The 20th century saw many astounding technological innovations. The automobile revolutionized the way people live and work, the internet changed the way people think about information, and the U.S. of A put a man on the moon. But some technological advances that came in the earlier part of the 20th centry weren't exactly meant for the history books. Because they were dumb. Take for example...

Baby Cage, 1937
A nanny supervising a baby suspended in a wire cage attached to the outside (!) of a high tenement block window. The cages were distributed to members of the Chelsea Baby Club in London who have no gardens, or qualms about putting a child in a box dangling over a busy street.

Illuminated Tires, 1961
A woman adjusts her stocking by the light of the Goodyear's illuminated tires. The tire is made from a single piece of synthetic rubber and is brightly lit by bulbs mounted inside the wheel rim.

Motorized Surfboard, 1948
Hollywood inventor Joe Gilpin riding his motorized surfboard.

Shower Hood, 1970
For the woman who likes to put makeup on her dirty face.

Read more of Life Magazine's 30 Dumb Inventions here.