Here we see some vintage swimsuit designs that you may be more familiar with. While women were still strongly encouraged to cover up as much of their bodies as possible, they were still able to let some of their skin bask in the sunshine.

The popular swimsuits of this time often consisted of a top and matching pair of shorts or skorts and sometimes even included a belt.

Here are two more swimsuit designs that you’re probably already familiar with. Stripes were all the rage when it came to bathing suits at this time, and while the picture is in black and white, they usually came in a range of bright colors.

Red was a particular favorite and was generally easier to produce. Even at the beach, these ladies have their hair up – modesty above all else, after all.

Women participating in professional swimming wore swimsuits that were a little different from those available to the public, though modesty was certainly still the name of the game.

These suits were usually one-piece costumes that covered up a bikini set underneath. Judging by this picture, they weren’t the most comfortable things in the world to swim in.

Hair was, and still is, a big part of the fashion of the past, and most women wanted to ensure that their hair always looked as good and healthy as possible.

Saltwater can be pretty damaging to your hair, especially if you swim in the sea regularly, so to combat this, many ladies opted to wear swimming caps to protect their locks. Maybe not the most fashionable accessory these days, but back then, they were all the rage.

This picture showcases the variety that was present throughout women’s fashion of yesteryear, even when it came to something as simple as a swimsuit. Here we can see that, while the garments were often quite simple, they featured elements that made them ‘fashionable.’

Like belts, for instance, or being separated into two pieces that exposed some of the midriffs. Others were more simple, resembling a dress more than a swimsuit.

This photo serves as a great representation of how fluid fashion used to be. In those days, the designs for men’s and women’s swimsuits were often quite similar since men were expected to be just as modest and respectable as women.

So, they often wore one-piece swimsuits, similar to those worn by the ladies, that covered most of their bodies. However, they do look a little more comfortable.

One thing you may have noticed about the swimsuits worn these days that differs from those worn today is… the shoes! Shoes were considered an integral part of any swimming outfit, as they were designed to protect your feet.

In this image, we see the Tiller Girls all performing a routine in their swimsuits. Of course, each one is wearing a stylish pair of shoes and socks to complete the look.

Taken in 1895, this picture showcases the dramatic shift that fashion took at the start of the 20th century. Before then, women were expected to wear ‘swimming dresses’ to the seaside to preserve their modesty as much as possible

Almost every inch of skin was covered, so no tans for these ladies! Men were also expected to cover up quite a bit, though short-sleeve shorts were permitted.

While the clothing required to be worn to the beach may not have been fun, that didn’t stop kids from having fun. These young people still knew how to enjoy themselves on the beach, even if their clothes were a little uncomfortable.

Sun hats were gaining more popularity. We can also see that the sleeves became a little shorter – both for ladies and gentlemen.

For a very long time, makeup was considered a crucial aspect of any woman’s outfit – no respectable lady would leave the house without at least applying some rouge to her cheeks. Thankfully, things are different these days. Makeup has become an optional accessory rather than an essential step in getting ready.

The ladies in this picture (taken around 1930) can be seen touching up their faces while knee-deep in the waters of Manhattan.

There’s probably no better feeling than finishing up a day at the beach and drying yourself off. Your body is tired, your mind is exhausted, and all you want to do is go home and sleep.

Often, you’re left with a feeling of joy after basking in the sun for a few hours. Humans have enjoyed this tradition for hundreds of years. The English girls in this photo, which was taken around 1910, are proof of that.

We’ve all done it. We’ve all forgotten to bring our towels to the beach or the pool; when that happens, you have no choice but to let yourself air dry. It’s not the most pleasant sensation in the world, but we do what needs to be done.

These men from 1920 prove that humans have been forgetful for centuries, opting to drip-dry on the pier after a day of swimming. Their swimsuits are robe-like and protect their modesty and bodies from the sun.

Here we have another picture from 1895 of a woman who seems to be getting ready to dive into the water. Her swimsuit is made up of a swimming dress, once again, meant to cover up her body while also flattering her body type as much as possible.

She also has a beret on for good measure, protecting her hair from the sun. Stockings were, once again, a must to complete any swimsuit, as a lady couldn’t be seen showing too much skin in public!

Western fashion was quite a global phenomenon during the 20s-90s. Here we can see an Australian woman catching some rays in a swimsuit heavily inspired by the swimsuits worn by American women at the time.

She’s completed her look with a pair of sandals, and that’s about it! We can start to see how clothing would begin to focus less on modesty and more on aesthetics and comfort.

Not all women wanted to wear swimming caps to protect their hair. After all, not all women would get their hair wet when they went to the beach anyway.

So, some opted to put their hair into an updo and decorate it with a bow, usually in a color matching or complementing their swimsuit. These girls decided to go the extra mile and coordinate their beach outfits. Now that’s true friendship!

Men’s swimsuit fashion was just as diverse as women’s, featuring a range of patterns, colors, and styles. A good portion of this variety is represented by this French family, who had their photo snapped around 1920.

This picture shows a striped two-piece, a simple one-piece suit, and a comfortable jumper. They’re all wearing hats as well, more to protect their skin from the sun than to preserve the quality of their hair.

We’ve already discussed sun hats a couple of times, but this picture captures just how popular they were back in the day. Sunhats were considered crucial for protecting one’s skin from harmful UV rays from the sun. But they were also often a key fashion accessory that women used to complete their outfits.

In this incredible display of vintage swimsuit fashion, these ladies are seen boasting their unique sun hats, each complementing their outfits perfectly!

Go to any beach on a busy day, and you’ll no doubt find at least two people playing a game of leapfrog. It’s a classic activity that’s been used to pass the time for years. This photo from 1935 is proof of that. Aside from the perfectly-timed antics, these ladies are doing a fantastic job of showcasing the swimsuit fashions of the time.

Their looks are complete with a modest pair of heels that look like they can’t have been too comfortable to wear while walking around on the sand.

Thankfully, times have changed since this photograph was snapped in 1935. These beauty contestants are weighing themselves in – being thin in those days was considered the key to being beautiful.

Since then, we’ve drastically improved our perceptions of beauty, though we still have a long way to go. Once again, these ladies are all wearing a pair of heels, as was customary with all outfits back then.

If there was ever a vintage swimsuit photo that made us want to visit the beach immediately, it’s this one. Seeing the joy on this mother’s face as she enjoys some aquatic fun with her family is enough to make you want to dive into their nearest ocean.

Mom and daughter are wearing two hair accessories that were quite common for women of the time, while the son is letting his locks loose in the water.

There are plenty of ways to enjoy yourself when you’re at the beach that doesn’t involve getting soaked in saltwater. One of them is going for a bike ride. And what better way to enjoy a bike ride than with a friend?

These ladies decided to mosey their way around the beach on their bicycle for two, opting to bring a set of parasols with them to protect themselves from the sun. Fun!

This photo, taken around 1920, shows a group of friends enjoying some time on the frozen beach in Washington D.C., near the 14th Street Bridge. They prove that it doesn’t always have to be hot and sunny for you to enjoy some time at the beach.

In fact, even when it’s a day of frosty weather, the beach can be fun if you aren’t afraid to get a little cold. The woman holding the large chunk of ice is showcasing a less-common swimsuit, which is a full-length unitard.

Burying your friend in the sand – or being buried in the sand – is a rite of passage when it comes to spending time on the beach. It’s one of those activities that you just have to do while you’re there, or else you haven’t fully experienced the seaside!

This girl is completely covering her friend in the sand while she rests. We can’t imagine the other girl woke up feeling very comfortable, with sand all over her body.

These three ladies are posing for a Mack Sennet film in this photograph, which was taken in 1927. They’ve all donned their best swimwear, complete with a stylish pair of shoes.

Of course, since they’re on the set of a film, they’re all wearing full faces of makeup, which probably wasn’t the most comfortable experience in the hot sun! But, back then, beauty was pain, and they certainly looked very beautiful.

Here we can see some swimwear fashion designed for children. In the case of small children, comfort was prioritized when creating garments, though aesthetics were still considered.

The two young girls pictured here can be seen wearing typical children’s swimwear, which was usually a one-piece jumper with a ribbon at the waist to keep it secure. Of course, they’re wearing sun hats to avoid a nasty sunburn.

These young women are showcasing typical beach fashion in this photograph, which was taken in 1923. But they’re also showing off some of the hairstyles that were popular at the time.

Women who wanted short hair often opted for a trim bob, while longer hair was generally put into a neat, groomed-up hairdo to keep it out of the face. Medium-length hair was also kept out of the face and was usually curled to make it more fashionable.

As modesty was still quite an important part of women’s fashion, many ladies opted to cover up their bathing suits using bathing coats. These were always fashionable and sometimes made using silk.

Most bathing coats featured full capes and long sleeves and were typically worn to the beach, only to be taken off at the water’s edge. Once a woman was out of the water, the coat would be donned again.

After years of having clothing piled on in the water, women traded their longer swimsuits for more form-fitting ones that featured shorter skirts. Of course, these swimsuits couldn’t be too revealing, or a lady could suffer some serious consequences.

In fact, Annette Kellerman, a record-breaking Australian swimmer, was arrested on a Boston beach for indecent exposure because she had been wearing a knee-length swimsuit. Yikes!

Swimsuits started to become more practical as the years went on and, as a result, also showed off more of a woman’s body. Deep boat necks, or V-necks as we know them, became all the rage, and the armholes in swimsuits became larger and larger.

Swimsuits also came in brighter colors, featuring pretty accessories like belts. Swim caps were still commonly worn, and they were even fitted with chin straps to help them stay secure.

While modesty was very slowly being phased out, women still had to be very careful to ensure that their swimsuits weren’t too revealing or short. Beaches had very particular regulations that strongly encouraged modesty.

There were even special deputies or police officers on some beaches who’d patrol. Some would use a measuring tape to measure certain parts of a woman’s outfit, such as the distance between her knees and suit.

Throughout the 20s and 30s, men wore swimsuits generally made up of a one-piece outfit resembling a tank top attached to shorts. Their design was very simple, commonly covered in thick, horizontal stripes.

Color options were fairly limited, with most men’s swimsuits coming in colors like blue and white or red and tan. Not that they were complaining, of course – the men of these decades were far less concerned with fashion.

In the 30s, women’s swimsuits began to resemble one-piece men’s swimsuits. They had higher cuts in the legs and showed off more of the woman’s back than they had in the past.

We also started to see thin straps during this time, making them look more similar to the swimsuits worn on beaches today. The ladies on this boat wore suits that were made of lighter, more comfortable materials that had more flexibility to them.

In the 40s, the one-piece women’s swimsuit would undergo another change, now resembling a short, form-fitting dress with thin straps and a V-neck. The top looked like a standard bra, while the skirt was long enough to cover a woman’s hips, backside, and upper thighs.

You’ll also see a lot of halter tops during this decade, as it was one of the most popular swimsuit designs. This woman shows it off perfectly!

Louis Read, a French designer, is credited for creating a daring two-piece swimsuit that would later be known as the first bikini, back in 1946. It slightly revealed a woman’s midsection and was made of shorts and a halter top.

Bandeau tops with halter straps were quite popular in this decade as well. And these slightly revealing looks became quite popular in America during the 30s and 40s. To boost troop morale, perhaps?

The 40s were when men’s swimming briefs became popular. They were generally high in the waist and were cut quite short. Often made from wool, Spandex blend fabrics were used to make swimming briefs as well.

It was also during this decade that men’s swimming trunks, which were slightly longer and looser than briefs, became quite popular. However, they didn’t usually have fun prints as briefs did.

Finally! A photograph that’s in color! While the one and two-piece suits still looked similar to the suits that were popular during the 40s, the materials that were used to create them were constantly changing in the 50s.

Elastic and nylon were often used to make the suits stretchier, which also allowed the suits to dry faster. Prints became more exciting, and swimsuits became another avenue for women to express their fashion sense.

During the 60s, bikinis became smaller and tighter, and even the more modest one-piece suits became more revealing. In the middle of this decade, low-cut swimsuit bottoms were all the rage, and bikinis were still constantly growing in popularity.

These swimsuits were generally made using Nylon or Lycra, which made them tighter and more fitting to the body. They were similar to what we see today.

By the 70s, swimsuits were more revealing than they had ever been, allowing women and men to get tanned on the beach.

String bikinis, thongs, sheer suits, and cut-out swimsuits became wildly popular throughout this decade. It was a time of colorful swimsuits, as well.

Women’s swimsuits were commonly covered in colorful patterns throughout this decade, and more excitingly, so were men’s swimsuits.

The swimsuits worn by men were usually at a length that’s still popular today. Although back in the 70s, they were sometimes accented by fashionable belts. Let’s bring that back!

It should be no surprise that the 80s were bold in aesthetics. Loud animal prints and bright neon colors were trendy during this time. Plus, swimsuits started to feature scooped, low necklines with higher leg cuts.

This style was a far cry from some of the earlier decades. But it’s fascinating to see how swimsuits have evolved over the years! All we can say is that we don’t hate it!

During the time that this photo was taken, showing too much skin in any public space would’ve been considered improper and rude, which is why most of the swimmers at this beach are wearing fairly full-coverage swimsuits.

As you can see, the ladies are even wearing swimsuits that resemble dresses! At those times, clothing and fashion trends were at the forefront – just like today!

This vintage dame takes sun protection to a whole new level with this incredible sun hat, which seems to be larger than her torso.

But, it’s got a practical purpose – she’s about to set off on her own private fishing trip, and if you know anything about fishing, you know just how important it is to protect yourself from the sun. With that massive sun hat, she should have no problem avoiding a harsh sunburn!

This photo, which was taken in 1915, is an excellent showcase of how intricate women’s fashion was at the time, even when it came to something so simple as a swimsuit. Here we see two young ladies wearing one-piece swimsuit dresses, with a pair of shorts and stockings underneath for maximum modesty.

Shoes, of course, were a must, and we can only imagine how uncomfortable things would get when those shoes got wet.

Beauty was always the name of the game, no matter the occasion, and the beach was certainly no different. Here we see a group of young women lined up to participate in a swimsuit-based beauty contest!

They’ve all donned their best batching attire, complete with hats and shoes for most. The designs here favored form over function, and we can’t imagine that these swimsuits would be very comfortable to actually swim in.

Ever since the camera was invented, photography has captured history through the generations. Billions of photos have been captured ever since. There are some rare photos that may look plain and simple at first but have quite the backstory. So, let’s take a look at some of these rare photos that you may not have seen before. Don’t worry — we’ll also tell you the story behind each of these photos. Read on…

This picture may just look like two little women enjoying their day on a beach. But, there’s an interesting story here. The picture was taken in 1940, and it features Margot Frank standing next to her younger sister, Anne. This picture was found in Anne Frank’s photo album titled Zandvoort.

Two years after this picture was captured, Anne documented her life in hiding, which we all know now as Anne Frank’s Diary. You can say that this photo was an example of the calm before the storm.

This photo features Valerie Anders and Sue Borman, the wives of astronauts William Anders and Frank Borman. It was taken in 1968, at the very moment they heard their husbands’ voices from orbit on the Apollo 8 mission.

Apollo 8 was the first-ever manned spacecraft that reached the moon, orbited it, and returned safely. So, it goes without saying that Valerie and Sue’s reactions make total sense.

If you’re wondering what the people in this picture are doing, we’ll explain. They’re not breaking down some sacred monument — they’re actually celebrating. This picture was taken in Ethiopia in May 1991.

Protesters were celebrating as the Soviet Union’s reign came to an end. They’re enjoying by destroying the statue of Vladimir Ilyich Lenin, the leader of the Russian Bolsheviks. They also damaged other such monuments that represented the oppressive rule of the country.

Talk about living life on the edge! Here we have a group of acrobats balancing atop the Empire State Building back in 1934 — just a few years after the skyscraper was constructed.

Located in Manhattan, the Empire State Building has 102 stories and took a year to build. Construction began in March 1930 and ended in April 1931. Just a few years later, these three brave men took on a risky challenge!

Italy’s Mount Vesuvius, located above the Gulf of Naples, has a destructive history full of unpredictability. It has erupted several times. Here in this photo, troops watch as Mount Vesuvius erupts in 1944.

There have been no eruptions since that year — although, since 1944, there have been a few instances in which landslides in the crater have caused clouds of ash dust, raising false alarms of an eruption.

Before you guys ask, this is not a picture of Fred Astaire’s shoes. In reality, you’re looking at an old law enforcement photo from 1924 — in which a police officer is seen trying on what was known as a ‘cow shoe.’

Made from a strip of metal that’s then tacked to a wooden block, these shoes are carved to resemble the hoof of a cow. They were worn by moonshiners to disguise their footprints during the Prohibition era from 1920 to 1933.

Here, you can see famous theoretical physicist Albert Einstein photographed along with his wife, Elsa, at the Grand Canyon in 1931. Also pictured is Einstein’s assistant Walther Mayer and his secretary Helen Dukas.

According to the inscription on the back of the picture, it was captured on the way back from Pasadena, California. From the looks of it, it was a pretty sunny day in the Golden State.

Mountain climbing is a popular activity for many. After all, who doesn’t like the view from a mountaintop? At least, that’s what famed dancer Gene Nelson had in mind. This photo was taken in Nevada on a cliff that overlooks Frenchman Flat.

The smoke you see near the dancer’s thigh is nothing ordinary. It’s a mushroom cloud that followed the detonation of an atomic bomb, at a distance of 40 miles away. Now, you know exactly why Nelson titled his dance move “Atom Antic.”

When you first look at this picture, it looks like people are simply buying and/or selling bananas. Just another day at the market! But, this picture wasn’t captured on just any day.

In reality, the picture was taken the day that one of the first batches of bananas was ever sent to Norway — back in 1905. It had a weight of over 6,500 pounds and came in crates/boxes. A joyous occasion indeed!

Pictured here is Nigerian-born Bolaji Badejo (August 1953-December 1992). Badejo was a visual artist and one-time actor. He became known as one of Hollywood’s most unlikely on-screen performers — thanks to his role of the Alien in Ridley Scott’s 1979 Alien.

In this photo, Badejo is actually wearing his costume from the now-classic sci-fi thriller.

Joseph F. Ambrose was a WWI veteran. In this picture, he’s sitting by the Vietnam Veterans Memorial’s official dedication place, in Washington D.C. The photo was captured back in November 1982 and is very heartbreaking.

Why? Well, it turns out that Ambrose was pictured holding the U.S. flag that was used to cover his son’s coffin. His son was martyred during the Korean War that took place in 1951.

In 1865, Edouard de Laboulaye — a French intellectual and activist — proposed that a statue representing liberty be built for the US. Not only would this monument serve as the United States’ centennial of independence and their friendship with France.

They began designing the sculpture in 1871. Construction began in 1876 (pictured here), but the entire statue was completed and assembled in Paris between 1881 and 1884. The statue was then presented to the U.S. minister to France before getting disassembled and shipped to the United States on July 4th, 1884.

When you look at this picture, you may think that it was probably planned but it wasn’t. This is just an ordinary day in New York back in 1930. Captured in Manhattan’s Garment District, this area has been the center of the American fashion industry since at least the turn of the 20th century.

In any case, this whole formation is quite breathtaking — almost as though we’re looking at a flashmob of sorts. We can only imagine how mesmerized the photographer was after getting this shot!

Nikola Tesla was famous but was quite under-appreciated as an inventor. In this photo, you can see him sitting in his lab next to his invention, the Teleforce.

According to the inventor, the Teleforce could “send concentrated beams of particles through the free air, of such tremendous energy that they will bring down a fleet of 10,000 enemy airplanes at a distance of 200 miles from a defending nation’s border and will cause armies to drop in their tracks.”

Born and raised in Mexico, Frida Kahlo was a painter known for her many portraits, specifically self-portraits and works inspired by the nature and artifacts of Mexico.

A woman that walked to the beat of her own drum, it’s no surprise to see Frida wearing a suit rather than a dress — unlike the rest of the women in the photo. The picture might have been taken in 1924, but there’s no denying that Frida was way ahead of her time.

Named after engineer Gustave Eiffel, the Eiffel Tower is a wrought iron lattice tower located in Paris. Construction began in January 1887 and was completed in March 1889.

Pictured here is a group of guys painting the Eiffel Tower in 1932. Now, we don’t know about you guys, but you couldn’t pay us enough to scale the Eiffel Tower — just for a fresh coat of paint.

Hoover Dam is a concrete arch-gravity dam in the Black Canyon of the Colorado River. Constructed between 1931 and 1936, during the Great Depression, its main purpose is to harness the Colorado River to prevent periodic catastrophic flooding, to allocate and distribute water, and to generate hydroelectricity for the Southwest.

Even by today’s standards, this was a gigantic project — and yet, they managed to complete it two years early! This picture was taken during the construction process.

In this photo, which was taken during the ’60s, actor and social activist Harry Belafonte is sharing a laugh with Civil Rights leader Martin Luther King, Jr. It turns out that Belafonte was at the forefront of the Civil Rights movement, working closely with the Rev. Martin Luther King, Jr.

According to Belafonte himself, “The portion of my life that is of importance to me has to do with my activism […] I was an activist long before I became an artist. They both serve each other, but activism is first.”

After one look at this picture, it isn’t hard to tell that it was taken at “The Happiest Place on Earth”. This was no ordinary day, though. This photo was captured on July 17th, 1955 — the very day that Disneyland opened its gates for the first time.

Built on 160 acres of former orange groves in Anaheim, California, Disneyland now hosts over 18 million visitors a year. In honor of Walt Disney himself, who passed in 1966, Disney World was opened in 1971 in Orlando, Florida.

It’s a well-known fact that Orville Wright was one of the two brothers generally credited with inventing, building, and flying the world’s first successful motor-operated airplane.

40 years after the first successful flight of the Wright brothers’ aircraft, Orville was invited to fly on the Lockheed Constellation in 1944. According to Wright himself, the 123-foot wingspan of the prototype plane was actually longer than his first flight, flying only 120 feet.

We already mentioned the Wright brothers and their contribution to the world. Well, this picture features Orville and Wilbur in action. How often do you get to see history in the making? What you’re looking at here is the Wright Glider.

The picture was taken in 1911, at Kitty Hawk. Orville can be seen climbing out while Wilbur Wright and Alec Ogilvie (on the left) steady the aircraft.

This picture may not seem like much… it’s just a storefront, after all. But, what you’re actually looking at is history in the making. Businessman Sam Walton purchased this store — Walton’s 5 & 10 — from Luther E. Harrison in Bentonville, Arkansas back in 1950.

By 1968, this single store had expanded outside Arkansas and throughout the rest of the Southern United States by the 1980s, creating the chain now known as Walmart. The company then introduced its warehouse club chain Sam’s Club in 1983 and its first Supercenter stores in 1988.

This file photo by NASA features the sun setting on Mars’ rocky terrain. That’s right — we’re talking about our planet’s neighbor. NASA’s Curiosity rover captured this picture on April 15th, 2015.

The Mast Camera, or Mastcam for short, recorded these images. You may see some haze in this picture; it’s Martian dust that’s suspended in the atmosphere between the dust storms. How cool must it have felt just capturing these images!

The history of the MGM Lion is an interesting one! Pictured here is Jackie, the second MGM lion, in-studio in 1928. Since 1917, there have been 11 different lions used for the MGM logo.

Despite that, MGM refers to all of the lions used in their trademark as “Leo the Lion” — although the only lion actually named “Leo” has been in use since 1957. In 2021, however, MGM introduced a new CGI logo that features a lion partially based on Leo.

Bullying is no joke and can affect people in more ways than one can imagine. This photo taken in 1957 is proof of how uncomfortable it is making Dorothy Counts as she sits by herself. She was the first black girl brave enough to attend one of America’s all-white schools.

She was a strong woman because, despite being taunted and teased by her white peers at Harry Harding High School in Charlotte, she didn’t stop going to school. And that alone is commendable.

There’s nothing as pure as a child’s emotions. If you don’t believe us, then all you have to do is look at this picture. It’s probably the sweetest thing you’ll ever see.

This picture was taken in Austria during WWII. This little boy from Austria was ecstatic to receive new shoes.

There was a time when women were simply asked to sit at home and do nothing. It was a long journey to get to where they are now and it hasn’t been an easy one. This picture is proof of that journey.

All Kathrine Switzer wanted to do was run the Boston marathon of 1976 and the race organizers just wouldn’t allow it. That did not deter her to complete the race, though. She became the first woman to ever finish a marathon.

Being able to hear is a privilege. Those who can hear don’t realize how lucky they are to have that ability. There are some people in the world who are not as fortunate.

Take five-year-old Harold Whittles, for instance. Despite the fact that he was born deaf, however, he actually heard sound for the first time in 1974. That moment was captured by photographer Jack Bradley. The shocked expression on Harold’s face was a result of being transported hears sound for the first time.

This picture was taken during one of the most difficult times in history — The Great Depression, a severe worldwide economic depression that took place mostly during the 1930s. It was the longest and most widespread depression of the 20th century.

At the height of the Depression in 1933, close to 13 million people were unemployed. This photo, for instance, features a man with tons of experience and merit… yet he was forced to walk the streets with a sign on his back in an attempt to get a job somewhere.

Rewiring your brain to do something else from what you’re used to, well, that’s never easy. Take this amazing picture, for instance. Someone who doesn’t know will assume this is just a picture of road traffic.

In reality, this picture was captured in 1967 when Sweden made the switch from driving on the left side of the road to the right. Now, all this confusion makes sense!