How much of today’s tech did Nikola Tesla predict a century ago? Here’s a look back at some spot-on predictions from Nikola Tesla — along with a few, that, well… we haven’t quite seen yet.
Ulcers bothering you? Try Silly Putty (1951) by Glenn Williams Well, sir, I’m here to tell you that in the past couple of days, I’ve
During World War II, the railroad companies had to devote their resources to the war effort by transporting troops around the country. Here’s a look back at some of what the railroads were offering to entice passengers back in the late ’40s!
Fax it! That phrase became as much of a cliche in the ’80s as ‘We’ll do lunch.’ Look at how vintage fax machines quickly outgrew fad status.
Once part of everyday life, now only people of a certain age will remember this stuff. Here are 25 things most people under 25 have never seen in real life!
Did Coca-Cola once have cocaine in it? Amazingly, yes. Originally marketed as a health drink when it debuted in the 1880s, Coca-Cola was said to cure everything from a migraine (aka “sick headache”) to physical exhaustion to depression.
Autistic youngsters are children living in shells (1967) by Robert Shields, London Observer Writer “Alan behaves as though other people don’t exist. He shows no
Never having to come up from underground? Cars routinely going 130 MPH? Completely automated cleaning? Solar power dominant? See these and many more predictions from 1906!
The car of the future will be weather-proof, and that the sides, front, rear, and roof will probably be made of glass. The entire control of the machine will be simplified, and perhaps located in a set of push buttons.
To use your dial telephone, start by lifting the receiver and listening for the dial tone. The steady humming sound tells you the dial equipment is ready for your call. See more tips for vintage rotary-dial phones here!
We know of no earthly reason to believe that autism is a symptom of emotional disturbance stemming from the parents’ attitudes or their handling of the child.
Swatch (short for “Swiss watch”), an up-to-the-minute quartz marvel introduced in 1983 with bold colors and zappy graphics, is gambling that clunkiness will become the byword in chic, or reverse chic, for the 1980s.
Vintage IBM electric typewriters from the ’60s, like the Executive and the Selectric, were marketed to help executives and their secretaries manage an increasing business workload at a time when more and more white collar jobs were being created.
Wherever you look today, electric service makes good things possible. Imagine what it’ll do for you tomorrow. Maybe there will be flying cars – or even flying campers that can plug in for recharging.
Imagine getting paid to create retro-futuristic space-age inventions. Throughout the late 1950s and early 1960s, that is exactly what commercial artist and futurist Arthur Radebaugh got to do.
Range: Anywhere on Earth — and your Air Force has it! The Consolidated B-36 can carry a 10,000 pound atomic bomb to a target 5,000 miles away, drop it, then return to base.
There’s new Jell-O salad gelatin in two flavors, celery or mixed vegetable. Either savory salad gelatin provides a receptive base for vegetables and meats. The results can be main dishes, or side salads or even jellied soups.
Remember that little round toy from the seventies where you pressed on the back with your finger to squish stuff around and it changed colors? They were called Space Fidgits, and you can find out more about ’em here.
There has never been a high quality 35mm SLR camera as simple to use as the Canon AE-1 Program. That’s why people who don’t have time for complicated cameras, like Washington Redskins’ quarterback Joe Theismann, carry it with them wherever they go.
How did America get its name? The man from whom the continents got their names was an especially fascinating character of the late 15th century.
Every year, hundreds of children were stricken with polio. Before testing iron lung machines on humans, two dozen cats had to die under anesthetic.
Nikola Tesla, electrical scientist, says not armies alone, but whole populations will be destroyed in war by use of wireless currents — his own air torpedo deadly.
This new, revolutionary wall-mounted refrigerator and freezer that hangs from the wall is a completely new and advanced concept of modern living. Truly, it is the most convenient and magnificent refrigerator-freezer ever produced!
Thomas Edison says people work too hard, but that pleasure is as necessary as food. ‘This is an electric age. The pressure was never heavier, nor the grind harder.’
‘Just add water and you’ve got instant life!’ they said. ‘Over 150 amazing Sea-Monkeys born ALIVE before YOUR eyes!’ But, oh, the disappointment when the critters didn’t look anything like the pictures on the package.
Electricity will cure all the ills of the world, predicts Thomas Edison, whose inventive genius is responsible for the widespread application of electricity.
The Hula Hoop fad had millions of children and adults shaking their hips to make the hoop spin. See what the craze was all about – and how to hoop!
The discovery of radium gave Madame Curie immediate worldwide fame, and changed the face of medicine. Here, she describes how this historic scientific discovery was really made.
See inside vintage train cars on the old Overland Limited Train, where every luxury possible in a hotel was found – including a barber shop, valet service, massage, maid, library, buffet, clubroom and a cafe dining car.
The inventor of the dishwashing machine The patron saint of the emancipated woman of the future will be Josephine Garis Cochrane, the inventor of the
Michael Landon, star of the hugely successful ‘Little House on the Prairie’ TV series, took a little time out from his job playing Mr Ingalls to tell people about the various Kodak easy-to-use Instamatic cameras.
Vintage pinball machines gallery Click on any image to see a larger version, or to start the photo gallery slideshow.
Top tips to help you choose and use cassette tapes 1. Advantages of the cassette tape The cassette format has the advantage of being easy
The way life is carried on now seems near discovery By Watson Davis, Director, Science Service Washington — One of the fundamental problems of living
What did the future look like from the ’60s? In this ad series for Motorola, commercial artist Charles Schridde depicted modernist homes of the future – and perfectly captured the era’s sleek style and space-age optimism.
Here’s some eye-opening insight into the invention of contact lenses! The contacts were made of glass, and although they worked much like they do today, they were thick, uncomfortable, and even a little dangerous.
The real death of a cheerleader story (1985) 
30 vintage TV dinners: Fried chicken, turkey, pot roast & other fab frozen food, retro-style 
20 vintage pink bathrooms: See some wild bubblegum-era midcentury home decor of the 1950s & 1960s 
US Army shoulder insignia (1945) 
Chocolate Texas sheet cake recipe (1986) Want to remember to remember? Our weekly newsletter shows you the latest vintage, old-fashioned & historic stuff that we have published or refreshed during the past seven days. Sign up here.
Note: ClickAmericana.com features authentic historical information, and is not intended to represent current best practices on any topic. Material on this site is provided for education, criticism, commentary, cultural reporting, entertainment, historical reference, and news reporting/analysis.
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