Nikola Tesla was a Serbian-American engineer with a passion for electricity and ambitious ideas about the future. He envisioned a time when people around the world could communicate instantaneously, and even see and hear each other as they spoke. Of course, he was right. 

Tesla pioneered much of modern electricity, especially the alternating current, which allows for electricity to travel over great distances. 

Tragically, however, despite his ideas proving more impactful in the long term, Tesla lost a feud with Thomas Edison and passed away while struggling with mental illness without much notoriety to his name. 

Tesla was as close as the world will ever come to a mad scientist, and despite working during the early days of photography, there are many spectacular images of his work to help restore his legacy. 

Here are 22 photos of Tesla looking like an awesome mad scientist.