Appendix:
In 1967, a sideshow performer named Frank Hansen unveiled an ape-like man frozen in a chunk of ice, claiming it was the missing link. At a glance, the hairy hominid seemed like an attempt to capitalize on the growing Bigfoot excitement, though Hansen’s exhibit preceded the infamous Patterson-Gimlin footage by several months. Adding to the sensation, world-renowned zoologists pronounced that it was a real, unknown animal. Was it a cryptid? A lost ancestor to humankind? Or a hoax that spiraled way out of control? Today on Museum of Natural Mystery: The Minnesota Iceman Cometh!
Photos of Frank Hansen’s iceman are tremendously difficult to get a hold of due to copyright protections, but I’ve pulled some of the best reproductions and lingering photos I could find floating around out there for your reference. Have a look at these and judge for yourself whether the creature in the ice was at convincing as zoologists Bernard Heuvelmans and Ivan Sanderson found it to be:
For a closer look at the current whereabouts of the Minnesota Iceman, as well as photos of the Iceman housed at Steve Busci’s Museum of the Weird in Austin, Texas (believed to be the Hansen Iceman), I suggest checking out this blogpost by longtime Iceman chronicler Loren Coleman. If you want to go further down the rabbit hole, below you can find a number of resources that demonstrate how this weird, wild story comes together.
Sources:
Hunting Monsters: Cryptozoology and the Reality Behind the Myths by Darren Naish
The Strange Case of the Minnesota Iceman by Darren Naish
A Review of Neanderthal: The Strange Saga of the Minnesota Iceman, Parts 1 & 2 by Darren Naish
Neanderthal: The Strange Saga of the Minnesota Iceman by Bernard Heuvelmans
Argosy: The Missing Link? by Ivan T. Sanderson
Bigfoot, The Yeti and Sasquatch in Myth and Reality by Dr. John Napier
Florida “Giant Penguin” Hoax Revealed by the International Society of Cryptozoology
Verne Langdon and his big-ass bird – The Bigfoot Show
Verne’s World – Verne Langdon’s Homepage
Little Irvy the Frozen Whale by Weird Universe
Frank Hansen’s 1918 “Experimental” John Deere Tractor
The Scooby Doo Case Files – Scooby’s Night With A Frozen Fright
Museum Management:
Museum theme by Michael Guy Bowman
Listen to more at: bowman.bandcamp.com
Rachel: Designer #UkuleleWitch @rachelvice
Tour Guide: Emery Coolcats
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