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These 30 Ways To Die From Electrocution From A 1931 Book Shows How Much The World Has Changed
Vintage books and magazines can tell you a lot about the way people used to live back in the day. When this old publication resurfaced on the internet, however, it raised more questions than the answers it provided.
It's from 1931 and it's called Elektroschutz in 132 Bildern (Electrical Protection in 132 Pictures). The book simply lists ways people could've gotten electrocuted and while some of them totally make sense (for example, touching a lamp), there are some that look... bizarre, to put it lightly. Like, that one about the guy peeing off a bridge. Continue scrolling to check out what I mean!
(h/t vintageeveryday)
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I'm getting the feeling that this artist is not pro-electricity :P
The electricity traveled through her body and exited, of all places, through her butt...
I'm really confused as to why the pitchfork is floating in his...region...
The artist seems to think the power coming into your iron can exit the iron through your body if you are using headphones attached to your telephone.
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This is why we observe polarity now, especially with metal-bodied devices.
Wow, they must have made a slew of really s**ty products back in '31. This lady's electric iron is shorting out along with her electric headset?
Looks like here, as in others of this group, the wires weren't grounded, so she completed the current.
Don't iron while listening to your headphones and the phone is off the hook?
The fckrs never die this way and they cut all the wires all the time!
Who the heck sits at a (very tiny, I might add) sink with a hairdryer?
That probably did happen from time to time. People didn't understand the dangers as well back then.
Notice how the ladder is leaning on the window pane? More likely to die being impaled on broken glass.
Maybe the electrocuted contractor laying by the newly installed mailbox would have been a tip -off
The moral of the story is if you see a big red arrow pointing at something then don't touch it, it's a trap.
This was probably when they still used dc current (a lot more dangerous) and wire insulation was nonexistent or not very good.
Yes, the common thread seems to be that any bit of metal may have current running through it at any time. e.g. if a lamp is plugged in, you must assume that every surface on the lamp carries a charge.
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Great illustrations...and good simple advice in a world where electricity in the home was new, circuits were not grounded, and exterior wires were not insulated. Outstanding post!!
I agree, the illustrations are very well juxtaposed and detailed.
Load More Replies... Judging by the comments on some of the pictures, some people even today don't seem to understand how current discharges happen.
Get the feeling they used electricity before they discovered the benefits of insulation and earthing??
The comments were both educational and hilarious!
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From the golden days of electricity, when no one bothered with insulation :D
Oh my god, along with the golden comments in this post, I couldn't get over their faces! The woman in #8 (currently) reminds me of Nicolas Cage :P
I've seen these online before, and I'm calling them a well-done hoax. The biggest giveaway is the modern hair dryer design that didn't exist back then. Same with the really unlikely scenarios such as peeing off a bridge onto streetcar wires.
Some of these make me wonder if they either had no concept of how electricity worked or just had absolutely crappy technology. The other ones are just natural selection or someone who is too tired to think before touching everything
Ach, it's Germany. Have you seen their illustrated fairy tales from back in the day? Those will give you 24-hour-mares. Also, even in the US at that time, effective insulation on electric devices and widespread adoption of electricity hadn't happened yet (look up the creation of the Tennessee Valley Authority), and people needed to be taught about how to, uh, conduct themselves around electrical outlets, appliances and so forth. OTOH, after looking at the first drawing, I started humming "Dumb Ways to Die" to myself, so there's that...
That is EXACTLY how electricity travels. Without proper insulation your body becomes the grounding conductor.
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The moral of the story is if you see a big red arrow pointing at something then don't touch it, it's a trap.
This was probably when they still used dc current (a lot more dangerous) and wire insulation was nonexistent or not very good.
Yes, the common thread seems to be that any bit of metal may have current running through it at any time. e.g. if a lamp is plugged in, you must assume that every surface on the lamp carries a charge.
Load More Replies... Great illustrations...and good simple advice in a world where electricity in the home was new, circuits were not grounded, and exterior wires were not insulated. Outstanding post!!
I agree, the illustrations are very well juxtaposed and detailed.
Load More Replies... Judging by the comments on some of the pictures, some people even today don't seem to understand how current discharges happen.
Get the feeling they used electricity before they discovered the benefits of insulation and earthing??
The comments were both educational and hilarious!
Load More Replies... From the golden days of electricity, when no one bothered with insulation :D
Oh my god, along with the golden comments in this post, I couldn't get over their faces! The woman in #8 (currently) reminds me of Nicolas Cage :P
I've seen these online before, and I'm calling them a well-done hoax. The biggest giveaway is the modern hair dryer design that didn't exist back then. Same with the really unlikely scenarios such as peeing off a bridge onto streetcar wires.
Some of these make me wonder if they either had no concept of how electricity worked or just had absolutely crappy technology. The other ones are just natural selection or someone who is too tired to think before touching everything
Ach, it's Germany. Have you seen their illustrated fairy tales from back in the day? Those will give you 24-hour-mares. Also, even in the US at that time, effective insulation on electric devices and widespread adoption of electricity hadn't happened yet (look up the creation of the Tennessee Valley Authority), and people needed to be taught about how to, uh, conduct themselves around electrical outlets, appliances and so forth. OTOH, after looking at the first drawing, I started humming "Dumb Ways to Die" to myself, so there's that...
That is EXACTLY how electricity travels. Without proper insulation your body becomes the grounding conductor.
Load More Replies...