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About the Museum
The Museum of Hoaxes is dedicated to promoting knowledge about hoaxes. (Click here for opening hours, etc.) On our blog we post about dubious- sounding claims, and whatever else strikes our fancy. The site is also home to the Hoax Photo Database, the Hoax Forum, and the Hoaxipedia.
The Museum of Hoaxes is dedicated to promoting knowledge about hoaxes. (Click here for opening hours, etc.) On our blog we post about dubious- sounding claims, and whatever else strikes our fancy. The site is also home to the Hoax Photo Database, the Hoax Forum, and the Hoaxipedia.
RUDE ROVERThe Christmas dog with no class! He sings and toots Jingle Bells.
INFLATABLE TREEWho needs the hassle of a real Christmas tree?
FARTING SANTAGo ahead and pull his finger!
The Traveling Gnome Prank
Status: Prank
Wayne Johnston's garden gnome disappeared. Then he began receiving letters from it posted from all corners of the world. Being a police officer, Johnston launched an unofficial investigation into who was responsible for his gnome's abduction. It turned out almost all his friends were, including those who had been helping him with his investigation.So this is another instance of the traveling gnome prank. I know that this prank was featured in the 2001 French movie Amelie. It was also further popularized by a Travelocity ad campaign about a traveling gnome. But what I'm not sure about is whether this prank was popular even before Amelie. Have people been sending gnomes around the world for decades?
I should also note that I've finally gotten around to creating a category for gnomes.
Listed in chronological order. Newest comments at the end.
Page 1 of 1 pages
I wanna try this...
Posted by thunder in England on Thu Dec 29, 2005 at 05:16 AMThis has definitely been going on for a long time. Some friends of mine performed a similar stunt, not around the world, while we were still in high school around 1995-96. They stole a teacher's and took lots of pictures of it wherever they went and gave it and the pictures back to her at graduation.
Posted by Ceredur Crysane in Center of the Universe on Thu Dec 29, 2005 at 06:12 AMI'm not sure how far back it goes, but I know it predates Amelie, because I recognized it when I saw the movie during its US theatrical release. My reaction was "Hey, they're doing the traveling gnome thing!"
(Incidentally, your CAPTCHA system doesn't work with the preview.)
Posted by kelson in California on Thu Dec 29, 2005 at 10:56 AM(Incidentally, your CAPTCHA system doesn't work with the preview.)
I remeber hearing this piece of urban mythology well before Amelie.
Posted by schmawy on Thu Dec 29, 2005 at 01:49 PMYep, me too.
Posted by Trotsky on Fri Dec 30, 2005 at 12:27 AMI remember this prank from the mid 80s. A friend of mine after making a lot of money in the UK property boom went around the world for a year. Before he left he stole a neighbours garden gnome and proceeded to send them postcards and photos from the gnome. Including one letter and photo of the gnome fishing off the great barrier reef saying he'd gotten bored of fishing in their garden pond and only catching goldfish.
Posted by Rik Sherman on Fri Dec 30, 2005 at 01:43 AMThanks for letting me know about the preview bug, kelson. I'll need to fix that.
Posted by Alex in San Diego on Fri Dec 30, 2005 at 09:00 AMI remember reading a magazine article about this 'fad' at least five or six years before Amelie.
Posted by Isabel on Fri Dec 30, 2005 at 10:23 AMEarly 80's, a gnome left his garden and goes traveling round Europe (heard it from my sisters' then boyfriend, hence the time frame). Sends cards from all over, including pictures from a skiing resort (plaster round one of his legs roflol) and Costa del Sol, sunbathing among scantily clad women.
It's a great story, it's not important what the hoax-status is. Frankly I dón't wanna know, that'd only spoil the story.
Posted by Jerry S on Sat Dec 31, 2005 at 08:48 AMIt's a great story, it's not important what the hoax-status is. Frankly I dón't wanna know, that'd only spoil the story.
I remember the travelling garden gnome hoax was around here in Holland during the '80-ies. Some naval officers pulled thhe prank on an unsuspecting family I remember.
Posted by LaMa in Europe on Mon Jan 02, 2006 at 11:37 AMSome friends and I did this in 1979 with a Pink Panther doll that one of our teacher's would use when making slide shows for his class. We didn't take any photos of the doll, because he stayed in my locker, but we did have friends from all over the world mail the teacher our pre-printed postcards from the Pink Panther. I don't remember where I got the idea, but I don't think I came up with it on my own.
Posted by snarkygurl in Pflugerville, TX on Tue Jan 03, 2006 at 07:49 AMAs long as the Gnome was traveling of his own free will, then the 70 plus Gnomes currently residing at the Hidden Urban Gnome Reserve & Sanctuary (http://www.geocities.com/gnome_reserve)can only approve. If, however, he was taken without his consent, then this needs to be viewed as what it truely is: a terrifying kidnapping that we should all condemn.
Posted by Rev. G. Nisse in Hidden Urban Gnome Reserve & Sanctuary in Minneapo on Wed Apr 19, 2006 at 11:15 AMThere is also the classic book about a penguin travelling the world, i.e. a photographer who carries a penguin around and takes pictures of it in front of Taj Mahal, The Eiffel Tower, etc.
Posted by Darren Aldtt in US on Sat Jun 28, 2008 at 01:48 AMWho is keen on joining me to South Africa?
Posted by Jaime in USA on Tue Jul 08, 2008 at 11:39 AMPage 1 of 1 pages