A Collection of 14 Weird Historical Photos

Oh, the past! That magical time we keep hearing about, when things used to be better and people were happier. But turns out that the past had its quirks, too. In fact, it was quite a weird time to live in, before the advancement of medicine and technology, and when socially acceptable behaviors were... a bit different.

 

March 16, 1960. This suit built by the Republic Aviation Corporation solved the problem of what “the well-dressed man” would “wear for a stroll over the airless moonscape.” An article in the New York Times promised that the outfit would have its own oxygen supply and that its tripod legs would “enable its wearer to rest by sitting on a perch inside.” The wrench hands were presumably for securing loose screws. Photograph by Sam Falk/The New York Times/Redux.

October 17, 1963. Tommy Harper and Chica Gray share a sweater built for two in a local downtown shop. The Tweter is the newest fad to sweep the country. With two sleeves, two turtlenecks, and one center armhole, it carries togetherness to the ultimate extreme. Photograph by Bettmann/Corbis.

Russell E. Oakes, an amateur American inventor, wearing his problem-solving inventions, which include spikes around his arms which enable him to weave through busy department stores and a wind-up spaghetti eater, circa 1955. Photograph by Evans/Three Lions/Getty.

February 4, 1942. Now that girdle and corset production has reached a new low due to rubber priorities and war conditions, dieting and reducing apparatuses will likely become popular. Here Gail King demonstrates a portable sweat box. It consists of a large cloth bag, with a zipper front, and a small air pump which forces heat and vapor into the bag, enabling one to relax in comfort while taking a steam bath. Photograph by Bettmann/Corbis.

March 21, 1933. Women demonstrate a new gadget that enables young women to wear their “hearts on their hair.” A tricky little fountain gadget outlines the initials of their “best beau” on the hair. It is expected that this vogue will take the place of fraternity pins, diamond rings, etc. Photograph by Bettmann/Corbis.

Circa 1950. Garry Moore uses a special device for smoking to prevent the burning of his bedclothes should he fall asleep with a lit cigarette. Photograph by Bettmann/Corbis.

April 20, 1951. Without any assistance, Rudolph, one of the stars of Roy Heckler’s Flea Circus, pulls a metal merry-go-round. To pull an equivalent weight, a man would have to haul two hundred tons. Photograph by Bettmann/Corbis.

August 4, 1949. Ann Blyth, film star, taking a bubble bath here with an assortment of gadgets at hand. Photograph by Bettmann/Corbis.

March, 1922. A woman and her pet skunk visit the White House. Photograph courtesy Library of Congress.

August 9, 1909. Girl in cart harnessed to two turkeys. Photograph courtesy Library of Congress.

March 29, 1940. Patricia O’Keefe, who weighs only sixty-four pounds, holds two-hundred-pound Wayne Long on her back in an unusual exhibition of strength. Photograph by Bettmann/Corbis.

One needn’t go to California to get vitamin A when it is possible to get it in your office or home, through these quartz lamps. October 16, 1925. Photograph by Bettmann/Corbis.

June 7, 1960. Gaining some extra spring in her step, “Victoria,” a giant red kangaroo, displays perfect forms as she bounces on a trampoline. Trying to outbounce her is George Nissen, a developer of the equipment that’s shaking them up. Photograph by Bettmann/Corbis.

August 5, 1960. Tired of being stared at, this handsome butterfly decided to return the compliment by perching on the nose of Susan Bermann for a close-up look at the little miss. Susan registered cross-eyed amazement at the butterfly’s audacity. Photograph by Bettmann/Corbis.

(via The New Yorker)