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30 Predictions From “Retro Future” That Were Either A Hit Or A Miss
It’s crazy to think both how short and infinitely long a century is. You see, Motorola’s DynaTAC, the first cell phone, was launched in 1984 for a price of $3,995. And today, nobody can imagine their life without touch-screen mobiles with integrated Leica cameras and AI face recognition systems that come at much less than Motorola’s initial price.
So imagine how differently people back then perceived the advancements in technology that looked both incredible and life-changing. And they were. But technology, and the world we live in, escalates so quickly that it surpasses our best forecasts for what the future holds.
And this time, we are talking a look at retro-futuristic examples created in the previous century that give us a glimpse into weird and wonderful dreams of the human mind.
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#1
An Artists Depiction Of The Future, Painted In 1930
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#2
A Fifties Navigation System. Don't Know Who Imagined This But I Love It!
Eduard Korhonen 5 years ago
Actually, it's a ln image someone created in 2013 https://www.designcrowd.com/design/8798738
#3
1940s Vision Of Food Delivery Future
#4
We Really Messed Up
#5
Television Newspaper - Some Day You May Be Able To Receive The Front Page Of Your Morning Newspaper This Way
Bender Bending Rodríguez 5 years ago
"Twenty dead and fifteen missing" ... not much has changed for front page news. Same doom and gloom on front page.
#6
Self Driving Cars Of The Future, Circa 1960
#7
2022
#8
'ship's Cat' By Keith Spangle
#9
The Future Of Phones, 1956
Linus Nilsson 5 years ago
Not even in the imagined picture is it possible to hold the phone comfortably.
#10
James Bond Receives A "Text" Via His Smartwatch In The Spy Who Loved Me
Kathryn Baylis 5 years ago (edited)
But where would he keep the roll of tape the message is stamped onto?
#11
1970s Futuristic Concept For Jetliner Air Travel
#12
1969 Japanese Vision Of The Future Classroom, The Odd Part Is That Included Small Robots To Rap Students On The Head When Misbehaving
#13
VR In 1989
#15
How Nasa Imagined Life In Space
#16
Fashions Of 1950, As Predicted On The Cover Of Life Magazine In 1914
#17
1981 Vision Of Suburbia After There's No More Room Left For Suburbs
Elaine Verhagen 5 years ago
I love the fact that everyone still has a garden and freestanding house instead of a balcony with no space.
#18
Home Shopping In The 1940s
#19
Futuristic Road Trip With The Family (Bruce Mccall)
#20
City Of The Future As Imagined In 1908
#21
The Future We Were Promised
#22
Soviet Vision Of The Future In The 1930s
Linda Robinett 5 years ago
Looks like the idea is some sort of magnetic force like a rail gun is firing the trolly cars through the hoops. Looks like they are predicting more interesting architecture than Stalinist
Lieutenant BaconWaffles 3 years ago
A combination of the MagLev train, the bullet train, & Quidditch.
Jamie S. Martindale 5 years ago
They envisioned brutalist architecture styles still thriving! Sheesh...
Vicki Perizzolo 5 years ago
I was thinking magnetic propulsion but apparently Linus has a dirty mind LOL
Mishte Tine 5 years ago
Are those giant magnets? Not saying this idea works but at least in the US the public transportation system and infrastructure is a dangerous, antiquated embarrassment.
Kaylee Daugherty 5 years ago
i looked at and i was like "yea definitely not even close" then i go through the comments everyone saying that they have dirty minds and im like " whats so dirty about this" then i look again and im like "OHHHHHHHHH"
M O'Connell 5 years ago
This is not unlike the 1880s Parisian "Flying Lamp-post Boats" concept.
Luna Lovegood! 5 years ago
we gotta work a lot faster if we're gonna live up to that expectation.
Daniel Marsh 5 years ago
Quidditch players would like this even more than the handball players liked East Berlin!
Val Izhakevich 5 years ago
Post numbers are the scariest thing - and they tell it all. Forget associations.
#23
Futuristic Netherlands, Drawn In 1970
#24
1984 Smart Watch
#25
The 2020 Olympics...not 100% Accurate
#26
Monsanto House Of The Future 1957
#27
Worst Space Suit Design Ever?
Annamagelic 5 years ago
One thing I appreciate about this is both individuals are equally underdressed. Too often female characters get a bikini while male characters get practical coverage. But this guy forgot his pants too.
#28
This Was An Actual Space Suit Grumman Aircraft Corp Tried To Sell Nasa In 1962
#29
Teen-Agers Of The 21st Century
#30
Nuke-Proof Underground City Below Manhattan, 1969 (Oscar Newman)
#31
1980s Future City By Tatsushi Morimoto
#32
1979 Phoenix Camper With In Built Pop Out "Tent"
#33
This "Convenient" Kitchen From '74
#34
Retro Futuristic Living Room I Painted
#35
From The Paper Age To The Digital Age (Andy Zito ‘85)
#36
Bus
#37
Very Futuristic 1980 Citroën Karin Concept Car - Link To More Pics And Details In Comments
#38
Illustrations By James Gilleard
#39
1927 Concept For A "Desert Ship" (Wüstenschiff) By German Engineer Johann Christoph Bischoff
#40
The Nuclear-Powered Bullet Train From The 1970's Series "Supertrain"
#41
Kuba Komet, Futuristic Home Entertainment Center From West Germany, Late 50's
Javiera Gotelli 5 years ago
Due to its high price (close to us$10.000 in today's money), it was only manufactured between 1957-1962 and there are only about 10 of them.
#42
We All Live In A Yellow Airplane
#43
Cigarettes, Tape Reels, And Chrome. Enjoy Your Stay In This Retro 70's Luxe Suite
#44
Self-Contained Future 'Jet Ship,' Berkey Acrylic
#46
Virtual Reality, 90's Perspective
RadiatorAnkleSpider 5 years ago
Why... would you need the computer monitor if you’re wearing VR glasses..
#47
Ed Emshwiller - A Female Android (1954)
#48
Moscow In Xxiii Century. Lubianka. 1914
Jyri Hakola 5 years ago
Sad to think that based on the date this happy utopia have probably been painted perhaps only weeks before few shots were fired in the streets of Sarajevo.
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What do you think ?
Ozacoter 5 years ago
It makes me sad that we went from thinking that the future would be amazing to now knowing that most likely the future is going to be poverty and unhealthy living conditions for most people.
Zak Rasten 5 years ago
The future could still be amazing - if we do the right things, starting now
Load More Replies...
Jonathan 5 years ago
My prediction for the future- Katie Potasky is blocked from BP. Lets hope for all our sake that becomes reality.
person (i think) 5 years ago
Katie, I have to assume you are just a troll and do not actually care about Jesus. If you were actually trying to get a pro-jesus message out there are far less antagonistic (and thus more effective) ways of doing it.
person (i think) 5 years ago
This is cool, but I wish they had done a better job of separating (or at least labeling) the things that are actually retro futurism from the things that were created more recently to _look_ like retro futurism.
DC 5 years ago
I love this! Retro-Futurism always looks paramount cool, and I love how the progress of technology sometimes isn't expected - tapes, gigantic tube TVs (in cartoons, they reached a size of a man ... as a tube can only project imagery on a certain area per unit, those would be pretty hard to synchronize ... I only know of fourtube TV devices, which never were any common, but always expensive, huge, heavy and, aside from size, not really any progress compared to the one or two tube units. But, I love it ... still love it.
Ayia Grace 5 years ago
Would love to tell Katie Potasky that I'm a lesbian, feminist and practice witchcraft. Just imagine her face!
Jonathan 5 years ago (edited)
Haha, love it. I'm a homosexual Jew...where you at Katie? Oh, she's off praying for our damned lost souls.
Load More Replies...
Draco Malfoy 5 years ago
I love the retro feel to all of these, and the color themes are so fun
Alain Saaiman 3 years ago
Elon Musk is trying to make the future bright and all people can do is fault him for wanting free speech.
Steve in Denver 5 years ago
None of the predictions foresaw the obesity that convenience has fostered.
Wandaluzt 5 years ago
So some of these were not predictions from the last century in the slightest. Some were modern day images. You have the actual gall to put your names on this 'article' as if you've written it when all you've done is copy and paste stuff from other sites. You can't even be bothered to check things. You even leave the original titles in saying 'more information in the comments'. How utterly bloody lazy just to get your name on a crappy 'article'.
Ozacoter 5 years ago
It makes me sad that we went from thinking that the future would be amazing to now knowing that most likely the future is going to be poverty and unhealthy living conditions for most people.
Zak Rasten 5 years ago
The future could still be amazing - if we do the right things, starting now
Load More Replies... Jonathan 5 years ago
My prediction for the future- Katie Potasky is blocked from BP. Lets hope for all our sake that becomes reality.
person (i think) 5 years ago
Katie, I have to assume you are just a troll and do not actually care about Jesus. If you were actually trying to get a pro-jesus message out there are far less antagonistic (and thus more effective) ways of doing it.
person (i think) 5 years ago
This is cool, but I wish they had done a better job of separating (or at least labeling) the things that are actually retro futurism from the things that were created more recently to _look_ like retro futurism.
DC 5 years ago
I love this! Retro-Futurism always looks paramount cool, and I love how the progress of technology sometimes isn't expected - tapes, gigantic tube TVs (in cartoons, they reached a size of a man ... as a tube can only project imagery on a certain area per unit, those would be pretty hard to synchronize ... I only know of fourtube TV devices, which never were any common, but always expensive, huge, heavy and, aside from size, not really any progress compared to the one or two tube units. But, I love it ... still love it.
Ayia Grace 5 years ago
Would love to tell Katie Potasky that I'm a lesbian, feminist and practice witchcraft. Just imagine her face!
Jonathan 5 years ago (edited)
Haha, love it. I'm a homosexual Jew...where you at Katie? Oh, she's off praying for our damned lost souls.
Load More Replies... Draco Malfoy 5 years ago
I love the retro feel to all of these, and the color themes are so fun
Alain Saaiman 3 years ago
Elon Musk is trying to make the future bright and all people can do is fault him for wanting free speech.
Steve in Denver 5 years ago
None of the predictions foresaw the obesity that convenience has fostered.
Wandaluzt 5 years ago
So some of these were not predictions from the last century in the slightest. Some were modern day images. You have the actual gall to put your names on this 'article' as if you've written it when all you've done is copy and paste stuff from other sites. You can't even be bothered to check things. You even leave the original titles in saying 'more information in the comments'. How utterly bloody lazy just to get your name on a crappy 'article'.
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