Is there something inherently creepy about a ventriloquist dummy, or is our icky fear of them something we’ve inherited from the fact that every supernatural-based television show ever has had at least one murderous dummy episode? We’re not sure, but we do know that we’re glad we fought through our fear when i09 pointed us toward the fascinating Vintage Ventriloquism Flickr group, a photo set filled with strange, disconcerting, and totally serious portraits of men with their dummies from the heyday of ventriloquism. Click through to see a few of our favorite portraits from the set, but don’t worry — none of these dummies are coming after you tonight. We don’t think.

Photo via Vintage Ventriloquism

Photo via Vintage Ventriloquism

Photo via Vintage Ventriloquism

Photo via Vintage Ventriloquism

Photo via Vintage Ventriloquism

Photo via Vintage Ventriloquism

Photo via Vintage Ventriloquism

Photo via Vintage Ventriloquism

Photo via Vintage Ventriloquism

Photo via Vintage Ventriloquism

Photo via Vintage Ventriloquism

Photo via Vintage Ventriloquism

Photo via Vintage Ventriloquism

Photo via Vintage Ventriloquism

Photo via Vintage Ventriloquism