Friday, July 17, 2009

Dumb Inventions..


 
Curved Barrel Machine Gun, 1953

Curved Barrel Machine Gun, 1953

The 20th century saw many astounding technological innovations. The automobile revolutionized the way people live and work, the internet changed the way people think about information, and the U.S. of A put a man on the moon. But some technological advances that came in the earlier part of the 20th centry weren't exactly meant for the history books. Because they were stupid. Take, for example, this M3 sub-machine gun with a curved barrel for shooting around corners. It's the perfect gun for the "shoot first, look where you're shooting later" kind of guy.

Photo: Keystone/Getty Images

Jan 12, 1952
 

 
 
 
Anti-Bandit Bag, 1963

Anti-Bandit Bag, 1963

Inventor John H T Rinfret demonstrates his anti-bandit bag. To foil thieves the chain is pulled and the bottom of the case falls out so the contents are scattered over the floor. That'll stop those thieves from getting at the contents of your bag! No, wait. It won't.

Photo: Fred Mott/Getty Images

Aug 27, 1963
 
 
 
 

Hubbard Electrometer, 1968

Hubbard Electrometer, 1968

American science fiction writer and founder of the Church of Scientology L. Ron Hubbard uses his Hubbard Electrometer to determine whether tomatoes experience pain, 1968. His work led him to the conclusion that tomatoes "scream when sliced."

Photo: Evening Standard/Getty Images

Jan 01, 1968
 
 
 
 



Cup Bras, 1949

Cup Bras, 1949

Charles L. Langs poses with his strapless, backless, wireless, support-less bras. His wife is justifiably dubious.

Photo: Nina Leen/Time & Life Pictures/Getty Images

May 01, 1949
 
 


 
 
Finnish Portable Sauna, 1962

Finnish Portable Sauna, 1962

Photo: Yale Joel/Time & Life Pictures/Getty Images

Jan 01, 1962
 
 
 


 
Baby Cage, 1937

Baby Cage, 1937

A nanny supervising a baby suspended in a wire cage attached to the outside of a high tenement block window. The cages were distributed to members of the Chelsea Baby Club in London who have no gardens, or qualms about putting a child in a box dangling over a busy street.

Photo: Reg Speller/Getty Images

Jun 23, 1937
 
 
 


 
Laryngaphone, 1929

Laryngaphone, 1929

A man at a shipping exhibition in Olympia, London, demonstrating the ''Laryngaphone, '' a noise-excluding telephone which only transmits vibrations from the vocal chords when the microphone is placed against the throat or cheek. For the man who wants to annoy both his wife and his mistress

Photo: S. R. Gaiger/Getty Images

Sep 11, 1929
 
 


 
 
Motorized Surfboard, 1948

Motorized Surfboard, 1948

Hollywood inventor Joe Gilpin riding his motorized surfboard.

Photo: Peter Stackpole./Time & Life Pictures/Getty Images

Apr 01, 1948
 
 
 
 
Rainy Day Cigarette Holder, 1954

Rainy Day Cigarette Holder, 1954

President of Zeus Corp., Robert L. Stern, smoking a cigarette from his self-designed rainy day cigarette holder.

Photo: YALE JOEL

Mar 01, 1954
 
 
 
 
Rocket Belt, 1961

Rocket Belt, 1961

Engineer Harold Graham salutes President Kennedy after demonstrating Rocket Belt for him.

Photo: John Loengard./Time & Life Pictures/Getty Images

Jan 01, 1961
 
 
 
 
Honegar, 1959

Honegar, 1959

Inventor of a honey and vinegar mixture, called Honegar, Dr. DeForest C. Jarvis. Honegar was said to be a folk remedy for aches and pains, though it mainly sounds like a cure for lack of nausea.

Photo: Fritz Goro../Time & Life Pictures/Getty Images

Dec 01, 1959
 
 
 
 
Illuminated Tires, 1961

Illuminated Tires, 1961

A woman adjusts her stocking by the light of the Goodyear's illuminated tires. The tire is made from a single piece of synthetic rubber and is brightly lit by bulbs mounted inside the wheel rim.

Photo: Douglas Miller/Getty Images

Oct 16, 1961
 
 
 
 
Shower Hood, 1970

Shower Hood, 1970

For the woman who likes to put makeup on her dirty face.

Photo: Keystone/Getty Images

Feb 12, 1970
 
 
 
 
Cigarette Pack Holder, 1955

Cigarette Pack Holder, 1955

Photo: Jacobsen/Getty Images

Jan 01, 1955
 
 
 
 
Fast-Draw Robot, 1960

Fast-Draw Robot, 1960

Robot equipped with fast-draw invention shoots it out with live gunner. It's always easy to question the wisdom of giving a robot a gun, but also making him quick on the draw is just irresponsible.

Photo: J. R. Eyerman./Time & Life Pictures/Getty Images

Jun 01, 1960


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