Hi Mike
Yikes, that
IS extreme!
One can always speculate as to the whys and wherefores of such a practice but maybe they felt that it made more of a statement and also didn't snag clothing,etc.
I sincerely doubt that Wylie or Gaunt did this but it is interesting to see that you have two examples that are very similar.....
What do they say about if an idea is good, someone else will follow suit? Actually, people also follow bad ideas too.......