Early on in this thread, I mentioned the 3 major American death ray companies (Electro, Rochester, and North American). These control around 75% of the domestic market. Outside the US, the only death ray manufactorers of any note are the Sans-Serbais Death Ray Company, which operates in the south of France, and the Manitoba Death Ray Corporation of the aforementioned Canadian province. There are various small death ray companies around the US, and in Canada, Great Britain, France, and Australia. (It is illeagal to own, much less make, a death ray in Germany.)
And yet Krupps manufactured a double top secret death ray to be mounted on their invisible fighter bombers that were designed to bring ale and bratwurst to the front line troops without being seen.
Trouble was, though, after the prototype was made, it got lost. No one could find it (for obvious reasons). So, they went back to drawing boards, the NAZI War People Drawing Boards™ (Fighting Jews and Communists Since 1923 - It’s taking longer that we thought), and redesigned the invisible jet. The redesign went rather more smoothly and they soon revealed to the Hitler guy a very small dog which was actually able to keep quiet and not shake. Here is a photo of the prototype (note the radial cooling fins).
The Krupps death ray continued to be manufatured as a coffee grinder. You can even find some today at the 1920s style Super Walmart of your choice. They’re labled as Cintronella Candles.
Actually, Canada, France and Austrailia are 1920’s style Death-Ray part manufacturers, some of the assembly plants in the US have recently been moved to Mexico under NAFTA. The assembly in GB is now being re-evaluated to see if South African plants can handle the assembly.
Here is a recent 1920’s style Death-Ray factory in Germany being dismantled:http://www.bryanboyer.com/summer2002/travels/germany/
To go back to a previous point, a 1920’s style Death-Ray would almost certainly triumph over Batman, as the Death-Ray is always prepared.
The true question is a 1920’s style Death-Ray versus a jar of pickles…
I think the guy in the picture you linked got too close to a 1920’s style death ray that malfunctioned and went FNORD.
Or else what? You’ll threaten us? What, pray tell, will you threaten us with?
{frixxxx polishes his 1920’s style death-ray}
{Nekosoft polishes his jar of pickles}:eek:
Oh! Oh! I know.
It was the result of a chance discovery. Docotr Augustus Eule, a scientist working for the Westinghouse company, was examining the feasibility of retrofitting earlier death ray models with 1920’s style exteriors. While many scientists simply assumed that changing the rays’ housing would have no effect on the ray, Eule wanted to be sure. He discovered that there was a difference. The streamlined geometric shapes of art deco ray shells acted as resonators. This increased a ray’s efficiency. You got a more powerful beam, without having to use more power. The art deco style also favored polychrome and dore. Eule found that both of these increased the resonance effect. Eule’s discoveries were as important to death rays as transistors were to computers. Sadly, like the inventor of transistors, Eule was a salaried man whose work was owned by his employer. Today, both men are largely forgotten.
As others have posted, there weren’t many death rays made in the 30’s. However, the Vanderbilt’s and other wealthy families did have some custom made as status symbols. In a time when many struggled simply to eat, having a death ray showed you were truly rich.
The Pew Charitable Trusts, the many Melon charity organizations, and others were later started by heirs trying to atone for the selfishness of their parents.
Doc, You brought up an interesting point with Eule. Beacuse of his research, determination and a willing to say, “I can make it BETTER!”, he made it possible to own a 1920’s style Death-Ray an still remain in style. That is why Electro’s mission statement follows the “Eule Rule: The classier the design, the craftier the DEATH-RAY!”:dubious:
With the third part, you’re right, I forgot about reading that in the May issue of “The Industrial Report on Death Rays”, but I know for certain that they still make complete death rays in Canada and France, as I own a 2002 Sans-Serbais, and have a friend that has a 2003 Manitoba. Also, if you read Mexican law, the federal government of Mexico is the legal owner of all Mexican-made death rays.
(Oh, to answer a previous question: There actually were quite a few death rays made in the 1930’s. However, they don’t fit into a certain style, the way the 20’s or post-war (1946-1965) death rays do.)
Now, what was this about a 1920’s style jar of pickles?
No no no.
It’s a jar of pickles that can be opened by a 1920’s style Death Ray. A goal that has facinated and eluded 1920’s style Death-Ray Scientists for years.
You know, a thought hit me at work today. The Brazilian Tucker has disappeared. Word had it that it was stolen, then the Tucker Club announced that the car had merely been “moved.” And yet, I can no longer find any reference to it on their website, nor have I been able to turn up any of the webpages on the net that reference the car. All of them have disappeared. Me thinks that someone’s planning on finishing what Tucker started. I think someone needs to alert the CIA about this. If Al Queada’s managed to get their hands on the car, learn it’s secrets and complete the car, they’ll have a nearly unstoppable superweapon! I shit you not! Remember, Tucker invented a combat car in 1936 which could do 60 MPH under battlefield conditions, which was waaay faster than the tanks could do at the time. He was a man ahead of his time, and let’s hope that his dream of a better future doesn’t get twisted into a godawful nightmare.
This guy inventor H Grindell-Matthews, didn’t his students take his work and turn it into Radar technology?
Reminds me of when I eyed up a homemade laser in my Dad’s old home electronics magazines. Course they were 1970’s death rays, cheap and tacky, not like they used to make 'em in the 20s…
I am proud to be a part of this mega-post (which I am joining extremely late). Forgive me if I haven’t read each and every post and I am hoping I do not post duplicate information.
Somewhere in this thread - it may have been Page 5 about half-way down, someone made a passing reference to a 1920’s style death ray. This made me think of a movie, “The Invisible Ray” http://www.imdb.com/Title?0027800 starring Boris Karloff as Dr. Janos Rukh (a thinly veiled attempt to make us think it really isn’t Nikola Tesla - hah - nice try). This movie (although released in 1936), illustrates very well the technology behind the 1920’s style death ray.
A movie I have not seen is also titled “The Invisible Ray” and it was released in … 1920 !!! Spooky huh?
Just wondering. A very famous sign on Area 51 proclaims that they are authorized to use deadly force against trespassers. Anyone care to hazard a guess as to which weapon they would choose to enforce this rule ?
Excellent find, wolf_meister! GQ is a real expert on these things, I wonder why he didn’t mention it? Perhaps it just slipped his mind. (Ooooh, do you think he was hit by one of those 1940s Amnesia Rays?)
How about the episode of The Simpsons wherein Apu is caught having an affair: Marge & Homer sit down to discuss what they can do to help. Marge looks at Homer and asks, “are you thinking what I’m thinking?”
At which point we see Homer imagining himself flying over crowds of people zapping them with a 1920s style death ray.
Just discovered this!
Of course, if you believe the article, then it’s a 1960’s style death ray, but we all know what the real truth is!
Did Squanto have a 1600’s style “Death Ray”?
Oh, and did anyone follow up my recommendation and check out “Mitchner’s Military Surplus, Personal Electronics & Class IIIF Lasers” or any of the articles I mentioned back on Page 6?