A selection of photos from the past that make you wonder (21 photos)

Some of the pictures look so fantastic that you might wonder: is this the result of a neural network? However, these are real moments of the past, captured by a camera. All the photos were colorized.





The Greenbrier bunker under the Greenbrier Hotel was built to house the US Congress in the event of a nuclear war. West Virginia, 1959.



The Greenbrier bunker is located in West Virginia, USA, under the hotel of the same name. It was built in 1962 by order of President Dwight Eisenhower to evacuate the US Congress in the event of a nuclear attack by the USSR.

The $14 million facility included: 4 entrances and a 25-ton armored door, decontamination chambers, living quarters for 1,100 people, underground parking, water reservoirs, a power plant and fuel reserves, a television studio, a radio center, a clinic with an operating room, a cafeteria, a dining room, a kitchen, conference rooms, a library, a gym and much more.

The bunker could provide autonomous existence for up to 30 years. During this time, its operation was maintained by special personnel under the cover of hotel employees.

The secret status of the facility was revealed in May 1992 thanks to the Washington Post's investigative journalism. After that, the US government officially closed the project and handed over the bunker to the hotel.

Today, Greenbrier is a popular tourist attraction, where they conduct excursions and themed events in the genre of detective and spy novels.

Alex Kerr from Glasgow carries an adult tiger on his shoulders at a press conference before the opening of Bertram Mill Circus in London, 1957.





A 280-ton BelAZ-75501 quarry dump truck in the assembly shop of the Belarusian Automobile Plant. Zhodino, 1991.



BelAZ-75501 is the largest dump truck in the USSR. On June 1, 1991, the most powerful domestic dump truck with a carrying capacity of 280 tons was presented in the USSR. It was developed at the Belarusian Automobile Plant in Zhodino, which was in fierce competition with foreign manufacturers such as Caterpillar and Komatsu.

To create such a giant, the plant's engineers, together with the Japanese company Komatsu, developed a two-axle machine on 8 wheels with all-wheel drive. This made it possible to maintain maneuverability and increase stability under high loads.

In 1991, the dump truck was sent for testing to Yakutia, where it successfully passed the test. However, the 90s and the collapse of the Soviet Union contributed to the history of this giant. BelAZ was dismantled, and in the early 2000s it was cut up for scrap metal.

Horse diving. USA, 1955.



Horse diving is a spectacular and unusual circus entertainment that has gained wide popularity in North America, especially in the United States, since the 1880s.

The essence of the performance was that a horse, sometimes with a rider, ran up a high springboard and jumped into the water at full speed. The height of some springboards reached 18 meters, which made the show truly exciting for spectators.

This type of attraction could often be seen at fairs. In addition to being spectacular, it demonstrated the animal's agility and its trust in the trainer, and also required courage and physical fitness from the horse.

A film crew films a motorcycle jump over a collapsed bridge, circa 1980.



This shot was taken during the filming of the low-budget movie "Biker" starring the famous motorcycle racer Eddie Kidd. The footage captures the most dramatic moment of the film - the jump over an abandoned railway bridge, which occurs at the end of the film.

A motorcyclist, making a dizzying jump, literally on the verge of failure, lands on the opposite side of the bridge, completing the stunt with a tense but successful landing. This episode became one of the most memorable scenes of the film and a striking example of risky action in low-budget filmmaking.

Paris, 1963.



A famous photo shoot by Melvin Sokolsky called "Bubble" is in which models "float" in a huge transparent ball over the Seine in Paris.

This unusual photo series called "Bubble" was created in 1963 by photographer Melvin Sokolsky for Harper's Bazaar magazine. The idea was born after the author had a vivid dream: he saw himself inside a transparent bubble, hovering over fantastic landscapes, images of which haunted Sokolsky for a long time.

In addition, the creation of the series was influenced by a collection of Faberge Easter eggs, which the photographer deeply appreciated for their exquisite finish and perfection of construction.

The "bubble" itself was assembled in just ten days from plexiglass and aircraft aluminum. After its manufacture, Sokolsky went with the entire structure to Paris, where the shooting took place. He invited his favorite actress and fashion model, Simone D'Allencourt, as a model.

The result was an amazing art project that combined a dream, art history and a bold fashion experiment.

Flight of the "Raketa-248". Perm, 1995.



On October 23, 1995, an unusual transportation of the motor ship "Raketa-248" took place using the Mi-26 helicopter of the airline "TyumenAviaTrans". The vessel was delivered from the Zaozerskaya repair and maintenance base of the fleet to the city of Kyshtym.

After delivery, the ship was refitted and turned into a permanent cafe called "Champion", located on the shore of the Nizhnekyshtym pond.

The ship with the factory number 511 was built on July 1, 1972 at the shipyard "More" in Feodosia. The ship "Raketa-248" entered the Kama River Shipping Company of the MRF of the RSFSR, stationed at the Zaozerskaya repair and maintenance base of the fleet of the KRP MRF of the RSFSR.

Until 1991, the ship was in active operation, after which it was withdrawn from the fleet and laid up.

John Hayes, who claims to hold the world record for hanging from a tree and playing guitar, 1960.



The nose of a new Cadillac sticks out through a brick wall. USA, 1948.



A car and garage belonging to Dr. Henry A. Wang were slightly damaged when neighbors say Dr. Wang's 17-year-old daughter, Mary Ann, was learning to drive.

Skiers with backpack aeropropulsors developed by the design bureau of the Gorky Mari Polytechnic Institute, 1978.



Acrobat Betty Fox performs a dangerous stunt in Chicago, 1949.



Acrobatic couple Betty and Benny Fox have been dazzling audiences for decades with their insanely daring stunts, performed at great heights and with absolutely no safety equipment.

This 1955 photo shows Betty Fox performing an acrobatic act — jumping rope. What makes the act so special is that the platform for the stunt was built out of a skyscraper window.

Acrobat Hans Prignitz performs a handstand on St. Michael's Church in Hamburg, Germany, 1948.



Members of the Ku Klux Klan inspect Ralph De Palma's Miller Special race car at Overland Park Speedway in Denver, Colorado, 1925.



Launching of the first hull of Project 941, TRPK SN TK-208.

Severodvinsk, September 27, 1980.



In 1981, Sevmash delivered to the Navy the heavy nuclear-powered strategic missile submarine cruiser TK-208, later named "Dmitry Donskoy". For its impressive dimensions - 172.8 meters in length and more than 23 meters in width - the submarine has won wide fame and public admiration.

The project of the unique nuclear-powered submarine was developed in the Rubin design bureau, and its creator, academician Sergei Kovalev, treated this ship with special pride, as his brainchild.

The submarine's special feature was not only its powerful weapons, but also the conditions for long autonomous voyages. A sports complex, sauna, swimming pool and recreation area for the crew were equipped on board. The submarine is equipped with two strong hulls, which ensures high survivability and safety in any conditions.

A procedure for removing freckles using carbon dioxide.



This is the strange and slightly scary way to get rid of freckles in the 1930s.

Famous aviator Amelia Earhart on a motor scooter, 1935.



Amelia Earhart, the famous American aviator and the first woman to fly across the Atlantic Ocean.

This photo was taken just two years before her final, tragic flight. In 1937, she would disappear without a trace during an attempt to fly around the world along the equator. Neither the plane nor the bodies of Earhart and her navigator Fred Noonan were ever found, which gave rise to many versions and theories.

A blimp crashes after an atomic bomb explodes, Nevada, 1957.



Almost seven decades ago, the U.S. military investigated whether its airships (aerostats) could be used to deliver nuclear weapons against submarines. To do this, they conducted a series of explosions as part of the Plummet program, which included 24 nuclear tests.

The goal was to find out how the ZSG-3 airships reacted to a nuclear strike and to determine a safe distance for their use as carriers of anti-submarine weapons. This information was classified, but later became available thanks to declassified documents.

A Ferrari buried in the ground. Los Angeles, 1978.



In 1978, an unusual incident occurred in Los Angeles: children playing in the yard of a house found a piece of film sticking out of the ground. Under it was not something old, but a nearly new Ferrari Dino 246 GTS, neatly packed and partially buried just a few centimeters below the surface.

The police arrived at the scene, inspected the car and made sure there was no one inside. Later, during excavations, it became clear: there were no bodies, no drugs, no weapons in the car. This only confused the case even more. After all, it wasn't just old hardware that was being discussed, but a valuable sports car.

It turned out that the Ferrari Dino had been stolen three years ago. The owner, Rosento Cruz, had given it to his wife as a gift, but after their wedding anniversary, the car disappeared right off the street near a restaurant. He received an insurance payout.

The thieves were in cahoots with the owner and were supposed to sink the Ferrari in the ocean, but they changed their minds — they felt too sorry for the car. Instead, they buried it, apparently planning to return later. But they never did.

After being retrieved, the car was handed over to the insurance company. After three years in the ground, it had suffered greatly: corrosion, mold, damaged upholstery. It was put up for auction.

Photographer Jack Reilly on the 72nd floor of a 74-story skyscraper under construction. Bank of Manhattan on Wall Street in New York City, 1929.



Ballerina Marina Franca dressed as a peacock at a ball at the fashionable Waldorf-Astoria Hotel, Manhattan, New York, 1941.