"Simple four-stringed lute set to invade North America"

January 3, 2015 6:44 AM

1915: The Year Ahead [The Globe & Mail] [.pdf]
posted by Fizz (9 comments total)

Fake. I can tell by the typeface and by having seen quite a few early 20th century newspapers in my time.
posted by Horace Rumpole at 7:54 AM on January 3, 2015 [2 favorites]

I know nil about typography but it certainly seems too good to be true.
posted by Jode at 7:58 AM on January 3, 2015

Simple Four-Stringed Lute And/Or Dastardly Kaiser Set To Invade North America
posted by TheWhiteSkull at 8:01 AM on January 3, 2015 [1 favorite]

It's not supposed to be real sillys. It's like a "look at this cool stuff from 1915!" story. Of course 90% of this would not have been noted before it was released or even upon its release--most popular art (and most fine art too) was crap in 1915. A real preview would have been dominated by penny dreadfuls, nationalist doggerel, and revised hymnals. And definitely wouldn't have included any jass.
posted by Potomac Avenue at 8:14 AM on January 3, 2015 [5 favorites]

Fair enough.
posted by Jode at 8:18 AM on January 3, 2015

A big giveaway is that January 3, 1915 is a Sunday.
posted by RGD at 8:18 AM on January 3, 2015 [1 favorite]

Is James Joyce's Ulysses in there? He started writing it in 1915 in Zurich.
posted by stbalbach at 8:22 AM on January 3, 2015

Another reminder of how amazing The Onion's Our Dumb Century was. Not just hilarious but RUTHLESSLY RESEARCHED AND PEROID ACCURATE HILARITY.
posted by The Whelk at 9:14 AM on January 3, 2015 [8 favorites]

Still pretty funny:

Imagine, if you will, receiving weather reports in Morse code in your very own sitting room!

posted by double block and bleed at 12:17 PM on January 3, 2015