10 Weird Photos From Our Past
Technology Is Amazing, Sometimes!
As a historian, I have always been fascinated by primary historical documents such as journals, diaries, letters, artwork, and architecture — political, church, and personal records. Also, I have enjoyed photography from the last two hundred years. These ten technological-based historical images indicate a moment in time and how the world as we experience it today has changed.
Bear Hunting Suit?
This so-called “Wildman Suit” is displayed in the Menil Collection in Houston, Texas. A double-layered set of armor coated from head to toe in one-inch-long, outward-facing iron nails, this suit remains as terrifying as it is mysterious.
While it’s referred to as Siberian bear-hunting armor from the 1800s, others suggest it was used in the gruesome spectacle of bear-baiting popular in Shakespearean England. But the true purpose of the “Wildman Suit” remains unknown.
The Isolator
Inventor and futurist Hugo Gernsback worked tirelessly to find all potential solutions to the inconveniences of modern life in the early-to-mid-1900s. He created everything from portable television goggles to the device seen here, which he aptly named “The Isolator.”
It was intended to block out all noise and allow users/workers to concentrate appropriately; the gimmick proved oddly prescient. After all, using noise-canceling headphones is a popular method to block out the distractions of public places today. Nonetheless, The Isolator was far too bulky and inefficient to find success with the public when it debuted in 1925.
Children Were Shipped In The Mail
There was a time when American children were sent through the mail. When the United States Parcel Post service officially began on Jan. 1, 1913, it allowed customers to ship large packages — including people, provided they weren’t heavier than 11 pounds and were appropriately stamped.
Fortunately, all children who were shipped arrived unharmed, and the USPS canceled this bizarre service after only about two years. But to this day, a collection of weird historical photos allow us to revisit this unique and strange practice.
A Policeman’s Portable Holding Cell
While this portable jail cell isn’t too far off from our modern alternative — being handcuffed in the back of a police car isn’t much different, this motorcycle sidecar is something to see. The one pictured here dates to the 1920s and was used in Los Angeles, California.
The Punt Gun
The punt gun was so powerful it was outlawed for being too effective. This odd-looking large weapon was first built in the early 1800s as demand for ducks skyrocketed.
It could kill 50–100 waterfowl with a single shot, so it began to decimate duck populations. Fortunately, regulations instituted in the first two decades of the 20th century ended the reign of the punt gun.
Vintage Ice Mask
This mask was designed by 1940s Hollywood makeup artist Max Factor Jr.; this bizarre ice mask aimed to reduce facial puffiness. Factor believed actresses would jump at the product, whether to cool down between scenes or curb the results of a long night on the town.
Unfortunately for him, they never did. So today, we’re only left with weird device photographs like this one. But, of course, it could be repurposed to cool one down in a heat wave, maybe.
When Hard Drives Were Transported By Plane
It’s easy to forget just how much space computers used to take up. The first IBM machines were essentially rooms unto themselves. The first computer I used at the grammar school in 1969 was also the size of a large room.
This photo is a stark reminder of how large memory itself used to be — as maintenance personnel loaded a mere five megabytes of memory into a Pan Am aircraft in 1956.
The Dynasphere
Finished in 1932, the Dynasphere seemed like something out of the era’s science fiction literature. It was patented two years earlier by English engineer Dr. J. A. Purves; this motorized monowheel prototype weighed 1,000 pounds and could reach top speeds of 30 miles per hour. Unfortunately, it was tremendously unwieldy and never caught on. It appears to be an accident waiting to happen. Not all new technology is practical.
World War I “Sound Finders”
Dubbed “Sound Finders,” these World War I soldiers were tasked with identifying exactly where enemy planes were approaching via acoustic location. It’s unclear how effective these primitive contraptions were, but armies on both sides of the conflict used devices like these in the days before radar. They may not have been efficient, but they are very fashionable!
The Motorwheel
This photograph shows Swiss engineer M. Girder, in Arles, France, departing for Spain in his “Motorwheel” on Sept. 1, 1931. This motorcycle used one wheel that ran on a rail inside a solid rubber tire. Unfortunately, this contraption did not give Harley-Davidson a run for its money!
© Stephen G. Arrowsmith 2022
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