15 Household Items From the Past That We Had No Idea How to Use

When moving into a new apartment or inheriting a place from a grandmother, some lucky guys find old things whose purpose is a mystery for them. It’s so great that today we have the internet to find out what a certain peculiar thing is for. Many of these things were used 100 years ago and were totally normal for people at the time.

We at Bright Side decided to look at the finds of people who shared them online and we wanted you to see them too. Anyone who likes history will be impressed.

An unusual radiator on the ceiling

“Steam radiator. These things are still working!”

“I noticed a strange lever on the wall but couldn’t figure out what it does.”

“I decided to push the lever down and the front door opened! It seems that the lazy people of the past were great at creating things!”

Baby rattles from the past

“Having central heating in the 19th century was like having an iPhone 12 today.”

“I live in an American house that was built in 1874. All the radiators are hidden.”

“Look at this amazing furnace!”

“It’s on a stand on round legs and the carving is along the perimeter, even on the back. The location is also unusual — in the hall. Of course, it could’ve been moved here.”

Baby carriages used to be like this

Have you ever seen glass bricks?

“At the end of the 19th century, Gustave Falconnier from Switzerland invented glass bricks. It’s simple: glass is blown into a mold, the hot air cools down, creates a thin atmosphere, which is why glass bricks have good thermal isolation and sound-proof features.”

Beautiful swan window latches in an apartment in Saint Petersburg

These sleeve garters were popular in the 19th century when shirts had very long sleeves.

One of the first machines for back posture was made by Gustav Zander.

These are the first electric washing machines.

“Antique Victorian cast iron fireplace screen from the late 1800s”

An old Victorian-era dresser — but what is this wide part in the middle?

“The central part was for a bowl of water, so you could wash your face.”

Would you like to see this mirror every morning?

This old-looking container was actually a fridge in the ’30s of the 20th century

The first General Electric fridges were presented to the public in 1927. It’s hard to believe that there are some of them that are still functioning.

Have you ever found any peculiar old things? Tell us about them in the comment section below!