The industrial revolution sure has spiced up our modern world. In older days, people were accustomed to laborious days. This was because they didn’t have as much technology to do the work for them. That being said, they sure did have a lot of funky-looking gadgets that performed the same tasks as our updated tech. The internet has been racking their brains trying to find the purpose of each of the strange objects, and they have come up with some hilarious responses.
1. Strange object found while metal detecting
u/MusedeMented commented: “It could also be a brooch,” they confirmed this in their edited comment. “Edit: OK, I’m almost positive that’s what it is. Big ones like this were also used as sash pins, which makes sense with the grapevine theme, as well, particularly if she was wearing a Grecian-style gown.”
2. What seems to be happening in this picture?
u/Calmiche informed everyone it was political propaganda. They wrote: “The Apotheosis was actually a really important theme in early US history. The newly formed United States leadership had to convince the citizens that this brand-new form of government would work. Democracy was a REALLY bizarre concept at the time.
“Other forms of government used “hereditary rule,” which the US couldn’t use as a way of convincing the populace to support them, so they turned to “rule by divine right,” which had its own problems. The Capitol building contains a huge painting showing George Washington receiving the right to rule directly from God. Now, technically, we’ve moved on to a meritocracy. Wherein people rule because they deserve to. They’ve earned the right to do so. At least, that’s the idea.
3. Another strange object
u/remmington1956 said the strange object was a fire extinguisher. Then, u/big_duo3674 wrote: “I would not recommend shipping this to anyone. This is classified as a hazardous material, specifically a class 6.1 poison. The post office and FedEx won’t touch this stuff coming from a private person, I’m not even sure if they’d ship it with a properly certified hazmat shipper doing the selling. Getting caught trying to sneak this stuff into a package without declaring it would be a massive no-no, as in a criminal charge. If you really want to try, your only option is going to be Craigslist and getting someone local to buy that can pick it up or have you deliver it. Source: I’ve been a hazardous materials coordinator for 10 years.”
4.
u/raineykatz said it was used to warm up bread buns. Then, u/klaustrophobie13 said one could get quite a lot if sold correctly. “Just saw this in a German TV show for antique stuff. If I remember [correctly], this girl got 800 euros for it,” they wrote.
5. What could this strange object be?
u/BeekyGardener said: “Top part of a scarecrow. It would have attached to a base with a bearing that lets it spin to look more convincing when the wind blows. You see the same thing in owl decoys to deter hawks and crows – the head on a spring so it spins with the wind.”
6. When your one doorway doesn’t match the rest of your house
u/MTGKat‘s stepmother wrote a thesis on contemporary private chapels from the 1800s. It reads: “The raised wooden dais and the mock support/surrounds combined with what looks to be a clergyman’s confession cabinet all lead me to believe this was very likely to be an old, influential, and wealthy American family’s private chapel. 1850-1880s is when these were most popular. Although it appears to be a split-level basement (half below tarmac; half above ground), it’s likely that this was only sunk 50-80 cm below what the original street level was when it was built.”
7. Strange object could be a medical treatment
u/verdatum wrote: “According to this document, the osogen treatment was a method for sterilizing and filling root canals. In the present day, root canals are usually sterilized with sodium hypochlorite (the active ingredient in household bleach), and filled with gutta-percha, a rubbery plant resin. Based on more Googling of osogen, and the typeface and design of the bottle, It looks like it’s most likely from around the mid-1920s.”
8. The masked man
u/Oz_aka said: “I have seen similar masks on disfigured WWI veterans, with no money for “restorative face masks” (painted prosthesis).”
9. What is the purpose of these strange objects?
Reddit user, u/jackrats, said it was a cleaning hack of the 1800s, which was meant to prevent dust from settling in the corners of the stairs. “Corner dust guard,” they wrote. “They make it easier to sweep dust out of the corners.”
10. Strange objects made of ivory
u/DrKenNoisewaterMD said it is a “Victorian Aide Memoire Notebook.” They even included the Etsy product description: “Fabulous antique early Victorian chatelaine aide memoire [memory aid] from mid-1800s. Made of sheets of bone, it would have hung on a lady’s chatalaine chain or been kept securely in her pocket and she would have used it to make note[s] and appointments for the week to come. It has six pages for the days Monday to Saturday; of course a lady would never have made appointments on a Sunday!…”
11.
u/Ohmannothankyou wrote: “It’s a cast-iron grave cover. The base is partially covered, and it’s supposed to be up and out of the ground. They were very expensive and that one is lovely; someone wanted their deceased to be safe from erosion.”
12. An extremely heavy strange object
The poster, u/Noriell wanted to know what this object was they found while fishing in Latvia. u/okcsmith replied, saying its actually very dangerous: “Dude, that is the chemical center for a sea mine that will explode if set off by any primer. Get the hell away and call the police.” Luckily, u/Noriell is still alive.
13. Strange object, or useful?
A Redditt user gave some informative information: “I can give you some history. Back in the day (1700s-1800s), things were not nearly as clean as they are now, especially in Victorian England. A simple walk or carriage ride down the street was often unbearable, not to mention dangerous, as disease was rampant along the Thames. Women would often dab a bit of perfume on a handkerchief and hold it up to their nose and mouth, not only to block the scent of feces and industrial waste but to protect themselves from diseases.”
14. Some terrifying objects
This image suddenly gives reason to people’s fear of seeing a doctor.. at least one at a time when these were used. These strange objects are terrifying. u/atlcog explained their uses: “Looks like a set that includes trepanning (drilling hole in skull, usually to relieve pressure on the brain from an injury) tools...”
15. What in the ceramic?
Before we had ball-point pens where the ink was stored inside, people needed inkwell stands to load their fountain pens with ink. u/brownbird8888 explained this strange object is an inkwell stand. “Its a circa 1840s drabware inkwell stand. Here is a similar one for sale in England. Yours is more intact and more desirable!”
16. What on earth?
No, this is not some alien technology from the 1800s; it is actually used to make sausage. u/HulkHunter said: “[Those] are pig guts, used to make sausages, specifically chorizos. He was a “tripicallero,” an almost lost job. The name stands for “tripas” (guts) and “callos” (cow stomach and guts).”
17. Another unrecogniseable strange object
In the old days, people would use these objects to transport their black powder or gunpowder. u/SpiritualPrize wrote: “Looks like a musket powder horn.” Then, u/boneguru confirmed this: “Powder horn for black powder storage.”
18. Must be a torture device…
At first glance, this strange object might send shivers down your spine. It sure has an interesting shape, and it leads the mind to wander. Thankfully, u/Dances_for_Donairs filled us in. They explained: “It removed the top of soft-boiled eggs.”
19.
u/WaldenFont explained it was designed to warm you up while outdoors: “The way I read “those that are exposed,” I’d think it’s supposed to warm you when you’re out in the cold. [Victorians] were forever fretting about exposure to cold and damp.” Then, u/YellowOnline wrote: “It’s Virctorian quackery!“
20. Another dangerous strange object
u/Compy222 seemed very concerned for the person posting this because it’s actually an explosive component of a cannon. “That’s a 20mm cannon round. It could be live and if so can have explosives in it. Put it down, walk away, call the authorities.”
Keep Reading: These Obscure Gadgets Used to Be Everyday Objects