Long before “innovation” became a corporate buzzword, true inventors were tinkering away in garages and workshops, creating solutions to problems we didn’t even know we had.
Remember a world where someone thought, “You know what would make driving safer? A giant shovel attached to the front of cars to scoop up pedestrians!”
These forgotten contraptions range from the genuinely useful (the Morrison shelter saved countless lives during WWII bombing raids) to the downright bizarre (a mechanical cat-meowing machine, anyone?).
Some inventions, like plastic face protection for snowstorms, made perfect sense until better options came along, while others—like the one-wheel motorcycle—make us wonder if safety regulations existed at all.
This fascinating collection showcases human ingenuity at its most creative, practical, and occasionally questionable, reminding us that the road to progress is paved with some truly odd experiments.
#1 A British Couple Sleeps Inside A “Morrison Shelter” Used As Protection From Collapsing Homes During The Wwii ‘Blitz’ Bombing Raids… March 1941
Image source: Reporter_at_large
#2 Plastic Face Protection From Snowstorms And Cold. Montreal, Canada, 1939
Image source: Nationaal Archief
#3 One Wheel Motorcycle, By M. Goventosa De Udine
Maximum speed: 150 kilometers per hour ( 93 Mph).
Image source: Nationaal Archief
#4 Cat-Mew Machine
The Cat-Mew Machine was a bizarre Japanese invention from the 1960s designed to scare away mice. It repeatedly played a recorded “meow” to trick rodents into thinking a cat was nearby—though it’s unclear if the mice actually fell for it.
Image source: Vintage Everyday
#5 Mass Shaving Machine
Image source: Ken Howard
#6 It Was A Bit Different Back In The 60s
Image source: jimmyjames2306
#7 Hamblin Glasses. A Pair Of Spectacles Especially Designed For Reading In Bed. England, 1936
Image source: Nationaal Archief
#8 Gas War Resistant Pram. England, Hextable, 1938
Image source: Nationaal Archief
#9 This Is How Babies Used To Fly On Airplanes
Image source: imgur.com
#10 Amphibious Bike ‘The Cyclomer’, A Bicycle That Can Ride On Land And Water With A Load Of Up To 120 Kilos, Paris, 1932
Image source: Nationaal Archief
#11 Early Tripmaster
Sort of TomTom, early tripmaster: rolling key map. The map passes the screen in a tempo that depends on the speed of the car.
Image source: Nationaal Archief
#12 All Terrain Car
All terrain car able to descend slopes up to 65 degrees. England, 1936.
Image source: Nationaal Archief
#13 Fold-Out Piano, Specially Designed For Bedridden Patients. Great Britain, 1935
Image source: Nationaal Archief
#14 Folding Bridge For Emergencies, Invented By L. Deth. The Emergency Bridge Can Easily Be Transported On A Handcart. The Netherlands, Location Unknown, 1926
Image source: Nationaal Archief
#15 In 1955, This Tiny Electric Narrow Gauge Train Was Installed In New York’s Holland Tunnel To Monitor Traffic Speed
Image source: MrBonelessPizza24
#16 Jess Dixon In His Flying Automobile
Built by Jess Dixon of Andalusia, Ala. Can fly forward, backward or straight up or hover in the air. Runs on road or flys across country. 40 H.P. motor, air cooled, speeds to 100 m.p.h. Kobel Feature Photos, Frankfort, Ind.,1940
Image source: Kobel Feature Photos
#17 Doctor Vilhelm Irgens Pettersson Demonstrates His New Invention; A Baby Carriage That Can Climb Stairs. 26 November 1956
Image source: house_of_ghosts
#18 Electrically Heated Vest For The Traffic Police In The United States. The Power Is Generated Via Contact On The Street. Location Unknown, 1932
Image source: Nationaal Archief
#19 Car With Shovel For Pedestrians, Paris, 1924
Image source: Nationaal Archief
#20 Wooden Bathing Suits, Supposed To Make Swimming A Lot Easier. Haquian, Washington, United States, 1929
Image source: Nationaal Archief
#21 Paternoster Lift
The Paternoster lift is like an elevator with no pause button. Instead of stopping at each floor, its open compartments move in a continuous loop, and passengers have to step on and off while it’s still moving.
Image source: Wikipedia, Ludek
#22 Dymaxion Car
The Dymaxion Car was a futuristic, teardrop-shaped vehicle designed by Buckminster Fuller in the 1930s. With three wheels, room for 11 passengers, and the ability to turn on a dime, it looked ahead of its time—but its unstable design cut its journey short.
Image source: Wikipedia, Sascha Pohflepp
#23 Dreamachine
The Dreamachine is a spinning device designed to create a trance-like state when viewed with closed eyes. Invented by Brion Gysin and Ian Sommerville in 1960, it uses flickering light to stimulate the brain and induce vivid visions.
Image source: Wikipedia, John Aes-Nihil
#24 Splayd
A splayd is a handy utensil that works as a spoon, knife, and fork all in one. It was invented in the 1940s by William McArthur in Sydney, Australia.
Image source: Wikipedia, User:Celcom
#25 Radio Pram
Pram provided with a radio, including antenna and loudspeaker, to keep the baby quiet. United States, 1921.
Image source: Nationaal Archief
#26 Les Paul, Age 14, In 1929 – Yes, He Invented The Rack – That Type Of Harmonica Holder, Too
Image source: jaykirsch
#27 Revolver Camera
Revolver camera: 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.
Image source: Nationaal Archief
#28 Madame A.t. Rowley’s Toilet Mask
Madame A.T. Rowley’s Toilet Mask was a 19th-century beauty invention that looked more like a horror prop than a skincare product. Made of rubber, it was worn overnight to supposedly smooth wrinkles—though it’s hard to say if it worked or just made sleeping incredibly uncomfortable.
Image source: S. Grant
#29 Cycloped
The Cycloped was a bizarre attempt at a locomotive, powered not by steam but by a horse walking on a treadmill. Entered into the 1829 Rainhill Trials, it was quickly outpaced by steam engines and proved completely impractical.
Image source: Wikipedia, Elijah Galloway
#30 Loetafoon
The Loetafoon was a gramophone record player that was connected to a film projector. A mercury contact on the film indicated exactly when the needle should be on the record to start the sound film. The device was supplied with a single, double and triple turntable.
Image source: Nationaal Archief
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