# How did this guy write the Lord's Prayer on the head of a pin?!?! **URL:** \ **Category:** Factual Questions\ **Created:** [August 28, 2005, 5:12am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/how-did-this-guy-write-the-lords-prayer-on-the-head-of-a-pin/318947 "2005-08-28T05:12:16Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 20\ **Page:** 1
**Author:** ![Argent\_Towers](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/a/e8c25b/32.png) [@Argent\_Towers](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Argent_Towers)\ **Post date:** [August 28, 2005, 5:12am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/how-did-this-guy-write-the-lords-prayer-on-the-head-of-a-pin/318947/1 "2005-08-28T05:12:16Z")
I came upon this page about a man who [wrote the Lord’s Prayer on the head of a pin.](http://www.anomalies-unlimited.com/Prayer.html) I am completely flabbergasted at the idea that someone could do this, let alone someone in a prison cell without access to a microscope and precision equipment. It says that he used a carving tool “invisible to the naked eye.” Excuse me? How is this possible? Is this a hoax? (I suspect that it is.) I just can’t see how it could be done. Please, someone explain it to me. ---
**Author:** ![Bryan\_Ekers](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/bryan_ekers/32/183_2.png) [@Bryan\_Ekers](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Bryan_Ekers)\ **Post date:** [August 28, 2005, 5:16am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/how-did-this-guy-write-the-lords-prayer-on-the-head-of-a-pin/318947/2 "2005-08-28T05:16:50Z")
Well, he had 25 years of practice. ---
**Author:** ![Northern\_Piper](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/northern_piper/32/5304_2.png) [@Northern\_Piper](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Northern_Piper)\ **Post date:** [August 28, 2005, 5:56am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/how-did-this-guy-write-the-lords-prayer-on-the-head-of-a-pin/318947/3 "2005-08-28T05:56:37Z")
He trained angels to wear really sharp little shoes to engrave it as they danced. 🙂 ---
**Author:** ![jayjay](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/jayjay/32/6765_2.png) [@jayjay](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/jayjay)\ **Post date:** [August 28, 2005, 5:58am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/how-did-this-guy-write-the-lords-prayer-on-the-head-of-a-pin/318947/4 "2005-08-28T05:58:25Z")
> [@Northern Piper](#): > > He trained angels to wear really sharp little shoes to engrave it as they danced. 🙂 Duh. It was teeny-tiny little ice skates. ---
**Author:** ![chaoticbear](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/c/f07891/32.png) [@chaoticbear](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/chaoticbear)\ **Post date:** [August 28, 2005, 6:08am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/how-did-this-guy-write-the-lords-prayer-on-the-head-of-a-pin/318947/5 "2005-08-28T06:08:42Z")
But how did he make the teeny-tiny ice skates? :dubious: ---
**Author:** ![Tapioca\_Dextrin](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/t/3d9bf3/32.png) [@Tapioca\_Dextrin](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Tapioca_Dextrin)\ **Post date:** [August 28, 2005, 6:33am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/how-did-this-guy-write-the-lords-prayer-on-the-head-of-a-pin/318947/6 "2005-08-28T06:33:03Z")
If you think that’s impressive, check out the world’s [smallest statues](http://www.thefunnypage.com/sculptures/) ---
**Author:** ![Larry\_Mudd](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/l/f14d63/32.png) [@Larry\_Mudd](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Larry_Mudd)\ **Post date:** [August 28, 2005, 6:38am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/how-did-this-guy-write-the-lords-prayer-on-the-head-of-a-pin/318947/7 "2005-08-28T06:38:39Z")
That [site](http://www.anomalies-unlimited.com/) isn’t exactly the sort that I would take on faith. Unless you’re into alien writing, chemtrails, etc. The “Lord’s Prayer On the Head of Pin!” thing started off as confidence game, more than a hundred years ago. Hoaxers would sell plain old pins in the street, claiming that the Lord’s Prayer was miraculously engraved on them. A shill would come by and loudly declare it to be the most amazing thing they’d ever seen, a bargain at any price, etc. – and folks would be duped into just thinking that their eyesight wasn’t all that, but by god wait till the wife sees it through the magnifying glass. Indeed. Nobody seems to know anything about this supposed forger, coincidentally named “A. Schiller.” There are plenty of verbatim accounts of the same story, but none with any variation. Now, of course, people have taken to microengraving on pinheads – as a sort of ironic joke – but don’t waste your time trying to get your head around how some 19th century jailbird managed it. ---
**Author:** ![mhendo](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/mhendo/32/3159_2.png) [@mhendo](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/mhendo)\ **Post date:** [August 28, 2005, 7:10am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/how-did-this-guy-write-the-lords-prayer-on-the-head-of-a-pin/318947/8 "2005-08-28T07:10:34Z")
Check out [this model](http://optics.org/articles/news/10/7/21/1/operahouse) of the Sydney Opera House. 64 x 38 x 41 microns ---
**Author:** ![FlyingRamenMonster](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/f/ce7236/32.png) [@FlyingRamenMonster](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/FlyingRamenMonster)\ **Post date:** [August 28, 2005, 9:03am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/how-did-this-guy-write-the-lords-prayer-on-the-head-of-a-pin/318947/9 "2005-08-28T09:03:54Z")
The way that lettering goes off the edge of the pin with no change in shape makes it look photoshopped. Like someone got a picture of the text and slapped a circular mask over it. ---
**Author:** ![Cartooniverse](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/cartooniverse/32/3084_2.png) [@Cartooniverse](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Cartooniverse)\ **Post date:** [August 28, 2005, 3:33pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/how-did-this-guy-write-the-lords-prayer-on-the-head-of-a-pin/318947/10 "2005-08-28T15:33:37Z")
> [@chaoticdonkey](#): > > But how did he make the teeny-tiny ice skates? :dubious: He solicited the help of Elton John’s Tiny Dancer, of course. 😃 ---
**Author:** ![MrFantsyPants](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/m/7ba0ec/32.png) [@MrFantsyPants](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/MrFantsyPants)\ **Post date:** [August 28, 2005, 3:41pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/how-did-this-guy-write-the-lords-prayer-on-the-head-of-a-pin/318947/11 "2005-08-28T15:41:29Z")
“Oh, hey, look! Ol’ Albert’s dead in his cell. Let’s go get a 500x microscope to look at all his belongings!” My bullshitmeter is twitching a fair bit here. ---
**Author:** ![wolf\_meister](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/wolf_meister/32/15202_2.png) [@wolf\_meister](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/wolf_meister)\ **Post date:** [August 28, 2005, 7:33pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/how-did-this-guy-write-the-lords-prayer-on-the-head-of-a-pin/318947/12 "2005-08-28T19:33:03Z")
It does seem a little “Urban Legendish” to me too. A prisoner in the late 1800’s (or any other era for that matter) being found with six silver pins and 1 gold ? Where the Hell would he get these? Also, the part about "going blind’ because of these creations seems a bit specious too. It has the Urban Legend shock aspect to it. (… and when they got home, on the rear bumper of the car they found … the hook !!! :eek: ) If doing finely detailed work causes blindness, then wouldn’t this be an occupational hazard of jewelers, surgeons, etc ? Also, his blindness seemed appropriately timed. They didn’t find an unfinished pin on him with only a fraction of the Lord’s Prayer? ---
**Author:** ![Colibri](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/colibri/32/1841_2.png) [@Colibri](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Colibri)\ **Post date:** [August 28, 2005, 7:51pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/how-did-this-guy-write-the-lords-prayer-on-the-head-of-a-pin/318947/13 "2005-08-28T19:51:43Z")
> [@Larry Mudd](#): > > That [site](http://www.anomalies-unlimited.com/) isn’t exactly the sort that I would take on faith. Unless you’re into alien writing, chemtrails, etc. All the other references to the story I found by Googling appear to just be quoting the story on that site. There doesn’t seem to be any independent corroboration, and the illustration offered hardly seems convincing. Nothing on Snopes about it, but it certainly looks as if it’s bogus. ---
**Author:** ![DocCathode](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/doccathode/32/18773_2.png) [@DocCathode](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/DocCathode)\ **Post date:** [August 28, 2005, 8:06pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/how-did-this-guy-write-the-lords-prayer-on-the-head-of-a-pin/318947/14 "2005-08-28T20:06:22Z")
> [@MrFantsyPants](#): > > “Oh, hey, look! Ol’ Albert’s dead in his cell. Let’s go get a 500x microscope to look at all his belongings!” > > My bullshitmeter is twitching a fair bit here. Yep. They find pins. Why would they examine them with a microscope? Why would he keep it a secret? Why not trade the pins to other prisoners in exchange for food, favors etc? Why not trade them to the guards in exchange for food, favors etc? Considering that they built a prison, then a kitchen with attached hospital, and then a chapel, why would an inmate hide his faith? The prison employed a fulltime chaplain. Why hide his faith when a display of religious devotion would almost certainly result in better treatment from the guards? ---
**Author:** ![Bryan\_Ekers](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/bryan_ekers/32/183_2.png) [@Bryan\_Ekers](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Bryan_Ekers)\ **Post date:** [August 28, 2005, 9:33pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/how-did-this-guy-write-the-lords-prayer-on-the-head-of-a-pin/318947/15 "2005-08-28T21:33:34Z")
> [@DocCathode](#): > > Why hide his faith when a display of religious devotion would almost certainly result in better treatment from the guards? Because even then, Christians were being prosecuted for their faith. Damn lib’ruls. ---
**Author:** ![Gary\_T](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/g/3ec8ea/32.png) [@Gary\_T](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Gary_T)\ **Post date:** [August 29, 2005, 4:07am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/how-did-this-guy-write-the-lords-prayer-on-the-head-of-a-pin/318947/16 "2005-08-29T04:07:17Z")
Looks to me like those letters are in relief, not engraved. I guess they figured if they’re going to snow us with horsecrap, they might as well pile on as much as possible. ---
**Author:** ![Argent\_Towers](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/a/e8c25b/32.png) [@Argent\_Towers](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Argent_Towers)\ **Post date:** [August 29, 2005, 4:15am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/how-did-this-guy-write-the-lords-prayer-on-the-head-of-a-pin/318947/17 "2005-08-29T04:15:47Z")
DAMN IT! I was really hoping it was true, at the back of my mind. It looked so cool! ---
**Author:** ![Marley23](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/m/45deac/32.png) [@Marley23](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Marley23)\ **Post date:** [August 29, 2005, 4:21am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/how-did-this-guy-write-the-lords-prayer-on-the-head-of-a-pin/318947/18 "2005-08-29T04:21:43Z")
> [@Cartooniverse](#): > > He solicited the help of Elton John’s Tiny Dancer, of course. Huh? I thought that song was about the guy on “Who’s the Boss?” ---
**Author:** ![Colibri](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/colibri/32/1841_2.png) [@Colibri](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Colibri)\ **Post date:** [August 29, 2005, 4:28am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/how-did-this-guy-write-the-lords-prayer-on-the-head-of-a-pin/318947/19 "2005-08-29T04:28:55Z")
It was possible in the 19th century to produce tiny text through [microphotography](http://www.microscopy-uk.org.uk/mag/indexmag.html?http://www.microscopy-uk.org.uk/mag/articles/micfiche.html), including producing the Lord’s Prayer in a space much smaller thant a pinhead, but this of course did not involve engraving and could not be done by a prisoner with no access to a microscope. ---
**Author:** ![Cartooniverse](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/cartooniverse/32/3084_2.png) [@Cartooniverse](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Cartooniverse)\ **Post date:** [August 29, 2005, 5:43am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/how-did-this-guy-write-the-lords-prayer-on-the-head-of-a-pin/318947/20 "2005-08-29T05:43:15Z")
> [@Marley23](#): > > Huh? I thought that song was about the guy on “Who’s the Boss?” BWAHAHAHAHAHAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAA and now, you must die, Mr. Bond. 😃 [Next page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/how-did-this-guy-write-the-lords-prayer-on-the-head-of-a-pin/318947.md?page=2)