Welcome to the New York Public Library’s vault of strange questions. H/T Gothamist.
A long time ago, before the internet's glorious tubes brought us all the cats and boobs we could ever want, people used to go to the library for info.
Um, ~crazy~.
When confused patrons couldn't find what they were looking for in books, they'd often ask the librarians.
People-2-people connecting.
At the New York Public Library, each query was written down on an index card and filed away.
From 1940 to 1980, the library kept track of questions with a paper file. Recently, that old box of questions was rediscovered.
"We found an old recipe box while cleaning out a desk, and it was labeled 'Interesting Reference Questions,' the contents of which ranged from total stumpers to funny mispronunciations," the NYPL Instagram says.
BTW: The answer is zero years. YOU DIE WITHOUT THE LIFE-GIVING INFLUENCE OF A MAN.
Some were serious.
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This Is How People Asked Embarrassing Questions Before The Internet