Glancing at this old-fashioned safety equipment will make you wonder if human life was just not as important once upon a time. Seriously, what were they thinking? These pics of protective pieces range from gear that is hilariously unsafe to gear that may be safe, but is such a crime you’d be better off just going in your pajamas.
Some of this equipment lacks form, some of it lacks function, and still more of it seems to have been created in a universe where neither of those concepts exist. Check them out.
1
Lucy Smith climbing a mountain in petticoats. Circa 1908.
3
Oldest known diving suit, dating back to 18th century Finland
4
Radiation protection suit from 1934
5
Football player wearing padded pants, 1901
6
Radiation protection suit from 1912
7
Cold weather flying clothing, 1941
8
Football player wearing safety gear in early 1900s
10
Female mountain climber outfit from 1911.
11
Driving suit and goggles, circa 1900
12
A swimming mask designed to protect women’s skin from the sun. 1920s
13
A mesh ‘health shirt’ used in a 1953 expedition to Mt Everest. It let air flow more freely.
14
Early bike helmet circa 1900s. Looks more like knight’s armor.
15
Siberian bear hunting armor from the 1800s
16
Early life jacket from World War I. 1916.
17
An engineer attaching a telephone cable to a new support wire London, 1920s
18
‘Floater coat’, capable of providing flotation for three days, 1942.
19
Firefighter suit with built-in sprinkler, 1910s
20
Protective gear for a golf caddy. 1920s
21
Testing a bulletproof vest in New York City, circa 1920s
22
A mask that supposedly protected against the flu. Circa 1918.
