Evolution of human kind has always been an intriguing process. From the world of vacuum tubes to today’s nanotechnology, the journey has been a great one. But, it’s not like people in the early 20th century were not innovative. They had some of the most amazing inventions at that time. Let’s have a look at some of the most amazing and strange inventions from between the 1920s and 1930s:
1. Bulletproof Glass (1931)
![](https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgdKOrI8ybAEwMYXJQRNzfuuC9CRFehcP1eHZ4inyoY0WEzuJUXmXJ83bG6GEcYwvfqjTBZbmf49Jkarn1fqestDLdpjpxn51XNzUKnv0wHy20-3Q2SD8gAZeQgq-j43p5K9bNZqxrbt2A/s640-rw/strange-inventions-in-past-1.jpg) |
Bulletproof glass, demonstration by the best rifle man of the New York police, 1931. |
2. Single Wheel Motorcycle (1931)
![](https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgivHpqATgNpW1XcCh2nONzzsWoYYotzS3chbErhddUr5CwCnjDLTqgj9Vapzs5mMNIIfemml_MzPaCkjWaOIncePhz2ScX4tJXycyKl-EGr4UHYFMhH5A_lwQmzXHkXaxD8b_0DDTnArc/s640-rw/strange-inventions-in-past-2.jpg) |
One wheel motorcycle (invented by Italian M. Goventosa de Udine). Maximum speed: 150 kilometers per hour ( 93 Mph). |
3. Life Jackets Made From Bicycle Tubing (1925)
![](https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiapIby5PK-12wFAt-36NwVFjHofYWbYmkXJf_SihnhjiaY0UB0iRpwcsUCCVWsMRnZDv0EzXvqO1FLiL3Gindc0hQP96_CsuSVzZhBhUNsZhR2Wa9dafKfKMMeP7yunUkZkAbYJiUoXuY/s640-rw/strange-inventions-in-past-3.jpg) |
A group of youngsters tied a bike tyre around the body as a swimming aid. Germany, 1925. |
4. Wooden Bathing Suits (1929)
![](https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgZkxvUL-v-b_Xk_d6w4oDpVqqPR0Z9EZqnAvy3RKp9SScysztmwH9V8QtjH4_bh4VdkPBj7lH1EeGbuQD9yTi9ztlfVAX1LNTCF-51mcHAusmzg5k5OIdSDfe_DFEKGyVwIUkm32WP3uA/s640-rw/strange-inventions-in-past-4.jpg) |
Wooden bathing suits, supposed to make swimming a lot easier. Haquian, Washington, USA, 1929. |
5. Radio Stroller (1921)
![](https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh8rqDCaq_thACgrhoy0CI5uxPHefKSR9FieUknzre7dK895J5a0cuiEEBnTP2B4sSnp8BaLWUltmTJgbCiVOl4OJoun-OCpVDe_ESVT5JJrZdue-8MeX9-fct0vVLLK8JvE8gsAkj4hDQ/s640-rw/strange-inventions-in-past-5.jpg) |
Stroller equipped with a radio, including antenna and loudspeaker, to keep the baby quiet; USA, 1921. |
6. Hat With Integrated Radio (1931)
![](https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh6PoAW0IQICipSkPU9xLrw-DdVzt2lphpkh6hqXzJHU8ZVLz-tL26qCql2Xb09XlmCkTIbhK2IAaDci13GeF-ap1VeTO4WkBeH3hlPAINGv50v76h2nl_nOuwjmLWWEpgEtxCDJuGpT1Q/s640-rw/strange-inventions-in-past-6.jpg) |
Portable radio in a straw hat, made by an American inventor in 1931. |
7. Clap Skate (1936)
![](https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiyR3s0JU4H4S51sV5QpmSMLnYEypCzyRIcua4vhDevWhEWT50mWFttzuGNhQIQJR6gSgmMXqrztrt5E_QpXACpuwqvF83Ukx3-b1xM_g5R7pApu4r0S2LuTN1zW4Dx0vGarOnNy2IhXH0/s640-rw/strange-inventions-in-past-7.jpg) |
In 1936, inventor R. Handl came up with the movable heel plate, but it wasn’t until 1996 that this concept revolutionized skating. |
8. Extensible Caravan (1934)
![](https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgjGQiS9c2j5F4FbEHoMd-Op-2_kYIZwVCVbwgHaHPCZ8Cl2JDlHcnJZP24pyqA9Y6wyYNeBDdnXSfVh4Xv6dMYzAMUozgNrOc6sT_kjl4r0pLAilPASj-QXJp5UqJKnAaC-hYHAbeMd-M/s640-rw/strange-inventions-in-past-8.jpg) |
Extensible caravan, built by a French engineer. France, location unknown, 1934. |
9. Piano For the Bedridden (1935)
![](https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjymqdOp9ke9VFHcPdkMPFxqeAzkOkzrEL_LTBdDpQ_7jZxid74iU2flpX1VVqpjz0ZBBJh0NHdB9pfWfa0y4UdQiyXSZsyZL579pbZ5GXy_a7yhDJgd5FoeXrOjvw_PS9m4O0f52vKty0/s640-rw/strange-inventions-in-past-9.jpg) |
Piano especially designed for people confined to bedrest; Great Britain, 1935. |
10. Hamblin Glasses (1936)
![](https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhQD0yL940rny5rmcGQ5XduASl1S-MsGKEVDxgUs4n-QRonVYZYg3qJJoIc1bo5hh0ovGJJAve3VRFXuLnUe35mWggEE9zVn9cP0fYugnR5ruiDZir31otwORIIGrEO-PxLxb2LUoeERXI/s640-rw/strange-inventions-in-past-10.jpg) |
A pair of spectacles especially designed for reading in bed. England, 1936. |
11. All Terrain Vehicle (1931)
![](https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgagm-j_BxoQdQQOtsneIlz7ikXzGai6zzqfnnAAL_hvSoNxrs6MtmkGb2ywpI-xlv4gWRC87-G5KIDUbH_8lcQaFtcR0WqLfG1HRJsI0UufnDqG_NpRAawa6RkeZHhpC704RpgozVrLTY/s640-rw/strange-inventions-in-past-11.jpg) |
This all-terrain car can descend slopes up to 65 degrees; England, 1936. |
12. Electrically Heated Jacket (1932)
![](https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg2mz1M-6inhmQMAznRGPmQWg4aHivZxGl8qWUNfUFyE1NdiYCGZbNQXheJ2jLyTm7e0pV6IxepqfVSt6uDRZbzKtZkHOcZ5nm8ds3pTNbp6ADFKeRyubeosiFhW1xLzmvP67wAf7_K6WU/s640-rw/strange-inventions-in-past-12.jpg) |
Electrically heated vest, developed for the traffic police in the United States, 1932. The power is supplied by electric contacts in the street. |
13. Loetafoon (1929)
![](https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg3snX7rHW7i1toWuVsvCCTxuWx7uRB2MCVbwJ6alJGGB9HZaGbn8pCF7pPR35r75fCkgQ0Au3X5ZuqVmdX2Tc6eaTkYLnJAwPL4KVS09f8U_4lNpGiU-i-k2g-YOng3r4dbTOJxm2bUWk/s640-rw/strange-inventions-in-past-13.jpg) |
A turntable linked to a film projector. It comes with single, dual and triple turntable. Designed by F.B.A. Prinsen, 1929. |
14. Amphibious Bicycle (1932)
![](https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgAoA9SYa0c4mcEUWIyT5Sib8WiAxLvNv1HFp57RyelnvHG5cRZizDkSCI5yM-39KPNsR9strypfdyfW8dn803Frgo6URhlSZvdCcRLhVlNhQNAdM3842AUrTeEYV9ASabNsEaC-bUEBPA/s640-rw/strange-inventions-in-past-14.jpg) |
This land-and-water bike can carry a load of 120 pounds; Paris, 1932. |
15. Car With Shovel For Pedestrians (1924)
![](https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj2DZ04Qe-HjcC7FsEd59oNYgL3EoZdeYtaHMLhq-RdqUEeU-TcsEvTAZteCx8szXqmv5vpznnAFU7SNlL3Gw2TxItaZ1Jkt5TuM0zutJJMVO70xLBuPY7HMGPa46nV8VFfQosKarUmhPU/s640-rw/strange-inventions-in-past-15.jpg) |
Kind of shovel on a car. Purpose: reducing the number of casualties among pedestrians. Paris, 1924. |
16. Hearing Light For the Blind (1912)
![](https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjASpgdxSYjffCCUE8fQymJNGz7ERa29pWZ_ajzEuHpO2JRj_-S2fSc99klXqu5sG31BARQocMEDx2lpGpYakdjztnhIfrBZMpDMEiTMtXd09yma9jmb7EbZmJvjhivhCwtedYKrFNizbw/s640-rw/strange-inventions-in-past-16.jpg) |
Hearing light with a new invented apparatus, 1912. |
17. Early GPS (1932)
![](https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgEFcaVRt-ag3wYW8BenNg-9rT5Kb7j72Y1xkTAFWJcT_0ymXnT4J2AMZlVo5AxxOlpO2k1DLV_LAaPHWXh9caeyMc5zPzvruRw5ssFY6WYO2H-_HV0jLRSepxi-yQwUjMWWxNUeCjbZi0/s640-rw/strange-inventions-in-past-17.jpg) |
Yesteryear’s TomTom, a rolling key map that passes through the screen in a tempo determined by the speed of the car; 1932. |
18. Portable and Extendable Bridge (1926)
![](https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh6xHU1HtN5ZMDur3bNzICqXjTCM9zgu43AXWSDr_3E8Pg9qlJ57_dFwJTN6nhYTDdHMN00vhC2AvAnvKJxpApkSRX6Y11ahm2Be9tLQ8Enk7NGJC5Y9-3O87nmuc6TprzXZsbvCFFyU44/s640-rw/strange-inventions-in-past-18.jpg) |
The emergency bridge can easily be transported on a handcart; invented by L. Deth. The Netherlands, 1926. |
19. Faxed Newspaper (1938)
![](https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgVFoZISO9-qwyKcUqQTVaFppgUEGhDDyF1_CD1-V0YNt6puEY2tWLaFCA0ailgCBF5pJMMJCSw7xLEOPkbNzOB_uhn6iPlB_f3eT80E_moMteJr4ZxlyQLnKleZI4usJQlcKdo0JsI05M/s640-rw/strange-inventions-in-past-19.jpg) |
In 1938, the world’s first wireless newspaper was sent from WOR radio station in New York City. In this photo, children are reading the children’s page of a Missouri paper. |
20. Snowstorm Mask (1939)
![](https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjiJsfgsKYMNYwba_dIc6H7OEhoERNB-HOkf9ezVqd1KP0uAzxRNetV6ejpQ5X-QQtsXy3QY8JSl6msCwS7kHFxKUrrqRP4koaIhrA9g1r6xjbfLWZki2dH5LyRws8PpiUAtN6mCBjOWxA/s640-rw/strange-inventions-in-past-20.jpg) |
Plastic face protection from snowstorms. Canada, Montreal, 1939. |
21. Baby Stroller Protected From Gas Attacks (1938)
![](https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjcg9PBFAJdqYc452baoBAL_RpP8UQEs19F1dcpFW7mEzHx84LHzKMVrPmqm78E9jCa8UB-B7VwiLX7lMrqOUVnKQDeyZcEMxmjPEGTsnAD4f9Es2efb8GBBiT8Jq44NSzJAzfudP3jJn8/s640-rw/strange-inventions-in-past-21.jpg) |
A wartime stroller equipped with gas protection; England, Hextable, 1938. |
22. Revolver Camera (1938)
![](https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjKIpCwj9nnNQ1UCQN1nOOkWK_msws78TqMMQEI47jhkPEl7F1AV0uKnX0Cpop65PqR41-jA8_exU85lto8dicDJYNxB8EAjGbx565ahdPUVB6KhxuZpIsp5VW7Ka3pKAuI_zV65zSpYMc/s640-rw/strange-inventions-in-past-22.jpg) |
A Colt 38 carrying a small camera that automatically takes a picture when you pull the trigger. At the left: six pictures taken by the camera. New York, 1938. |
(Images via
Nationaal Archief)