Some inventors were perfectly happy to explain their ideas on paper. Others wanted photographic proof, preferably with someone brave enough to climb inside the contraption. The results are wonderfully strange. There were bicycles designed for swimming, hats that doubled as radios, and protective equipment that covered considerably more of the face than anyone might expect. A few inventions were surprisingly practical, while others seemed to create entirely new problems for their users. Fortunately, photographers were around to capture these experiments before most of the gadgets disappeared. The people posing with them often look completely serious, which is half the fun. Here are 15 vintage inventions being put to the test.Wikimedia CommonsSwimming in Wooden SuitsThree women model spruce-wood bathing suits on a Washington beach in 1929, holding a giant umbrella.Wikimedia CommonsA Bicycle That Goes SwimmingA man demonstrates the Cyclomer in 1932, sitting on a peculiar bicycle fitted with large spherical floats designed to keep it afloat on water.Wikimedia CommonsCatching Pedestrians With a CarA 1924 Paris demonstration shows a man lying in a scoop attached to the front of a car, an experimental device intended to catch pedestrians.Wikimedia CommonsPreparing for a SnowstormTwo women model transparent plastic face protectors in Montreal in 1939, with large cone-shaped shields extending outward from their faces.Wikimedia CommonsA Radio Built Into a HatA man models a portable radio fitted inside a straw hat in 1931.Wikimedia CommonsThe Electrically Heated Police VestA traffic officer demonstrates an electrically heated vest in 1932, an experimental design that drew its power from electrical contacts in the street.Wikimedia CommonsA Trailer That Keeps GrowingA 1934 photograph shows an expandable caravan built by a French engineer, with sliding sections designed to provide additional living space.Wikimedia CommonsSkiing With a SailA skier demonstrates ski-sailing in St. Moritz, Switzerland, in 1938, holding a large sail designed to catch the wind across the snow.Wikimedia CommonsTaking Flash Photography SeriouslyItalian photographer Giovanni Scarabello tests a homemade photographic flash device in 1946, wearing a modified military helmet fitted with his equipment.Wikimedia CommonsA Stroller With Its Own RadioA 1921 demonstration shows a baby carriage fitted with a radio, antenna, and loudspeaker, with two dolls placed inside instead of actual babies.Wikimedia CommonsWhen a Vacuum Cleaner Does the LaundryIn a 1951 Amsterdam demonstration, inventor A. van Zutphen shows off a homemade laundry device that uses a vacuum cleaner as part of its machinery.Wikimedia CommonsUnfolding an Emergency BridgeA 1926 photograph captures an experimental folding bridge invented by L. Deth, designed to extend across a gap and travel on a handcart.Wikimedia CommonsSwimming Lessons With a Tin CanA swimmer demonstrates an improvised flotation device made from a tin can at Sydney’s Domain Baths around 1935.A Darkroom on the SidewalkA street photographer works beside a portable camera and darkroom around 1930, equipment that allowed customers to receive their portraits without visiting a studio.Wikimedia CommonsThe Snowblower Gets Its First WorkoutArthur Sicard demonstrates an early motorized snowblower in Montreal in 1928, using a vehicle designed to scoop up and throw snow away from the road.The post 15 People Testing Their Ridiculous Vintage Inventions appeared first on Den of Geek.