The art of photography emerged in the 19th century, and since then, newspapers, magazines, books, and personal photo albums have been filled with countless photographs. Many of these were valuable only to their creators.
However, the strangest photographs in history have long outlived their photographers, and continue to delight, infuriate, and astound people around the world. Why not just take a look for yourself?.
This collection of the most unusual photographs opens with a famous shot taken in the Solway Firth, England. Behind Jim Templeton's daughter, who was supposed to be the only figure in the picture, there is another creature resembling an astronaut. However, Templeton insisted he saw no one else when the photograph was taken. Modern analysis has shown that this figure could be the photographer's wife, standing with her back to the camera, but even this explanation is not convincing.
29. Fairytale Circles
Found in the arid grasslands of western South Africa, "fairy circles" are circular patches of barren soil, ranging in diameter from 2 to 5 meters. Their origin and history remain a mystery. One theory is that they were created by termites.
28. Pyramid on the Moon
This image was captured by Apollo 17 in December 1972 during its lunar mission in an area known as Geophone Rock. NASA has never provided a definitive explanation for this pyramid-shaped object.
27. Beauty in Chinese
Every country has its own notions of beauty. For a long time in China, small "lotus" feet were considered the canon of female beauty. Their appearance was as shocking to Europeans as the methods used to achieve this shape.
Foot binding began around age five. Mothers wrapped narrow strips of cloth around their children's feet. For the next five years, the girls wore the strips day and night without removing them. As the child grew, the shape of their feet slowly changed, causing excruciating physical pain.
This crippling tradition lasted for ten centuries and only disappeared in the 20th century.
26. The Ghosts of Watertown«
In December 1924, James Courtney and Michael Meehan, crew members of the tanker Watertown, were cleaning the hold and suffocated due to a gasoline leak. The crew buried them at sea, but to the sailors' surprise, the ghostly faces of the dead appeared in the water the following day. The captain even ordered a photograph taken of them, and experts later examined the negative and declared it authentic.
25. Death of Evelyn McHale
The world's strangest photographs often involve death and the afterlife. For example, this image captures "the most beautiful suicide in the world.".
In May 1947, 23-year-old Evelyn McHale jumped from the 86th floor of the Empire State Building in New York City and landed on a limousine parked at the curb.
Photography student Robert Wiles photographed McHale's body just minutes after her death. And to his shock, her body was unnaturally intact, considering the enormous height from which she had fallen.
24. Mysterious companion
In 1954, Western newspapers published articles attributed to retired Naval Air Force Major and UFO researcher Donald Keyhoe. They claimed that the US Air Force had discovered two satellites orbiting the Earth. At the time, no country had the technology to launch a satellite, leading to much speculation about the objects' origin.
23. The Pied Piper and His Catch
Today, rat-catcher is a profession that has disappeared. However, in 1904 (the year this photo was taken), rat-catchers searched the sewers of Europe and were paid for every rat they killed.
22. Head against the wall
No, this isn't a strange way to commit suicide. It was used to test a football helmet.
21. Batman on an Elephant
Apparently the Batmobile was being repaired.
20. Clarifier
This monster of a firearm could kill up to 50 birds with a single shot. It was banned for being too effective, leading to the extinction of numerous waterfowl.
19. Tea with a Lion
During breaks between takes, Alfred Hitchcock served tea to the lion that roars in every Metro-Goldwyn-Mayer film.
18. Salvador Dali and the anteater
An artist as outrageous and original as Salvador Dalí had an unusual pet, too. He also owned an ocelot named Babou.
17. Feeding polar bears
Russian soldiers are so tough that they feed polar bears milk instead of cats. This photo was taken in 1950.
16. Portable TV concept
We don't know how clear the picture would be on such a device. But we do know this: walking around with such a TV on your head would be incredibly uncomfortable.
15. UV protection
Looking at this strange photo, you might think you're looking at a poorly executed ghost cosplay or a still from a low-budget horror film. But no, it's actually a cloak designed to protect delicate human skin from UV rays.
14. Sound seekers
During World War I, these devices were used to determine the direction of enemy aircraft.
13. Dog guns
Another invention of World War I. They were used by Belgian troops.
12. The first selfie in history
This photograph, dated 1839, was taken by the Dutch chemist Robert Cornelius. It is the world's first photographic portrait.
11. Scuba diving equipment
The diving suit has undergone a long evolutionary process before becoming the aesthetically pleasing and comfortable equipment we know today. This is one stage of this evolution (circa 1940).
10. Diving Horse
Human divers are nothing new these days. However, the sight of a horse plummeting headfirst into the depths of the sea inspires fear for the animal's fate.
Horse diving first began on a pier in Atlantic City in the late 1890s. A horse, controlled by a rider, would jump off a steel pier into the ocean. The show was canceled after World War II thanks to the efforts of the American Humane Society.
9. The Child Sent by Mail
It's hard to imagine a parent simply sending their son or daughter by mail, just like a regular package. Yet, that's exactly what happened in the United States in the early 20th century. In 1913, the United States passed the Postal Act. However, it wasn't fully thought out, which is why some savvy citizens took advantage of it.
The law stipulated that live cargo weighing up to 50 pounds (22.68 kg) could be delivered by mail. For comparison, a typical five-year-old boy weighs 20-22 kg, and a girl 19-21 kg.
Since mailing a child cost less than a dollar, it was cheaper than sending them by train. For example, in 1913, Madame Louis Bodge received her grandson by mail, which cost the parents only 15 cents. And Mrs. and Mrs. Savies of Pennsylvania mailed their daughter, who cost them a whopping 45 cents.
Such "baby parcels" were sent and received in the United States until 1920. The photograph you see illustrates the text of the USPS ban.
8. Computer delivery in 1957
Among the strangest photographs, this one seems out of place at first glance. So what if the workers are delivering some huge object? Now imagine it's a delivery to your office, and the huge object is the first computer in your city.
7. Norma Jean
Who is this beauty, who looks like she stepped out of a Soviet poster, "We will fulfill and exceed the current five-year plan?" Why, it's the future movie star Marilyn Monroe working in a factory in 1944.
6. The Vulture and the Boy
The world's most unusual photographs can be truly eerie. Just like the stories that accompany them. In 1933, photographer and journalist Kevin Carter, in the Sudanese town of Ayod, captured a small, emaciated boy named Kong Nyong slowly crawling after his parents. They were running to a plane for humanitarian aid.
The vulture watched the boy carefully and patiently.
This photograph earned Carter a Pulitzer Prize, worldwide fame, and accusations of inhumanity. Three months after receiving the award, the journalist committed suicide.
The boy was nursed back to health at a UN food aid center. According to his family, he died in 2008.
5. First Class Cabin on the Titanic
This photograph was taken in 1912 on the infamous Titanic, a ship associated with many myths and strange stories. First-class passengers enjoyed not only luxurious cabins but also a Turkish bath, a swimming pool, a gym, and many other amenities.
But the greatest treasure that the ship, considered unsinkable, found itself in when it struck an iceberg was its boats. And the Titanic was sorely short of them. As a result, only 31,971 passengers and 241 of the crew survived.
4. Miss Atomic Bomb
The atomic arms race inspired the creators of the most dangerous weapons in history. It also inspired the crowning of Miss Atomic Bomb. However, there has never been an official beauty pageant with that name.
The title of "Miss Atomic Bomb" has been held by Lee Merlin, a dancer at the famed Sands Casino, since a photographer from the Las Vegas News Bureau snapped this photo during a photo shoot. The story goes that photographer Don English attached cotton wool in the shape of an atomic mushroom cloud to Merlin's swimsuit. The photo was published in 1957.
3. Striped crew
This unusual and extravagant carriage belonged to Lionel Walter Rothschild. But if you thought the billionaire's son was simply living a life of luxury, you'd be mistaken. Lionel was more interested in animals than business; he became a renowned zoologist and realized his long-held dream of opening a zoological museum.
And with the help of a carriage with zebras and other antics that were shocking at the time, he attracted the attention of the British public to his collection of rare animals.
2. Joseph Stalin jokes
Among his closest friends, the stern "father of the people" could joke and fool around like an ordinary person. This photo of "Stalin with a nose" was taken by his head of security, Nikolai Vlasik.
1. Time Traveler
A photo taken at the reopening of the South Forks Bridge in Canada in 1941 shows a supposed time traveler.
At first glance, the photo looks like a typical painting from the period, but if you look closer, you'll find something surprising. Among the crowd is a man in modern clothes, wearing quirky glasses and a strange logo on his shirt. He appears to be holding a modern camera.
The photo has recently become widely circulated on the internet, and the man is now often referred to as a time-traveling hipster.