The idea of wearing a computer on the wrist did not arrive overnight, nor did it begin with glossy touchscreens and app stores. During the late 1970s through the 1990s, watchmakers and electronics companies quietly experimented with packing calculation,…
The future once looked like a promise of endless possibilities, with flying cars humming above neon-lit cities and meals arriving in pill form at the push of a button. This vision, known as retrofuturism, captures how people of the past imagined the world w…
The 1970s were a fascinating era for children's toys, driven by advancing technology and the influence of popular culture. Electronic toys like Simon, an addictive memory game, and the Atari gaming system brought new, interactive play experiences into home…
For centuries, the term “computer” meant a person, often a woman, performing complex calculations by hand. By the late 19th century, these human computers became the unsung heroes of numerous scientific advancements. Alan Turing described the "human comp…
Enter into the world of ancient wonders, where artifacts tell stories that history books often overlook. These relics, ranging from ingenious tools to exquisite artworks, reveal the timeless ingenuity of humankind. While ancient civilizations may see…
Journeying through history often feels distant when peering at faded black and white photographs that seem to belong to another world. The mind craves color, yearning for a connection that black and white imagery struggles to provide. Adding color to pho…
In the history of American education, one subject has played a pivotal role in equipping students with essential skills for the demands of the modern world: typing. The rise of typing classes in US high schools is a captivating chapter in the historical lan…
The origins of some of the world's most iconic companies are often shrouded in myth and legend, with stories of innovation, perseverance, and luck. But what did these companies really look like in their early days? Thanks to the power of photography, we…
Photography has come a long way since its inception, and the journey has been marked with some remarkable milestones. From the earliest forms of photographic processes to the revolutionary digital age, photography has been a driving force in the way we …
This photo collection of vintage ads gives a glimpse into how the computer industry developed in the early 1980s. Magazines were rife with these types of ads emphasizing a few particular selling points such as the new computer tech being educational, wo…
It’s quite fascinating to read the vintage magazine adverts because nothing gets old faster than technology news and ads. In this article, we’ve collected some retro computer ads to give you a hands-on look into what made the tech headlines before the age o…
The history of women's workwear tells a unique story about the events of the twentieth century and the changing role of women. The amount of control that women have had over their clothes depended largely on what type of job she had. In domestic service…
As soon as the science of photography was perfected for use by the general public, artists and others began to manipulate the images. Photo manipulation was soon employed in numerous ways, as early photography had several limitations. Correct exposures …
Before the advent of AutoCAD and other drafting software, engineering drawings were made on sheets of large paper using drawing boards. Many types of equipment were required to complete a given drawing, such as drawing board, different grade pencils, er…
These photos picture the overflow filling facility that the FBI’s Identification Division started using during World War II for the purposes of clearance needs of the armed services. The building is the DC Armory, a multi-use arena facility — and someti…
At the end of the war, millions of people were dead and millions homeless, the European economy had collapsed, and much of the European industrial infrastructure had been destroyed. The Soviet Union, too, had been heavily affected. Borders were redrawn …
Long before the age of computerized printing presses and journalists being able to file stories via computer, the process of creating the day’s newspaper was a much more arduous, hand-made process. In September 1942, Office of War Information photograph…
Tens of thousands of soldiers, reservists, and other members of the military were arranged to form massive compositions. Although if viewed from the ground or from directly above, these masses of men would appear meaningless, when seen from the top of a…
Bacon perfectly toasted in disposable trays, sonic-powered dishwashers, and refrigerators that rose from the floor at the touch of a button—these were once visions of everyday life. In 1962, a book titled 1975: And the Changes to Come by Arnold B. Barac…
Long before today’s video calls became part of daily life, videophones were the stuff of science fiction, futuristic devices imagined in movies, magazines, and the minds of tech visionaries. The ability to see and speak with someone in real time across vast…