The time between the wars – the Great War and WW2 – was one of great loss and uncertainty, but also one of invention, creativity and new ideas. The horrors of WWI shattered enlightenment belief that progress would continue and reason would prevail. New ideas and patterns of life developed in the 1920s and in the way that people looked at the world. In fact, some of the greatest inventions of the 20th-century were brought to us in this period [1].

The fast pace of technology change in the ’20s brought us the lie detector, traffic signal, and bubble gum. The discovery and application of Penicillin was a medical breakthrough. An all-electronic moving-image television system somewhat similar to that used today was invented and demonstrated in 1929 [2].

Although marked by the Great Depression, the following decade was no less invention-intensive. ‘30s inventions brought us the jet engine, helicopters, tea bags, sticky tape, ballpoint pens, and the first photocopier [3].

However, somewhere between these great world-changing inventions there were some fun and sometimes even hilarious inventions the world has forgotten. Although these crazy contraptions look primitive nowadays, these were once cutting-edge ideas. Bored Panda proudly presents this collection of historic photos of Cool Inventions From the Past – enjoy, comment and don’t forget to subscribe!

Bike Tyre Used As Swimming Aid (Germany, 1925)

A group of youngsters tied a bike tyre around the body as a swimming aid.

One Wheel Motorcycle (1931)

One wheel motorcycle (invented by Italian M. Goventosa de Udine). This strange invention has a max speed of 150 kilometers per hour (93 Mph).

Amphibious Bike ‘Cyclomer’ (Paris, 1932)

The Cyclomer, a bicycle that can ride with a load of 120 pounds on land and water.

All Terrain Car (England, 1936)

All-terrain car able to descend slopes of up to 65 degrees.

Radio Pram (USA, 1921)

Pram provided with a radio, including antenna and loudspeaker, to keep the baby quiet.

Radio hat (USA, 1931)

Portable radio in a straw hat, made by an American inventor.

Bulletproof Glass (New York, 1931)

Bulletproof glass demonstration by the best rifleman of the New York police, 1931.

Extendable Caravan (France, 1934)

Extendable caravan, built by a French engineer.

Piano For The Bedridden (UK, 1935)

Piano specially designed for people who are confined to bed.

Glasses For Reading In Bed (England, 1936)

Hamblin glasses. A pair of spectacles specially designed for reading in bed.

Electrically Heated Jacket (USA, 1932)

Electrically heated vest developed for the traffic police in the United States. The power is supplied by electric contacts in the street.

Car With Shovel For Pedestrians (Paris, 1924)

Kind of shovel on a car. Purpose: reducing the number of casualties among pedestrians.

Early GPS (1932)

This contraption is a sort of TomTom, early tripmaster. Works using rolling key map. The map passes the screen in a tempo that depends on the speed of the car.

Folding Emergency Bridge (Netherlands, 1926)

Folding bridge for emergencies, invented by L. Deth and can easily be transported on a handcart.

Faxed Newspaper (1938)

In 1938 the first wireless newspaper was sent from WOR radio station in New York. Photo shows children reading the children’s page of a Missouri paper.

Face Protection From Snowstorms (Canada, 1939)

Used to protect one’s face from snowstorms. Canada, Montreal, 1939.

Gas War Resistant Pram (England, Hextable, 1938)

Revolver Camera (New York, 1938)

Colt 38 carrying a small camera that automatically takes a picture when you pull the trigger. Above: six pictures taken by the camera.

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