14+ Rare Photos That We Never Expected To See

Back in the day, seeing cool, one-of-a-kind photos required either a trip to the museum or an expensive coffee table book. Say what you will about the state of things in 2019, but at the very least it’s become easier to access unique pics.

Bombs away!

If you’d asked me what the inside of a bomb looks like, I’d probably say, “explosions.” Turns out the inside of a bomb actually consists of fairly innocuous-looking blue balls.

Fill ‘er up.

Once you’ve seen one gas station, you’ve pretty much seen ’em all. But there’s a lot of impressive technology lurking behind the scenes, whether you’re talking about massive underground fuel tanks, or just the inside of a gas dispenser, seen here.

Looks like a poorly designed warehouse.

It appears to be a mess of girders, stairs and…train tracks? But this actually shows what Disney’s Space Mountain indoor rollercoaster looks like when the lights are on. It’s a little more exciting when viewed as intended.

We had it so tough back in the day.

If you remember cell phones before they became smart phones, this pic might be familiar. This is how Facebook looks when viewed on a decade-old phone. It’s almost unbearable, isn’t it?

Standing room only.

This rare image shows the inside of a movie theater after it was shut down and the seats were removed. There might be nowhere to sit anymore, but at least there are plenty of cup holders.

Where do pool balls go when they’re sunk?

If you’ve ever played one of those pool tables where you have to pay by the game, this is what they look like on the inside. Impressive design for sure, but it’s no match for a shirt or hat jammed in a pocket to prevent it from disappearing.

Just a big carousel.

Yes, this is what a Redbox machine looks like when its guts are exposed. In the age of streaming media, it’s easy to imagine that this machine might soon be a thing of the past.

The technology of comfort.

This actually shows something totally benign: the inside of an inflated air mattress. If you want to believe it shows some kind of glowing green alien cave, though, I won’t stop you.

They should package it this way.

A can of shaving cream actually contains an impressive amount of design and technology for something so inexpensive. This is what a can looks like, sans label — empty on the left, full on the right.

Extremely localized snowstorm?

With the amount of highly-combustible fuels present at an airport, there needs to be a way to put out fires fast. This hanger at Toronto’s Pearson International Airport has just activated its fire-smothering suppression system.

Just a little twist.

You know how sometimes it’s easier to just free-pour coffee beans rather than scoop them out with a spoon? This coal car unloading system works on the same principle: just tilt it a bit to unload its contents.

It’s got the power.

It’s tough to grasp the scale of wind turbines, because they’re way up in the air and usually viewed at a distance. This pic of an offshore turbine blade as it travels through a public square shows just how massive they really are.

Design goals.

Old banks, and former banks, generally have a massive, ornate door guarding their vault. This image shows the inside of one such vault doors that dates all the way back to the 1890s.

In death, it will become immortal.

Rolling tumbleweed is one of those iconic sights in the American West. These rolling balls of twigs and sticks are thoroughly dead — but at one time, they were alive. This unremarkable bush is actually a living tumbleweed.

Heads up.

This image shows that, during Ireland’s Troubles, no area was safe — not even the rolling rural hills of the Emerald Isle. This photo was taken in 1994 in Armagh, Northern Ireland.

Lean on me.

The Leaning Tower of Pisa is famous for, well, leaning. Because allowing people to go up it would just make the lean even worse, the tower is totally empty on the inside.

One tower, coming through.

The massive towers that support power lines are a fixture of areas near power plants. I’d always assumed they built the towers in place, but this image shows that they’re prefabricated and airlifted to the site.

Street Finder

So that’s how they lay down brick roads in The Netherlands. Huh.

Speaking of The Netherlands

This is the contents of a Dutch police car. Ever seen those Instagram pics of travel bloggers showing the inside of their suitcases? This is that, but cooler.

Welcome To My Pad

Ever wonder what the underside of a lily pad looks like? Now you don’t have to.

King Of The World

This is a photo of the top of Mt. Everest. A little, uh, messier than I thought.

I’ll Wear My Pearls

Cut pearls in-half and you’ll find these weird-yet-fascinating swirls that kind of look like the inside of a tree.

Did you know that artichokes are flowers?

If they aren’t eaten, they’ll bloom!

Over The Hedge

Am I the only one who remembers that weird movie? Where the fox is blackmailed by a bear to befriend forest animals and convince them to do a suburban heist so he can pay back his debt???

Eye Don’t Even Know Anymore

This is what a human eye looks like after a cornea transplant.

Anyone fancy a game of darts?

The sensors inside of a dart board resemble a spider web. That’s my new fun fact at parties.

Circuit Board City

Ever seen a traffic control center this large? For the people of Beijing, this is pretty ordinary.

Do You Ever Feel Like A Plastic Bag?

I’m asking you that because this is the outer shell of a firework. You know, like the Katy Perry song? Nevermind.

I’m Lovin’ It

Before the mold of Ronald McDonald is finished, he looks awfully like a torture device.

I Feel Cheated

Upon looking at the inside of a 9 volt battery, you’ll find that it’s just six AAA batteries stuck together.

Strike!

The inside of a bowling ball is less round than I would have thought. The world is wild, lemmie tell ya.

It’s Getting Hot In Here

This is what a heated floor looks like before they put on, you know, the floor.

My Shiny Teeth And Me

10 points to Gryffindor if you know where that song is from.

Evil Incarnate

A Furbie without its fur is a rare sight that should stay rare.

Debit or Credit?

This is the inside of a Visa card. Your life will never be the same.

Too Tired

The inside of a tire is much more robotic than I anticipated.

A bloody mess.

This deconstruction shows just how complex the system of blood vessels in the wrist and hand truly is. Next time you’re chopping vegetables, try to avoid every single one of these veins and you should be fine.

To infinity, and beyond!

This pic shows a NASA Space Shuttle puncturing through a layer of clouds and exiting Earth’s atmosphere. What’s lost here is just how much energy and thrust is needed to reach this altitude.

I need one of those bags.

Everyone has their favorite M&M’s color. At M&M’s World, you can choose whichever individual colors you want. This view shows how the dispensers are filled, complete with bulk bags of single-color M&M’s that’ll never see a retail shelf.