Some gadgets are so good and so useful that they immediately become must-have items for most people. Sadly, there are also the awesome old gadgets that have disappeared from our lives forever.
The Burglar Alarm
Somewhere in an alternative universe everyone still uses one of these beasts to keep their homes safe. I can only imagine that potential perps would tremble uncontrollably with fear when confronted with Pratt’s Patented Burlgar Alarm. Apparently it was handy for shooting animals too.
The Cigarette Umbrella
Now that it is official that only insane people smoke cigarettes there is no chance of this invention taking off. I don’t know what I like most about this old gadget; the fact the cigarette is kept dry while the smoker gets soaked or the fact that old time English clowns looked so utterly depraved and un-clownlike.
The Motorized Surfboard
The first thing to strike me about this photo is how the gentleman onboard has left his cigarette foolishly exposed to the elements. Still, the dude in the suit looks cool and is navigating that inconvenient pond with great dexterity.
The Hat Radio
To fully understand the genius of this idea we need to consider two points. First of all, this debonair chap of yesteryear didn’t have access to an iPhone, an Android tablet or even a humble little hand-held radio. Secondly, he wore his hat all day long and possibly even slept with it on. This might also be a good moment to point out that there is definitely something weird about his cigarette as well.
The Revolver Camera
The most disappointing thing about shooting people is that it is hard to take pictures at the same time. This is probably why cold blooded murderers rarely have big photo albums. The revolver camera is a great idea for capturing those special moments when you fire off some more rounds. Not great for selfies.
The Army Listening Device
In the days before radar and common sense were invented armies went to great lengths to understand what their enemies were up to. Here we see a cheerful Dutch soldier hooked up to an elegant listening device. He wouldn’t have been pleased if you had run up to him and shouted really loudly.
The Face Protectors
Do you know those days when all you want is a giant plastic cone to protect your face from the elements? Yeah well you ought to have lived in Canada in the 1920s. Actually, I’m sure that this old gadget looked ridiculous to normal people back then as well.
The Beauty Helmet
Have you noticed yet how people used to like putting pointless things on their heads in the old days? In this case, the slightly evil looking woman is allegedly applying a beauty treatment using a bizarre gadget. Ask for a beauty helmet treatment at your local spa these days and see how far you get.
The Phone Robot
The most stunningly pathetic aspect of this giant phone answering robot is that all he was capable of doing was picking up the phone then putting it back down again. I wonder why it never caught on.
The TV Glasses
This chap designed something similar to Google Glass back in the days when bowties were seen as a sensible piece of clothing rather than something a clown wears. His TV glasses look brilliant but I can’t help thinking that they aren’t the most practical things to have ever been invented.
