Hilarious Failed Inventions Of The Early 20th Century

January 2, 2022

Even failed inventions can create vital inspirations. interestingenginnering

The many amazing inventions we take for granted today often require big swings and misses before the great leap forward. With reason, these failed predecessors fall into the forgotten wayside of history. They range from massage helmets to industrial shaving machines capable of lopping off the facial hair of eight men at once. These hilariously preposterous inventions appear more worthy of an SNL skit than real life.

Naturally, looking back on such ambitious failures offers a laugh and perhaps, some appreciation at how far we’ve come. Here are the most ridiculous inventions you were hopefully lucky enough to avoid.

Who wouldn't want get shaved at the same time as 11 other men, by machine? Getty Images

The Mass Shaving Machine

As the thinking probably went, “if Henry Ford can mass-produce cars, what else can we speed up?” Of all the potential answers out there, one would imagine that shaving would come very, very far down the list. However, in the 19th century, a person who understandably chose to remain nameless decided to try his hand at creating what amounted to a mass guillotine for your face hair rather than your head.