Tech

Amazing postcards of what people in 1900 thought the future would look like

Drake Baer
2015-10-07T13:31:57Z
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France_in_XXI_Century._Whale_bus
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Even though we might get it wrong, we're pretty obsessed with imagining the future.

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So were people back in 1900, as evidenced by a range of French postcards unearthed by the Public Domain Review. 

First designed for the 1900 World Exhibition in Paris, the postcards, designed by artist Jean-Marc Côté and others, are full of zany illustrations of how the French thought the year 2000 would look. 

Some of them were eerily accurate, like the Roomba-like cleaning robot. Others are far from reality — probably not going to get whales to do our bidding anytime soon. 

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The depiction of rescues at sea isn't that far off, all things considered.

France_in_XXI_Century._Air_rescue
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But croquet underwater — while it does look really fun — probably won't take off.

France_in_XXI_Century._Water_croquet
Wikimedia Commons
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Despite what science fiction has been promising us, we still haven't gotten those flying cars we crave.

France_in_XXI_Century._Air_cab
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A very elegant sort of mobile home.

France_in_XXI_Century._Rolling_house
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But a robotic cleaner? Yeah, there's a whole line of Roombas for that.

France_in_XXI_Century._Electric_scrubbing
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This takes factory farming to a whole new level.

France_in_XXI_Century._Intencive_breeding
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Sadly, ladies are yet to have automated grooming.

France_in_XXI_Century._Toilette_madame (1)
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It's like WhatsApp, but a little slower.

France_in_XXI_Century._Air_postman
Wikimedia Commons
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Same for dudes. I'd probably go to a robo-barber.

France_in_XXI_Century._Barber
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And a whale bus, alas, seems less and less likely.

France_in_XXI_Century._Whale_bus
Wikimedia Commons
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But a 3-D printed suit? That future of fashion is already starting to arrive.

France_in_XXI_Century._Latest_fashion
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Why have Beats Radio when you can have Robot Orchestra?

France_in_XXI_Century._Robot_orchestra
Wikimedia Commons
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Bat-winged firefighters look pretty capable.

France_in_XXI_Century._Air_firefighters
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As do these cops.

France_in_XXI_Century._Air_police
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And finally, podcasting.

France_in_XXI_Century._School
Wikimedia Commons

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