Up Close & Peculiar
More than 100 years ago, the globetrotting Robert Ripley began collecting artifacts from his journeys around the world, which today form the heart of the greatest collection of oddities ever assembled. Up Close & Peculiar brings the curious history of these pieces to a personal level as our very own, Allyson Iovino, explores the strange relics that lie within our Warehouse walls! Become a part of the story as we share pieces for every history buff, pop culture junkie, and oddities collector alike.
Today: Charles Manson's Prison Shirt
Charles Manson is known as one of the most dangerous cult leaders who ever lived. But what lead him to his life of crime?
Manson had a particularly chaotic childhood. His mother wasn’t interested in raising him, and some even say she once tried to sell him for a pitcher of beer. His life of crime started early, with him starting to spend time in prison when he was just a teen.
By the time Manson was 32, he had spent over half of his life in reformatories and prisons, where he spent his time learning to read music and play the guitar. He was released from prison in 1967 and moved to San Francisco. It was there that he started gathering a group of devoted followers.
Within a year, Manson had a large group of followers who listened to him preach about his fringe beliefs, including his conspiracy theory about an impending war that he believed even The Beatles were in on. He claimed that the Beatles placed subliminal messages in their song “Helter Skelter,” that were supposed to inspire this war. It was Manson’s belief that he and his "Family" would emerge as the leaders of a new society after it was all over.
In 1969, Manson decided that it was time for this grand war to start, and directed his most loyal followers to start carrying out attacks on “Hollywood’s elite.” Their first stop was at Sharon Tate’s home because it represented the world of stardom and glamor that had rejected Manson.
Believe It or Not!, Manson and his family weren’t arrested because of these murders, but because they were suspected of vandalizing a national park! Eventually, it was uncovered that the group was behind these brutal murders, and Manson was convicted and spent the rest of his life in jail.
Do YOU want to get Up Close with Charles Manson’s prison shirt? Visit Ripley's Believe It or Not! San Antonio to see it yourself!
