A hodgepodge of interesting retro photographs (16 photos)

And here is a new hodgepodge of interesting retro photographs. A little fun and educational content definitely won't hurt us. So we invite everyone to take a little break and look at new archival photographs.

Alfred Langevin was a man who could smoke a pipe with his eyes





Alfred lived in Detroit, Michigan in the 1930s. The reason for his unusual abilities remains unknown, but is likely due to an abnormal development of his lacrimal gland.

Glurpo is the only clown in the world who performed underwater



This rather eerie photo was taken in the 1960s at the Aquarena Springs amusement park in San Marcos, Texas, USA. This is where Glurpo worked.

Couple on pilgrimage in Mexico, 1940



In Mexico, religious traditions are taken extremely seriously. Every year, at the end of January and beginning of February of each year, a great pilgrimage takes place to the shrine of San Juan de los Lagos. However, pilgrims do not just travel a long way on foot, but subject themselves to all sorts of trials and hardships. They may not eat, not drink, deprive themselves of clothing and even vision (like, for example, the woman in the photo).

Prototype horse-drawn carriage motorcycle, early 1900s



Device for increasing height



Gino Franceschini from New York was faced with a lack of several centimeters in height, which did not allow him to become a firefighter. In 1941, he made a rather strange device for the neck. It should have fixed this problem. Gino did manage to increase his height somewhat, but these changes were still not enough to qualify.

Walkie-talkie wearing a straw hat, made by an American inventor, 1931



German doll of the 17th century



Many older dolls were made from unstable materials, so they needed additional support in the form of stands. This design looked quite intimidating.

Clown from 1914 in an unusual costume



It seems that the main task of this artist was not to amuse the children, but to scare them into a faint state. Take a look at the boots in the shape of bare feet, what do you think of the butterfly in the shape of human hands? Isn't it cute?

Silent film star Harold Lloyd and his huge Christmas tree, 1960s



The actor purchased several large trees and tied them together, after which he decorated them with toys. One such tree could fit up to 5,000 decorations.

Ainu woman with a smile tattoo on her face, 1960



Women of the Japanese Ainu people have been tattooing themselves with a strange tattoo in the form of a smile for more than 10 thousand years. It was believed that it protects the owner from evil forces. Over time, the government banned this procedure due to its high health risks. The last such tattoo was applied in 1998.

Oral X-ray machine, 1920s



A mother uses a trash can to hold her baby while she crochets, 1969.



Today, this woman clearly would not be able to fight off the crowd of haters who would all film her on their phones and post the resulting pictures on social networks. Times have changed a lot. Today, a trash can is not a suitable playpen for children.

Walking with a domestic goose in New York, 1930



Vintage photo of an Arab girl wearing a hijab, 1925



A masterful hairstyle made with the help of two electricric typewriters, 1965



The author of the work is stylist Philip Mason. It took him two whole days to realize his idea.

Woman in the Wild West wearing a hat and mask designed to protect her skin from the sun's rays, 1903