned about its growing expenditure on arming itself. • That address has endured over time, the teleprompter script is preserved along with an Emmy Award (1956) in a museum in his honour. • The speech also introduced a phrase about an influential nexus that is now the norm in most nations “we must guard against the acquisition of unwarranted influence, whether sought or unsought, by the ______ _______ _____” Who?What phrase? 29

58. • Two months after the tragedy, he dictated a letter to his friend John B. Murray, in which he spoke of being “prostrated to the very earth by this dreadful event”. • Two copies of this letter – one printed, the other in the handwriting of John B Murray are displayed at the headquarter of the Players, the private social club for actors, that was founded by him. Who wrote this letter? (full name please) What was he referring to? 30

60. • A regulation officer’s boatcloak, garments of this type were designed to protect the wearer from the cold and the clothing from the effects of spray. • The garment opens at the front and is fitted with two frogs (knotted lengths of braided cord), which engage to secure the cloak and close it. • Made at a local navy yard, this particular garment kept the wearer warm during a particularly icy trip to discuss the future of a continent emerging from a near apocalypse. Name the wearer. What trip are we talking about? 31

62. • The operation, as part of which this artefact found frequent use, may remind one of indigestion, but the naming implied a swift, repetitive action to save as many compromised lives as possible. • The object is said to have been used by close to 7000 people, all of whom might remember it as the final step to redemption. • Much of the success of the operation is attributed to the diligent sense of urgency and planning shown by the man in charge, in whose commemorative museum this item now resides. Name the man. Where exactly was this object originally present? 32

64. • Simple one: artefact connected with whose last moments? What exactly is this artefact? 33

65. THEME ENDS..

66. • One of the reasons this set of pajamas was designed was to encourage children to actively participate in bedtime stories. What was the other reason, a solution to a common parental complaint? 34

68. • Soon after his death in 1871, in accordance with his will, his brain was donated towards the advancement of human knowledge and the good of the human race. • A paper in a 1909 edition of the Philosophical Transactions of the Royal Society described the dissection of his brain and notes that there was very little senile wasting of gyri, perhaps hinting at a very active mind even at 80 years of age. • One half of the brain resides at the Hunterian Museum, while the other is at the Science Museum in London. Which man, who made a huge difference to science? 35

70. • Just 10 miles south of San Francisco airport, this museum is home to a quirky collection and claims to have atleast one sample of every ______ ______ ever sold. • Its pièce de résistance is the World’s Largest ______ _______, a behemoth snowman standing at 7 ft, 20 in tall – much taller than an average one, seen in stores. What childhood indulgence is this museum devoted to? 36

73. • The use of this artefact involves a fixed end, while the other end vibrates on a plain surface; the harder the plain surface, harder the vibrating object had to be. • The object was manufactured in two types – spherical and elliptical, the former allows for more contact and hence better output quality while the latter has less contact area, leading to better sensitivity. • As plain surface materials evolved, the object was manufactured with hard materials like sapphire or diamond. What term, deriving from Latin for a stake, is used for these objects and is familiar to us in a smart technology context? In what larger device are these objects used as components? 37

74. • A bur is a generic term for a cutting surface, made of a multifluted tungsten carbide diamond coated tip or a stainless steel multifluted rosehead. • ________ burs are classified by shapes such as round (sizes ¼ to 10) inverted cone sizes (sizes 33 ½ to 90L), pear shaped, fissured and also by type of shank such as long shanks used in slow speed or a friction grip bur used in high speed. What field of human endeavor, a trying one for all parties involved, are these burs useful in? 38

76. • The term originally referred to a simple device used to pry the caps of old school crown cork sealed bottles. • Before pull tab beer cans came into vogue in the 1960s, the same term was used for bottle/can-openers that punctured the lids of flat top cans. • Etymological theories are hazy but the most popular one says that these openers looked like large, ornate items used by monks for places of worship or areas where they sealed beer. What term, that may just be a jocular reference to the fact that opening a beer is a religious experience? 39

78. • A type of electric guitar pickup, it uses two magnetic coils in which one coil with its north poles oriented up (towards the strings) is paired with another coil whose south poles are oriented up. • This achieves phase cancellation and cancels out the ______ (X) sound that could be caused by power-amps, processors, mixers and other equipment operating on AC. • The name of the pickup comes from the fact that it “______s (Y) the _____ (X)”, literally killing the undesired sound. What is this pickup called? (XYer) 40

80. • Originally an independent museum, this collection of objects was moved to the science museum at Minnesota and is now an exhibit there. • Examples of objects displayed here include: – A Prostate Gland Warmer (a 4.25 inch probe with a blue light bulb at the end) – A machine that determines the personality by measuring the bumps on one’s head – A rejuvenator that uses magnetism, radio waves, infra-red and ultra-violet rays and so on… What is this museum devoted to? 41

82. • If you were a Duke University Student in the 1940s or 1950s, you would not have been able to check an online catalog at the David M. Rubenstein library and retrieve the book of your choice. • What you did was you consulted the card catalog and wrote the call number on a paper slip, handed that slip to a staff at the Circulation Desk and after a few restless moments, your book would arrive at the desk through an electric book-lift or dumbwaiter. • The process of locating the book was somewhat simplified by using what you see here. How were these objects used? (2 key words in your answer will help fetch full points) 42

84. • While everyone else would call it a _____ smoker, it is just called a smoker in the profession in which it is used as a distraction mechanism. • Credited to Moses Quinby, the first known person of this profession in the USA, the invention operates on the principle that smoke masks alarm pheromones such as isopentyl acetate and consequently numbing of defensive responses. • In addition, smoke tends to create a feeding frenzy, leading to distended abdomens, that make it tougher to react defensively. What profession of people use the smoker? 43

86. • In 1849, Auguste Clesinger, a sculptor, was rushed to the man’s deathbed to ensure he got this item along with a face mask, the latter a ghastly artefact in its own right. • Describing this particular item in action, Stephen Heller, a biographer once said “they had an ability to suddenly expand and cover a third of the total space, akin to the opening of the mouth of a serpent about to swallow a rabbit whole.” What is this artefact, that has copies in the Musee de la Vie Romantique (Paris), the Hunterian Museum & Art Gallery (UK) and the _____ museum in Rapperswill, Switzerland? 44

88. • Atleast 7 assassination attempts were made on King Louis-Phillipe of the French July Monarchy, but none so fantastic as the one orchestrated by a Corsican, Giuseppe Fieschi, who built this diabolical device to kill the King. • Rather than fire a few shots at the king, Fieschi’s weapon of wood and iron had 25 barrels that shot all at once in different directions. • On July 28, 1835, it was setup on the 3rd storey of the Boulevard du Temple Paris and when it fired, 18 people were killed and 42 injured but none from the royal family; in fact Pieschi himself was injured due to a backfire. What was this gun called, in reference to the fact that its design and intended use was patently hellish? (Unrelated Clue: the term was later used as the title of a 1934 Greek mythological play by Jean Cocteau) 45

91. • In 1911, when the coinage with King George V’s image was introduced in British India, a certain problem was noticed on the side on which the King’s image was displayed. • This caused all manner of hurt sentiments leading to the British government’s decision to withdraw all 1911 coins minted from circulation. What was the issue/what were these coins called due to the controversy? 46

93. ANSWERS FOLLOW

94. • Dating to around 200 BC, the first of this collective group of objects was discovered by Wilhelm König in the basement of the National Museum of Iraq in 1938. • While most archaelogists believe these were storage vessels for sacred scrolls, König proposed a hypothesis, that has since been tested by pouring lemon juice, grape juice or vinegar in the vessel and applications such as coin minting and jewelry. • If proven, the hypothesis might establish these objects as predecessors to a seminal 1800s discovery. What is the collective term for these objects, referring to the city where they were discovered and their intended purpose? 1

96. Answer

97. Baghdad Battery

98. • Possibly the most iconic creation of American industrial designer David Rowland, the object you see here is called the 40/4 (to be read as “40 by 4” or “40 in 4”) and has been in continuous production since 1956 owing to its comfort, simple design and ease of production/storage. Why is it called the 40/4? 2

99. Answer

100. 40 chairs can be stacked 4 feet high

101. • One of the items displayed at the Smithsonian Museum, this object symbolizes a certain American industry’s obsession with standardization and getting things exactly right every single time. What is the purpose of this object? 3

103. Answer

104. Bun Gauge the object measures the width/height of buns used in Quarter Pounders, Big Macs and so on

105. • In ancient Roman religion and magic, these objects symbolized the divine phallus and were representative of the god who protected one from sorcery, witchcraft, envy and evil eyes. • It was customary to use amulets in these shapes, particularly among soldiers who used a “fist and phallus” variant as good luck charms. • The Latin term for these artefacts gives us an English word that originally implied their use as magic and hence the current meaning “to enchant or bewitch”. Name these artefacts or the derived English word. 4

107. Answer

108. Fascinus from which we get Fascinate

109. • Designed in 1876 by Henry Dreyfuss, the Western Electrics (WE) Model 302 phone was the first telephone to use ringer and network circuitry. • Deployed on the Bell system in 1936, the phone made multiple appearances in films and TV shows, but is fondly remembered by collectors as the ____ phone in reference to its multiple appearances in a 1950s TV comedy where the titular protagonist often speaks animatedly on the phone. Name the show or fill in the blank the protagonist’s name. 5

111. Answer

112. I Love Lucy/ Lucy phone

113. • A collector’s item today, the Holloway Prison brooch was once described as the Victoria Cross of a certain group of people and was first awarded at an Albert Hall meeting in 1909. • Designed by Sylvia _____, the brooch incorporates the portcullis symbol of the House of Commons, has a gate and hanging chains in silver, and the superimposed broad arrow representing the convict’s symbol in purple, green and white, the adopted colours of the group. Which group awarded these brooches? Who, among this group, were eligible to be awarded these brooches? 6

115. Answer

116. Suffragettes/Women’s Social & Political Union (WSPU) Women who had been imprisoned during the suffragette struggle

117. • The QF 3-pounder Hotchkiss was a light 47-mm naval gun introduced in 1886 to defend against fast vessels such as torpedo boats and later submarines. • Sometime in 1961, in response to complaints that an existing six- pounder was too loud, the Royal Navy salvaged one such Hotchkiss 3-pounder that saw action in WWI’s Battle of Jutland and presented it to a party. • The Hotchkiss continues to serve the party well without any further cause for complaint. Who/What is the party that received the 3-pounder? What specific use is the Hotchkiss being put to? 7

119. Answer

120. Jardines The Noonday gun tradition in Hong Kong

121. • Arthur Irwin, a Canadian manager and part-time sportsperson, is credited with what was once considered a sporting innovation. • While playing with Providence in 1883, Irwin is said to have injured the third and fourth fingers in his left hand and came up with this to ensure he missed no more games. • By 1884, other players had adopted it and the object came to be called the “Irwin _____”. What ubiquitous sporting artefact? 8

122. Answer

123. Baseball Gloves (for pitchers/fielders)

124. • The current appearance of this dining table artefact is attributed to Cardinal Richelieu. • In 1637, the Cardinal is said to have been horrified when he saw a guest pick his teeth, as a result of which he ordered a change to be made. • In 1669, Louis XIV, possibly to avoid succession conspiracies from being executed at dinner, made it mandatory for French cutlers to forge this object the way Richelieu had ordered and it has stayed that way ever since. What object? What exact change? 9

125. Answer

126. Table Knives being rounded, instead of sharp

127. • In 2014, the Cleveland Rock & Roll Hall of Fame & Museum announced that the artefact, containing the ashes of X, will be moved to make way forY’s leotards from her tours. • The announcement generated equal parts outrage and amusement with some people saying “this was the guy who started it all” while others went philosophical with “Is Y even rock and roll?”. • Today, a new exhibit for X, in a less frequented part of the museum, features his microphones; the ashes have since been returned to a Cleveland cemetery. Name X andY. 10

129. Answer

130. DJ Alan Freed who coined the term “rock n roll” Beyonce

131. You are likely to see a collection of such artefacts if you were to visit specific museums in Maine (USA) or Scotland/England. What are these artefacts you see here? (generic term is fine) What kind of a museum would you be visiting? 11

133. Answer

134. Lenses (Fresnel types mostly) Lighthouses

135. • Contrary to appearance, these Victorian era items are not the royal family’s table tennis accessories. • The usage of these objects involved washing them first with salted water to prevent them from becoming sticky, then using them to squeeze excess moisture out of a daily use commodity, before working this commodity into a regular shape. • Some of these objects also came with patterns that could be stamped on the commodity to identify the maker. What were these objects called or briefly explain their purpose? 12

137. Answer

138. Butter Pats (used to give butter its brick shape)

139. (Not strictly artefacts, but please adjust!) • In 1927, someone had the bright idea of doing a flying American tour for promotions with the cargo; consequently a Ryan Brougham plane, similar to the one that Lindbergh flew was modified for this purpose. • Five hours into the flight from San Diego to New York, the plane crashed into the Arizona desert. • The pilot went looking for help and 4 days later, the cargo was still found to be in good shape, having survived some lonely moments of anxiety. Who/what was the cargo? 13

141. Answer

142. MGM Lion

143. • Coinciding with the 1930s national craze for streamlining goods of all kinds, Raymond Loewy patented two designs – one derived from a teardrop and the other derived from a sphere. • The teardrop was the one chosen for fabrication and when the 5½ inch high prototype made its debut at the 1934 NewYork Industrial Arts Exposition, it incited furious debate between streamlined style and functionalism – the former was criticized as giving more importance to form over function. • Loewy himself defended his design saying “My critics did not understand that by streamlining,I tried to minimize maintenance, cleaning and hence simplify function.” What object of daily use was the teardrop bombshell? 14

145. Answer

146. Pencil Sharpener

147. • Philippe Starck was staring at his plate of calamari at Amalfi, pondering his latest commission from the Italian design house Alessi. • As he noticed that he had no _____ to add zing to his calamari, he got an idea that he began scribbling on a paper napkin. • Twenty years on, the greasy, _____-stained napkin is at the Alessi Museum and depicts the very first doodles of what would become a best-selling design. What object, that Michael Czerwinski, of London's Design Museum described as “a perfectly adequate kitchen drawer filler with aspirational desirability” and is eerily reminiscent of a Martin tripod? 15

149. Answer

150. Juicy Salif Lemon Squeezer

151. • This oak writing table was installed right next to a window in the Cristal-Room, built on top of Hauteville House at St. Peter Port, from where the individual could look across the Channel Islands to his beloved homeland that he was exiled from. • The table was installed so as to allow him to write while standing, a method he preferred over the conventional seated method. • A unique piece of literary heritage, the table is said to have played a part in the completion of one of his most famous works, as well as numerous poems, essays and letters during the years 1856-1870 when he stayed here. Who? 16

153. Answer

154. Victor Hugo

155. • These are accessories used in the context of a repair technique – A ______ egg made of stone, porcelain, wood, or other hard material is inserted into the item to be repaired to provide a firm foundation. Once the repairs are finished, the egg is removed. – A ______ mushroom is a tool usually made of wood, on which the item to be repaired is stretched and gathered tightly around the stalk to hold it in place during the process. – A ______ gourd is a hollow dried gourd with a pronounced neck, on which the item under repair is stretched and held in place. What repair technique are all these accessories used in? What specific item do these accessories help in repairing? 17

157. Answer

158. Darning Socks/Stockings

159. • Robert Heinlein said he got an idea for these devices after reading a 1918 article in Popular Mechanics, where an individual was affected with myasthenia gravis, an auto-immune disorder that causes muscle weakness and fatigue. • Heinlein went on to publish the short story _______ (1942) in which the protagonist ______ Farthingwaite-Jones patents a device to help him overcome a similar disability. • Today, such devices used in chemical, nuclear and biological research are nicknamed _________s in tribute to Heinlein’s story title. What is the generic name for such devices? What nickname, that might remind you of searching in crowds, are these devices known by? 18

161. Answer

162. Remote Manipulators Waldo

163. • In 1786, the gentleman (pic) won an essay competition and decided that he would devote his time towards a cause. • To research on this front, he visited a trading ship, The Lively, and procured samples of beeswax, carved ivory, palm oil and peppers, which he began adding to his collection. • The result was a travelling chest, a veritable museum of images during his speeches, to convince people that a mutually beneficial system driven by trade must be adopted. Who was the gentleman? What campaign did the travelling chest serve? 19

165. Answer

166. Thomas Clarkson The Abolitionist/Anti-Slavery Campaign

167. #TCQ – Typical Commie Question • Created by painter and porcelain artist, Mikhail Adamovich, this decorative plate was selected as one of 100 objects that the British Museum would use to teach world history. • Commissioned in 1921, it shows a revolutionary worker stamping on something, represented in Futurist style, to release industrial power that benefits the general proletariat as opposed to a selected set of people. What is the worker stamping on? 20

169. Answer

170. Kapital

171. • Titled “In the dull village”, it is one of a series of etchings and aquatint prints made in 1966 by an artist for a selection of poems. • The young artist discovered the writer’s body of work in the 1950s and went on to visit Cairo, Luxor and Alexandria in the hope that he could gain inspiration from the same liberal environs that influenced the writer. • This particular etching, while symbolic of the writer’s work, is based on drawings of the artist’s partially clothed friends in his Notting Hill home. Name the artist. Name the writer. 21

173. Answer

174. David Hockney Constantin Cavafy

175. • This lantern was originally donated to the University of Oxford in 1641 by the son of the Justice of Peace, who may have grabbed it from the individual in question, a few decades ago. • Made of sheet iron with a holder for a candle inside, it has a hinged door which acts a window for light to glow and an adjustable vent to conceal the light and hence hide the user’s presence. • The user was unable to put the candle flame inside to use, despite best intentions. In whose hand was the lantern found ? 22

176. Answer

177. Guy Fawkes

178. • In 1908, Dr. Julius Neubronner patented a miniature photography device activated by a timing mechanism, demonstrating it at the 1911 expositions in Dresden and Paris. • Demos involved photos such as the ones shown, that were developed on the spot and turned into postcards. • The invention gained brief interest from the Prussian ministry, but with better methods at their disposal, the technology did not find much use. What was special about this camera? 23

180. Answer

181. Attached to carrier pigeons

182. • Halteres, which weighed between 1 kg – 4.5 kg were a specific category of dumb-bells in Ancient Greece, that were used both as lifting weights and in the older version of a modern Olympic sport. • The older version involved the athlete holding one haltere in each hand, swinging them forward to increase momentum and using them appropriately to change one’s center of gravity. What modern Olympic sport once involved the use of halteres? 24

184. Answer

185. Long Jump (also accept Triple Jump)

186. • The object you see here is an early 1900s fabric cylinder designed to be drawn up and over the nose and mouth, with the open end having leather straps for tightening. • While there was no filtering mechanism, the fabric would have been dipped in neutralizing agents such as phenol or sodium hyposulphite. • Statistics indicate that the efficacy of this item was correlated to better communication, ability to supply faster to the frontlines and general troop morale because of emotional connects. What was the purpose of this object? 25

188. Answer

189. Gas Masks for horses inWWI

190. • Called the Chertsey tiles, these artefacts were discovered accidentally in 1852 at a Benedictine Abbey in Surrey and depict two historical individuals. • Date to around 1100 AD, the tile motif takes the liberty of showing one person vanquishing the other, perhaps to improve morale and divert public attention from what was in fact a loss. • The tiles also fuelled a historically inaccurate story, later copied in manuscripts, wall paintings and sculpture. Name both parties in the motif. (no part points) What is historically inaccurate about this tile or other such similar art from that time? 26

192. Answer

193. Richard I & Saladin The two never met face-to-face on a battlefield, although their representative armies clashed

194. • The next 7 Questions (multiple parts in each question but one of the answer parts links to the theme) have a common theme running through them. • No points for the theme, but once you figure out the theme, atleast one of the parts in each question is workoutable, if not both.

195. • Like many 18th century gentleman, he had his own cabinet of curiosities that included a staghorn coral, an Indian feather from the Cherokees, a telescope, a globe, swords, guns and others. • Possibly the most curious artefact in this collection is something that came from the order Pristidae,a member of the ray family. • The artefact consists of a protusion of cartilage and bone with ‘teeth’, that are actually scales, and creates an appearance of a common woodworking instrument. Whose collection is this artefact part of? What is the creature, whose anatomical part this is? What common term, from the days of public speaking in Ancient Rome, is applied to this part? 27

197. Answer

198. George Washington Sawfish / Carpenter Sharks Rostrum

199. • This Fannon MP-5 bullhorn is one of the first artefacts that was put on display at the ______ Center opened in Dallas. • Three days after the incident, when the individual visited the area, he wanted to make an impromptu address, but since the bullhorn’s range was just 300 yards, someone in the crowd yelled they could not hear him. • Acknowledging them, he said “I can hear you! The rest of the world hears you! And the people who did this will hear all of us soon.” Who? In the context of what incident were these words spoken? 28

201. Answer

202. George W. Bush Jr. 9/11

203. • In 1961, three days before stepping aside, he made a speech that touched upon the nation’s prosperity, but warned about its growing expenditure on arming itself. • That address has endured over time, earning him an Emmy award in 1956; the award and the teleprompter script are both preserved in a museum in his honour. • The speech also introduced a phrase about an influential nexus that is now the norm in most nations “we must guard against the acquisition of unwarranted influence, whether sought or unsought, by the ______ _______ _____” Who?What phrase? 29

205. Answer

206. Dwight Eisenhower Military-Industrial Complex

207. • Two months after the tragedy, he dictated a letter to his friend John B. Murray, in which he spoke of being “prostrated to the very earth by this dreadful event”. • Two copies of this letter – one printed, the other in the handwriting of John B Murray are displayed at the headquarter of the Players, the private social club for actors, that was founded by him. Who wrote this letter? (full name please) What was he referring to? 30

209. Answer

210. Edwin Booth Lincoln assassination

211. • A regulation officer’s boatcloak, garments of this type were designed to protect the wearer from the cold and the clothing from the effects of spray. • The garment opens at the front and is fitted with two frogs (knotted lengths of braided cord), which engage to secure the cloak and close it. • Made at a local navy yard, this particular garment kept the wearer warm during a particularly icy trip to discuss the future of a continent emerging from a near apocalypse. Name the wearer. What trip are we talking about? 31

213. Answer

214. Franklin D. Roosevelt Yalta Conference

215. • The operation, as part of which this artefact found frequent use, may remind one of indigestion, but the naming implied a swift, repetitive action to save as many compromised lives as possible. • The object is said to have been used by close to 7000 people, all of whom might remember it as the final step to redemption. • Much of the success of the operation is attributed to the diligent sense of urgency and planning shown by the man in charge, in whose commemorative museum this item now resides. Name the man. Where exactly was this object originally present? 32

217. Answer

218. Gerald D. Ford American Embassy in Saigon

219. • Simple one: artefact connected with whose last moments? What exactly is this artefact? 33

220. Answer

221. JFK Leather from the limo seat

222. THEME ENDS..

223. • One of the reasons this set of pajamas was designed was to encourage children to actively participate in bedtime stories. What was the other reason, a solution to a common parental complaint? 34

225. Answer

226. To prevent sucking of thumbs

227. • Soon after his death in 1871, in accordance with his will, his brain was donated towards the advancement of human knowledge and the good of the human race. • A paper in a 1909 edition of the Philosophical Transactions of the Royal Society described the dissection of his brain and notes that there was very little senile wasting of gyri, perhaps hinting at a very active mind even at 80 years of age. • One half of the brain resides at the Hunterian Museum, while the other is at the Science Museum in London. Which man, who made a huge difference to science? 35

229. Answer

230. Charles Babbage

231. • Just 10 miles south of San Francisco airport, this museum is home to a quirky collection and claims to have atleast one sample of every ______ ______ ever sold. • Its pièce de résistance is the World’s Largest ______ _______, a behemoth snowman standing at 7 ft, 20 in tall – much taller than an average one, seen in stores. What childhood indulgence is this museum devoted to? 36

234. Answer

235. Pez Dispensers

236. • The use of this artefact involves a fixed end, while the other end vibrates on a plain surface; the harder the plain surface, harder the vibrating object had to be. • The object was manufactured in two types – spherical and elliptical, the former allows for more contact and hence better output quality while the latter has less contact area, leading to better sensitivity. • As plain surface materials evolved, the object was manufactured with hard materials like sapphire or diamond. What term, deriving from Latin for a stake, is used for these objects and is familiar to us in a smart technology context? In what larger device are these objects used as components? 37

237. Answer

238. Stylus Gramophone

239. • A bur is a generic term for a cutting surface, made of a multifluted tungsten carbide diamond coated tip or a stainless steel multifluted rosehead. • ________ burs are classified by shapes such as round (sizes ¼ to 10) inverted cone sizes (sizes 33 ½ to 90L), pear shaped, fissured and also by type of shank such as long shanks used in slow speed or a friction grip bur used in high speed. What field of human endeavor, a trying one for all parties involved, are these burs useful in? 38

241. Answer

242. Dentistry

243. • The term originally referred to a simple device used to pry the caps of old school crown cork sealed bottles. • Before pull tab beer cans came into vogue in the 1960s, the same term was used for bottle/can-openers that punctured the lids of flat top cans. • Etymological theories are hazy but the most popular one says that these openers looked like large, ornate items used by monks for places of worship or areas where they sealed beer. What term, that may just be a jocular reference to the fact that opening a beer is a religious experience? 39

245. Answer

246. Churchkey

247. • A type of electric guitar pickup, it uses two magnetic coils in which one coil with its north poles oriented up (towards the strings) is paired with another coil whose south poles are oriented up. • This achieves phase cancellation and cancels out the ______ (X) sound that could be caused by power-amps, processors, mixers and other equipment operating on AC. • The name of the pickup comes from the fact that it “______s (Y) the _____ (X)”, literally killing the undesired sound. What is this pickup called? (XYer) 40

249. Answer

250. Humbucker from bucking the hum

251. • Originally an independent museum, this collection of objects was moved to the science museum at Minnesota and is now an exhibit there. • Examples of objects displayed here include: – A Prostate Gland Warmer (a 4.25 inch probe with a blue light bulb at the end) – A machine that determines the personality by measuring the bumps on one’s head – A rejuvenator that uses magnetism, radio waves, infra-red and ultra-violet rays and so on… What is this museum devoted to? 41

253. Answer

254. Questionable Medical Devices (Accept Quackery or variants thereof)

255. • If you were a Duke University Student in the 1940s or 1950s, you would not have been able to check an online catalog at the David M. Rubenstein library and retrieve the book of your choice. • What you did was you consulted the card catalog and wrote the call number on a paper slip, handed that slip to a staff at the Circulation Desk and after a few restless moments, your book would arrive at the desk through an electric book-lift or dumbwaiter. • The process of locating the book was somewhat simplified by using what you see here. How were these objects used? (2 key words in your answer will help fetch full points) 42

257. Answer

258. Pneumatic tube system Canisters with the paper slip travelled through a tube to another library level where a clerk located the book and sent it back to the main desk.

259. • While everyone else would call it a _____ smoker, it is just called a smoker in the profession in which it is used as a distraction mechanism. • Credited to Moses Quinby, the first known person of this profession in the USA, the invention operates on the principle that smoke masks alarm pheromones such as isopentyl acetate and consequently numbing of defensive responses. • In addition, smoke tends to create a feeding frenzy, leading to distended abdomens, that make it tougher to react defensively. What profession of people use the smoker? 43

261. Answer

262. Bee Keepers Smoke diverts the attention of bees and helps keepers extract honey without being stung

263. • In 1849, Auguste Clesinger, a sculptor, was rushed to the man’s deathbed to ensure he got this item along with a face mask, the latter a ghastly artefact in its own right. • Describing this particular item in action, Stephen Heller, a biographer once said “they had an ability to suddenly expand and cover a third of the total space, akin to the opening of the mouth of a serpent about to swallow a rabbit whole.” What is this artefact, that has copies in the Musee de la Vie Romantique (Paris), the Hunterian Museum & Art Gallery (UK) and the _____ museum in Rapperswill, Switzerland? 44

265. Answer

266. Chopin’s Hands

267. • Atleast 7 assassination attempts were made on King Louis-Phillipe of the French July Monarchy, but none so fantastic as the one orchestrated by a Corsican, Giuseppe Fieschi, who built this diabolical device to kill the King. • Rather than fire a few shots at the king, Fieschi’s weapon of wood and iron had 25 barrels that shot all at once in different directions. • On July 28, 1835, it was setup on the 3rd storey of the Boulevard du Temple Paris and when it fired, 18 people were killed and 42 injured but none from the royal family; in fact Pieschi himself was injured due to a backfire. What was this gun called, in reference to the fact that its design and intended use was patently hellish? (Unrelated Clue: the term was later used as the title of a 1934 Greek mythological play by Jean Cocteau) 45

270. Answer

271. Infernal Machine

272. • In 1911, when the coinage with King George V’s image was introduced in British India, a certain problem was noticed on the side on which the King’s image was displayed. • This caused all manner of hurt sentiments leading to the British government decided to withdraw all 1911 coins minted from circulation. What was the issue/what were these coins called due to the controversy? 46

274. Answer

275. Pig Coins The elephant on King George V’s shoulder sleeve looked like a pig, that caused hurt sentiments

276. ThankYou!

The Artefacts Quiz 2015

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The Artefacts Quiz 2015