These 1931 Electrocution Safety Ads Will Shock You

When Thomas Edison invented the lightbulb in 1882, it ushered in a new era of convenience, but it also ushered in a new era of danger. Today, everyone knows not to stick a penny into an electrical socket. But in the early 20th century, the public was mostly ignorant to the hazards posed by electricity.

Dr. Stefan Jellinek was an Austrian coroner who began seeing electricity-related deaths around the turn of the century. By 1931, electricity had only just been introduced into the homes of Germans and Austrians. It was clear to Dr. Jellinek that the public needed to be educated on how not to electrocute themselves.

That year, Dr. Jellinek published Elektroschutz in 132 Bildern, or Electrical Protection in 132 Images. And while the book provided a valuable service to the people of 1930’s Austria, to us in 2019, these warnings look bizarre and nonsensical.

Is it unfair to make fun of a book that was written for people in a completely different era than our own? Yep. Will that stop me from writing snarky comments about these warnings? Nope! Check out 15 truly bonkers electrocution warnings that will make us all feel superior to people who lived in the 1930s!