The problem remains, IS this the same as the original Iceman viewed by Sanderson and Heuvelmans? If so I am afraid both men have been very badly discredited. However there are a number of importany inconsistencies. There was the very obvious matter of one eye supposedly shot out of the socket and the other eye bugged out of the other one as a reaction to the shot. There is not any suggestion of that here. That is an important enough detail that more than one claimant as "The one that made the model" was supposed to have recognised the description from the bugged-out eyeball alone (That s what the Ball family stated).There was also the matter of an extended 'heel' to the hand and the body hairs pigmented in an agouti pattern alleged by Sanderson, details which Napier thought were suspicious and which indicated a hoax: neither one of those things are evident in these photographs.
If any of those details was true than we are not looking at the original but instead we are looking at an extremely well-made replica.
So at this point there are features which match the story that this is the supposed body that Heuvelmans and Sanderson saw and then again, the conradictory statements which continue to be a puzzle. I do not care to make any final decisions on the matter yet myself.
Best Wishes, Dale D.
http://blogs.forteana.org/node/195
Minnesota Ice Man - Sold
February 20, 2013 - 17:40 — Gordon
After a number of blog posts about Fortean property you need something to put in it. Well how about what is claimed to be Frank Hansen's original 1960's Minnesota Ice man sideshow exhibit?
A snip at $20 000 on ebay.
The listing reads
"This is the actual sideshow gaff billed as "The Minnesota Iceman" by
Frank Hansen in the 1960's. This is a one of a kind hoax that was
fabricated by a mid-20th century showman. The Iceman was featured in an
issue of Argosy Magazine (as you can see in the pictures) and spawned
decades of debate as to its authenticity. For around 40 years the
whereabouts of the Iceman were unknown to the cryptozoology community.
The "creature", while under ice, baffled the famed zoologist (and
so-called father of cryptozoology) Bernard Heuvelmans who examined it in
it's heyday. Stories circulated as to the origin of the creature
ranging from "a hunter shot it in the great northwoods", to "it was
killed during wartime in Southeast Asia", and even that it was found
floating in the ocean encased in it's signature block of ice. It is
thought that the "creature" was actually crafted by one of Disney's
early Imagineers. Regardless of who actually did create it, the quality
is flawless, and it has stood up remarkably well to the rigors of time
and repeated freezings. The chest freezer that it is housed in is
unfortunately not operational at this time. It has been looked at by a
licensed refrigeration contractor who determined that the compressor
needs to be replaced. A new custom sheet of glass was added in September
of 2012. The housing is extremely heavy, in upwards of 1000lbs, and is
approxamately 4' x 4' x 8'. This listing includes the rolling freezer
container, the creature, and the original signage. Buyer will need to
either arrange to pick item up in Minnesota, or arrange for shipping.
Follow this link to read the original Argosy Magazine article: http://www.bigfootencounters.com/articles/argosy2.htm
Any questions, please feel free to email. Serious inquiries only.
Thank You!"
So is this the real deal? There are other images at ebay to allow you to make up your mind. Was the original Ice Man a fake or genuine? Was it subsequently replaced by a fake and is this a fake that was associated with Hansen or is it a fake of a fake? Or a fake of a real animal? Or a fake of a fake of a real animal? Whatever it is it looks mighty impressive and I am searching down the back of the sofa to see if the Charles Fort Institute has enough money to buy it, but I'm not holding my breath!
For some excellent colour photographs of the beast Hansen showed I can strongly recommend L'Homme de Néanderthal est toujours vivant
And here is a composite photograph by Heuvelmans and two interpretaive drawings
Whoever buys it I hope it goes on display somewhere. Well it's gone. The auction is over, if anyone knows who bought it could they ask them to contact us so we can find out what's going to happen to? It's a shame it didn't end up at somewhere like Loren Coleman's International Cryptozoology Museum
A snip at $20 000 on ebay.
The listing reads
"This is the actual sideshow gaff billed as "The Minnesota Iceman" by
Frank Hansen in the 1960's. This is a one of a kind hoax that was
fabricated by a mid-20th century showman. The Iceman was featured in an
issue of Argosy Magazine (as you can see in the pictures) and spawned
decades of debate as to its authenticity. For around 40 years the
whereabouts of the Iceman were unknown to the cryptozoology community.
The "creature", while under ice, baffled the famed zoologist (and
so-called father of cryptozoology) Bernard Heuvelmans who examined it in
it's heyday. Stories circulated as to the origin of the creature
ranging from "a hunter shot it in the great northwoods", to "it was
killed during wartime in Southeast Asia", and even that it was found
floating in the ocean encased in it's signature block of ice. It is
thought that the "creature" was actually crafted by one of Disney's
early Imagineers. Regardless of who actually did create it, the quality
is flawless, and it has stood up remarkably well to the rigors of time
and repeated freezings. The chest freezer that it is housed in is
unfortunately not operational at this time. It has been looked at by a
licensed refrigeration contractor who determined that the compressor
needs to be replaced. A new custom sheet of glass was added in September
of 2012. The housing is extremely heavy, in upwards of 1000lbs, and is
approxamately 4' x 4' x 8'. This listing includes the rolling freezer
container, the creature, and the original signage. Buyer will need to
either arrange to pick item up in Minnesota, or arrange for shipping.
Follow this link to read the original Argosy Magazine article: http://www.bigfootencounters.com/articles/argosy2.htm
Any questions, please feel free to email. Serious inquiries only.
Thank You!"
So is this the real deal? There are other images at ebay to allow you to make up your mind. Was the original Ice Man a fake or genuine? Was it subsequently replaced by a fake and is this a fake that was associated with Hansen or is it a fake of a fake? Or a fake of a real animal? Or a fake of a fake of a real animal? Whatever it is it looks mighty impressive and I am searching down the back of the sofa to see if the Charles Fort Institute has enough money to buy it, but I'm not holding my breath!
For some excellent colour photographs of the beast Hansen showed I can strongly recommend L'Homme de Néanderthal est toujours vivant
And here is a composite photograph by Heuvelmans and two interpretaive drawings
Whoever buys it I hope it goes on display somewhere. Well it's gone. The auction is over, if anyone knows who bought it could they ask them to contact us so we can find out what's going to happen to? It's a shame it didn't end up at somewhere like Loren Coleman's International Cryptozoology Museum
One of my favorite crypto tales. Really hope someone displays it.
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