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50 Extremely Rare And Fascinating Historical Photos That Show Just How Completely Unhinged The World Used To Be

What a time to be alive.

1. This is the eight-year-old bodybuilder Patricia O'Keefe, carrying a 200-pound man on her back:

A muscular man lifts a smiling, swimsuit-clad woman on his shoulders at a beach, showcasing a playful, strongman act

2. Speaking of which, this is "Boy Samson," the 14-year-old "strongest boy in the world" holding up a grown man on a motorcycle circa 1932:

A man balances a motorcycle on his chest while lying on his back in a park, surrounded by onlookers

3. This is Diane Stopky, winner of International Posture Queen in 1957, posing with her award-winning spine:

Woman in swimsuit and tiara with "Posture National Queen 1957" sash stands next to an X-ray display

4. Speaking of high honors, here's Gail Hooper AKA Miss National Catfish, 1954:

Woman in a stylish swimsuit poses with a large fish on a rooftop with a city skyline in the background, holding a fishing rod

5. This is a scene from the I'm sure absolutely electric "Prettiest Ankle Competition" in London in 1930:

A police officer judges a leg competition where contestants are seated behind a covered platform, only their legs showing

6. This is how some scientists tested the effectiveness football helmets in the 1950s β€” by banging themselves in the head with a heavy object:

A person wearing a helmet with eyes closed, facing a cylindrical object hanging beside them

7. People used to be able to have picnics at the Los Angeles alligator farm:

People dining at a table in shallow water with alligators nearby, creating a unique and adventurous dining experience

8. This is Henry Behrens, at one time the world's smallest man, doing a little tango with a cat:

Person in a suit playfully holds a standing cat's paws on a checkered floor

9. These gigantic contraptions are apparently one of the first life preservers ever made:

Four men in a locker room wearing striped padded suits for experimental football gear testing, likely from the early 20th century

10. This is a rubber beauty mask designed to eliminate wrinkles, massage the face, and promote skin health from the 1920s:

Person wearing a vintage, textured breathing mask with a long, curved hose, seated and dressed in a simple, dark garment

11. This is Robert Earl Hughes, the one-time world's heaviest man and his pet dog:

Person sitting and smiling at a dog in a vintage room, both engaged in a playful moment

12. The Michelin Man not only used to be absolutely terrifying, but he used to run with a gang of several other musically inclined Michelin men:

Vintage band dressed as Michelin Man characters plays instruments, posing around a microphone in a staged setting

13. Horse diving used to be all the rage. No, really. This is Eunice Padfield and her horse diving head first into a pool of water:

A horse with a rider is mid-air, diving from a high ramp into a pool below, while a crowd watches

14. This is George Stern and his prized invention, a fast-vaporizing fluid that basically let you light your hands on fire and not get burned:

A person in a suit poses with both hands raised, appearing to have small flames above them, in front of a table with various objects

15. Here's a picture of a very safe, normal setup for parents and a baby to enjoy ice skating from the late 1930s:

A couple on ice skates holds a baby in a hanging carrier on an ice rink, smiling at the camera

16. Speaking of babies, they used to travel up with the luggage on planes:

A baby in a luggage compartment

17. Looks totally fine to me:

A baby in a luggage compartment

18. Here's another terrifying rubber beauty mask designed to eliminate wrinkles from the 1920s:

Two women in a vintage setting wear unusual expressionless masks, standing by an early typewriter

19. Here's a totally non-unhinged inventino: a GUN was designed to take a picture each time its trigger was pulled:

Close-up of a gun's barrel, modified with a camera lens in front. Strip of small photos on left depicts people and buildings

20. This is Martin Laurello, AKA "The Human Owl," a sideshow performer from the early 1900s who could turn his head almost completely around:

A man stands confidently with hands on hips in front of a scenic backdrop, wearing a classic shirt and pants. Name reads "Martin Laurello."

21. Here's what a treadmill looked like in the 1920s:

A woman in 1920s attire smiles while using an early exercise machine with a large wheel, demonstrating vintage fitness equipment

22. Speaking of exercise and weight-loss, for a brief, wonderous moment, portable saunas were a thing. Just look at how happy this man is:

Man smiling while sitting in an old-fashioned sauna suit, holding a magazine, with only his head and hands visible

23. In 1924, a game of Human Chess was played in the Soviet Union:

Large outdoor chess game with people as pieces on a giant board, surrounded by a crowd with a historic building in the background

24. In 1918, over 30,000 soldiers came together to make a giant human-shield:

Thousands of people form a large human American flag shield design in a historic photograph

25. This picture, from the early 1900s, shows an early basketball game, kneepads and all:

Vintage photo of a basketball player preparing to shoot a free throw, with other players and a referee in early 20th-century attire

26. Here's another photo of a vintage basketball player, standing in front of a piano and striking fear into the hearts of his opponents:

A vintage basketball player in a 1920s-style athletic outfit holds a basketball indoors, standing near a piano

27. For one brief, strange moment, WOODEN bathing suits were a thing:

Four women in 1920s swimsuits pose playfully on a beach, showcasing vintage fashion

28. This is apparently a group of teachers getting lit and celebrating Spring Break in the early 1900s:

Four women dressed in long skirts and blouses drink and hold a bottle in a grassy field, with hats resting on their heads. A small box is nearby

29. In 1948, one brave man invented a spoon with a fan on it, meant for cooling soup:

A man in a suit, wearing glasses, uses an innovative fork/spoon device to eat spaghetti from a bowl

30. I know you've seen a bicycle built for two... but how about a bicycle built for FOUR:

Four people ride an inventive, multi-person bike featuring a typewriter. A man pedals while others sit, including a young girl on a tall seat

31. This is the Dynasphere, a giant wheel vehicle invented by Dr. J. A. Purves that could go as a fast as 30 MPH:

A man operating a large monowheel vehicle with a lattice structure, showcasing early 20th-century innovation in transportation design

32. This is how condoms were tested in the 1930s:

Two workers inspecting a large number of expanded condoms on a factory table

33. This is Norwegian speed skater Oscar Mathisen pictured with his many, many, many, many awards and honors throughout the early 1900s:

A man stands wearing numerous medals covering his torso on top of a dark outfit, with his hands behind his back and expressionless face

34. Here's a scientist testing out a hands-free shaving machine that used robotic arms:

A man receives a shave from robotic arms controlled by a person in a lab coat, illustrating a futuristic grooming concept

35. This is the cross-section of the 1,300 year-old Mark Twain sequoia tree, cut down in 1892 for display in New York:

Three people pose with a giant tree cross-section; one stands on a ladder, another holds a hat, showcasing the tree's enormous size

36. Huntington Beach in California used to have a bunch of oil derricks on top of it:

People enjoy a busy Huntington Beach, California, in a vintage photo with many oil derricks visible in the background

37. This is Alfred Langevin, a man renowned for his very useful talent of being able to smoke out of his eyeball:

A person in a suit balances a cigarette attached to eyeglasses, with smoke rising

38. This is Stephan Bibrowski, otherwise known as Lionel the Lion-faced Man. Stephan had a condition known as hypertrichosis that caused hair to grow up to eight inches long all over his body including, obviously, his face:

Person with extensive facial hair resembling a dog's features, wearing a suit and tie, creating a unique, captivating appearance

39. This is the cyclomer, an amphibious bicycle meant to work on both land and sea. It, unfortunately, didn't catch on:

A man in a suit rides an unusual bike with large spherical wheels in a vintage photo, possibly demonstrating an early innovation

40. During World War II, some soldiers would utilize their gas masks while cutting onions:

Two individuals sit outdoors wearing gas masks, peeling fruit over a container, with sandbags in the background

41. This right here is a piano specifically designed for people on bedrest:

Person lying on a bed playing a piano keyboard suspended above them, appearing relaxed and inventive

42. Before airplanes were pressurized for commercial use, flyers had to wear oxygen masks at higher altitudes:

Passengers in an old airplane cabin wear oxygen masks during a safety demonstration

43. This is a giant elephant seal, pictured here at a Paris zoo in the 1930s:

A man in uniform interacts with a large, seated walrus, appearing to feed it or gesture at it in a zoo-like setting

44. In 1936, architect AndrΓ© Basdevant proposed making the Eiffel Tower accessible by car. It would look like this:

Eiffel Tower altered to show a futuristic structure encircling it high above Paris; a concept blending classic architecture with imaginative design

45. Here's a bunch of soldiers practicing their swimming moves while on land:

Men balancing on planks and crates for an exercise drill, observed by others in striped athletic attire, outdoors near a brick building

46. And here's a bunch of kids doing the same:

Children in swimsuits and caps practice swim strokes on land, lying on benches, in front of a wooden building

47. Here's another strange way to learn how to swim. Each one of these kids is connected by rope to this "merry-go-round" contraption:

Historical photo of people learning to swim in a pool using harnesses while an instructor watches from the side

48. In the 1930s, this couple won an Atlantic City dance marathon after dancing for 1,473 hours:

A couple sitting and holding awards

49. This is one of the earliest designs for roller skates. They didn't catch on for some reason:

A vintage image of a person wearing early 20th-century attire and unconventional roller skates with wheels

50. And, finally, here's a lady covered head to toe in potatoes:

Person humorously posing atop a large pile of potatoes, holding a peeler