The Lesser-Known Angles of These World Famous Things Are Nothing Like We Imagined

Ever wonder what’s underneath the Sesame Street puppets we all know and love? Well, it’s time to see exactly who pulls the strings. In this case, there are no real strings involved. These special puppets are controlled by actual people with hands inside. It’s a little freaky to see the truth! All this TV magic was created by Jim Henson, the man behind the muppets. We get why he was hired, way back in 1968.

Thar, she flows: Niagara Falls gushes between Ontario, Canada and New York. It would be hard to find anyone who hasn’t heard of this watery wonder. It has been a pretty popular attraction for 200 years. More than six million cubic feet of water falls down every minute there, making it a dangerous place to poke around. We want to know what’s behind them. Is there a way to figure that out?

More than thirty years ago, we all laughed and screamed during Ghostbusters, the original. Yes, it’s been remade. But there’s nothing like seeing the old Marshmallow Man stomping through Manhattan. Since it’s been a while, why not ruin the magic? Look at this behind-the-scenes image and take it all in. The truth of the special effects show he is much smaller and much cuter. What a shame, in a way!

The Columbia Pictures lady: We’ve seen her at the beginning of a thousand movies, but what do we really know about her? Apparently, this was always an image of a real model, whose name was Jenny Joseph. She’s been the mascot since 1924, and we can see her work right here. Years later, when asked about her intro, she stated: ‘When I go to the movies, I get my 15 minutes of fame. The kids get a kick out of it.'”

The pyramids of Giza are a glorious tourist attraction today. But the truth is, they were built as big triangles for dead bodies. The Egyptian pharaohs wanted a final resting place for themselves, and maybe they thought they would live inside of these tombs, somehow. It’s all very murky now. But one thing we know for sure is that these rulers never thought that people would be casually eating pizza and using them as a view.

Jupiter is the largest of the planets in our solar system, by far. We’re used to seeing an orange and white ball, though. Maybe that’s because we keep seeing it from one side! To really take in all its majesty, we need to see other angles. Here is just that opportunity, looking at Jupiter’s south pole. Thanks to the Juno spacecraft, we can see a whole lot more of that glorious ball of gas.

It was the album that featured both “Come Together” as well as “Here Comes the Sun”. The second side was Ringo’s favorite. We know you loved Abbey Road, too! The iconic cover is recognizable the world over, and we thought it might be interesting to see the Beatles lining up for the walk. Apparently, the photographer only had ten minutes to get this right, because traffic was waiting. A policeman held them off, for just a bit.

The Alternate Angles group really outdid themselves on this one. We might not think there are any unknown angles of a common frog. But behold, here it is. We usually look at the top of this animal, or maybe the side. Underneath is hard to see! But now that we know more, we’re not sure if we like how it all looks, from below. By the way, how can the French eat these things?

Bob Ross wowed us with his majestic landscapes, painted live on public television. He was gentle and silly. Yet, so talented, too! Bob once said: “I guess I’m a little weird. I like to talk to trees and animals. That’s okay though; I have more fun than most people.” Apparently, he used to have even more fun before he was a painting man. The Reddit crew uncovered vintage Bob, and we could have never guessed he was a bad boy in his youth.

Movie studio intros were tough in the old days: Everyone could do a basic cartoon, and that wasn’t innovative. How could you stand out in the crowd? MGM decided they wanted to feature a live lion. They wanted to capture the roar, for real. But how could you get a big cat to roar on cue, and not bite you? This man is trying to do exactly that, as Reddit has exposed.

We’ve all admired the Great Sphinx of Giza from the front, but what does it look like from behind? You’ve probably never even thought about the subject before. But now, it’s time to see the truth. A photographer was smart enough to walk around and investigate if the stone beast had a tail. As it turns out, it does! Look at it and be inspired. Isn’t it glorious and curly?

Seinfeld was famously called the “show about nothing”. But it was worth tuning in to see Jerry, George, Elaine, and Kramer get into trouble and solve their problems in wacky ways. Everyone had a favorite character. It’s hard to say which one, though. No one wants to pick a favorite among your own children. But if we have to, let’s go with Kramer. How did actor Michael Richards keep that crazy energy on set?

Ancient Egypt was filled with glimmering, gold objects, big and small. The power of the pharaohs and the mystique of the mummies has inspired novels, movies, and countless Halloween costumes. Check out the mask of Tutankhamun, right here. It’s a classic piece from the kingdom, but very few have ever seen the back. Did the artist make an effort? Users were curious in the Alternate Angles subreddit, and we can understand why.

Ross, Rachel, Monica, Joey, Chandler, and Phoebe made Friends one of the most talked-about shows of its time. Even today, the reruns do quite well, and it’s been more than 25 years since its premiere. Maybe people just find it comforting. Part of that might be the setting where all the antics took pace: Central Perk, the coffee shop everyone frequented. Didn’t you just want to sit down and have a cup too?

The Taj Mahal is the most widely recognized landmark in modern India. It has pretty ancient origins, originally built as a mausoleum in 1632 by the emperor Shah Jahan. Shah’s favorite wife died, and he wanted to build her a suitable resting place. We think he did a great job! But today, we have a different curiosity about the area. What does the city hosting the Taj Mahal look like?

He’s the hero Gotham deserves, but he might not be the one it needs right now. Who are we talking about? Batman, obviously! The superhero known as Bruce Wayne during the day has been around for decades. He’s been played by so many men, and we all have our fave. In the 1960’s, he looked like this. Alternate Angles on Reddit has provided us with this photo for a little nostalgia, complete with sidekick Robin.

The Space Shuttle Challenger disaster was very sad for NASA and space fans all over the country. It was a fatal accident that occurred in 1986 when the Space Shuttle Challenger failed. It broke apart just 73 seconds into its journey and all seven crew members died. Photos of the incident were circulated in newspapers all over, but it’s time to see a lesser-known angle of the tragedy.

A lot of people thought the volcanoes killed all the dinosaurs, for a while. That turns out to be wrong. But lava and ash is a terrifying geological situation, to be sure. These events happen all over the world, from time to time. Mount St. Helens is an active volcano in Washington state, about 50 miles northeast of Portland. In 1980, it erupted and killed 57 people. But that’s not all!

The Sydney Opera House is one of the most distinctive buildings in the world today. The performing arts center on the Australian harbor is typically visited by more than eight million people a year. But they aren’t all showing up for shows. Many just want to see the beauty of the building. Perhaps they would be interested to see it from above. We’ve got an alternative angle, coming right up.

Every art student has studied David of Michelangelo as one of the basics. The biblically-inspired sculpture is one of the most famous ever, considered to be a Renaissance masterpiece. Created from marble between 1501 and 1504, stone David stands 5.17 meters tall. He’s really stood the test of time. But is there a special reason why? Indeed, there is. Meet “Brichelangelo”, the statue when it was inside a 17-foot high home of bricks.

Bob Barker made The Price Is Right must-see daytime TV for gameshow lovers and housewives alike. He shouted “come on down” to lucky audience members, and they would begin guessing the prices of everyday household goods. Their excitement was contagious! Things have changed a bit on the show over the years, but longtime fans will never forget the original wheel. We wonder: What does it look like, from behind? The Alternate Angles community has the answer.

Creatures from space typically look terrifying, but that’s probably because we are unfamiliar with their forms. Even E.T. was a little off-putting, at first. One of the biggest Alien movies of the 80’s was, of course, Alien. Its success led to a few sequels. We all screamed when we saw the main character. But the mature side of us knew that it was all Hollywood trickery. How did the creature look, behind the scenes?

The Statue of Liberty: It’s hard to picture NYC without this iconic bronze beauty. But now thanks to Reddit, it may be hard to ever look at her the same way again. Before she was the guardian at the port, Lady Liberty was a bunch of pieces sitting in a public garden in Paris at a World’s Fair event. The artist made her in stages, which isn’t surprising considering how big she is.

Alternate angles are used a lot in movies. Thankfully, we usually don’t notice their technique: It would ruin the magic. For the movie Elf, a lot of scenes were an illusion. Here, Redditors tracked down a photo of a real shot that exposes the fakery. Did you really think Will Ferrell was that big? No way, we say. You were tricked. But don’t be too mad. It looked elf-like in the end.

The world watched men walk on the moon in disbelief on TV. But many have no idea where the families of those astronauts watched it all go down. Reddit tracked down this fascinating photo of Neil Armstrong’s family. While 53 million saw the initial rocket from their sofas, the Armstrongs observed the launch of the Apollo 11 mission from the pier here. You might expect that they were in a control room somewhere. But you’d be wrong!

George Lucas really hit a stroke of genius with his spaceship fantasy series. Even people who have never seen Star Wars are quite familiar with the opening crawl. The film introduces each movie story with intriguing text: “A long time ago in a galaxy far, far away.” Then, the recent details are filled in, as the saga continues. But how was that little intro actually made, in the 1970’s?  Alternate Angles has the answer, yet again.

The Leaning Tower of Pisa didn’t start out so sideways. It was built on what looked like normal ground, but its foundation later sank. Locals kind of liked the look, and they kept it. Since its construction, the leaning tower has had millions of tourists walk past its crooked majesty. But did any of them check to see what was inside this landmark? Reddit has tracked down a photo that provides a clue.

Since 1963, Toucan Sam has been the mascot for Froot Loops that we all know and love. But come on, that’s a cartoon! We knew there was a real version of this bird, somewhere. Usually, this species keeps busy in the far away rainforests of South America. If we’ve seen any pictures of it at all, it’s probably from the side to show off its ultra-long beak. It is pretty impressive, we must admit.

The Washington Monument is a statue on the National Mall in Washington, D.C., honoring the first prez. That’s George Washington! He was once the commander-in-chief in the American Revolutionary War, and only an obelisk in his memory would do. But enough about that. Look at this picture, uncovered by Reddit. Did you know that the project stood unfinished for more than 20 years? Well, now you do. And here it is.

Freedom has its symbols in the United States, and a prime example is the Statue of Liberty. At her bottom is a famous inscription that has inspired millions upon arrival in the country. Poet Emma Lazarus wrote: “Give me your tired, your poor, your huddled masses yearning to breathe free, the wretched refuse of your teeming shore. Send these, the homeless, tempest-tossed to me, I lift my lamp beside the golden door!”

The Mona Lisa is a portrait by Leonardo da Vinci from the Renaissance. The subject was a rich lady named Lisa Gherardini, and she would probably be surprised to find out that she is so well known today. Billions recognize her instantly! Even though she was a noblewoman, it’s a bit much. Her smile has been analyzed for centuries, and we probably know all we need to know about the artist’s technique, too. But we wonder: What’s on the back?

We have all seen that vintage poster of construction workers having their lunch on a hanging beam. It looks kind of scary, but they don’t seem fazed. Few of us would be willing to eat our sandwich up there, but we do appreciate the image. These 11 guys were hanging out at the Rockefeller Center during final construction, in 1932. How did the photographer capture the moment without falling himself?

Author Stephen King once explained: “Humor is almost always anger with its make-up on.” Maybe that’s where he got his inspiration for the character Pennywise in the movie It. The story’s terrifying clown made us shriek in the theaters. The sewers in the film provided a dark and creepy location for violence. But did you know that no actual sewers were used? Behold, the alternative angle for the sewer system.

We heard it loud and clear: “Thunderbolts and lightning, very, very frightening me. Galileo, Galileo.” What did it all mean? Nobody knows, to this day. But Bohemian Rhapsody is still our favorite Queen song, and we definitely loved the video. At that time, music videos weren’t really that common. But the 1975 hit helped make this a norm. Alternate Angles found a great picture of the filming, and we are fascinated.

Although we have all watched our fair share of television, most of us will never know what it looks like on the other side. And what we mean by that, is the stage itself. What does it feel like to be part of a show in front of a live audience? Alternate Angles found this photo to offer a clue. We’ve all had fantasies about being a star. But be honest: Would you feel comfortable up here?