The shadow touch

It doesn't exactly say what the shadow touch might be, other than a marketing ploy, but it's thanks to advertisements like this one that we know what the past was like.

Almost terrifying!

"Shadow touch", 1956
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Electronic Miracle

"Electronic Brain", 1964
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The "complete working mechanical equivalent of an electronic brain" is not even electronic. It's a mechanical device and it does not use electricity. This ad walks the fine grey line between legit and scam.

The outrageous blurb about "problem-solving of missile countdown and satellite reentry" is just that. Blurb.

It is highly improbable that a $4.98 mechanical calculator made out of styrene plastic is a Turing Complete computer...or electronic brain.

Portable Radio

A marvel of gadgetry in 1940; a portable two-way radio. According to this piece "it can be worn under a coat"

Lucky for us, the 5-pound beast and its unsightly harness was soon rendered obsolete by all the gadgetry invented during the Second World War. Like the walkie-talkie.

"Portable radio", 1940
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Before air-con was invented...

There was the "Casco Windshield Fan" - with three genuine rubber blades, it was the perfect gift for the auto enthusiast.

Now, whether it is an effective ice remover, the ad does not say - it would have to run for hours to get the ice off the windshield on a winter's day. But the art is very cool.

Press here for mystery

There's an old popular saying about "...a fool and his money..." - these two ads in the same publication illustrate the point in question: they are variations on the long running scam of selling worthless junk by promoting the curiosity of the reader.

Exhibit number one: the "Amazing Mystery Button", which the ad bills as the most interesting electrical apparatus ever discovered. For one dollar.  Not only you can build a telephone and an amplifier but also a ... Detectiphone (?). Whatever that is.

"Amazing mystery button", 1945
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Exhibit number two: the "Wonder Electric Button", which the ad *also* sells as the most interesting electrical apparatus ever discovered. The rest of this ad is almost identical to the one above -including the use of the word Detectiphone.

Talk about copyright infringement. Or the same scammer running two different ads.

"Wonder electric button", 1945
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Laptop extravaganza

Nothing better than the convenience of your own private typewriter.

How the Executive guy is typing on his own without an efficient, underpaid  executive assistant to do it for him, is a mystery to me. And the Navy guy in front of the radar screen? How does he manage to get anything done?

"Lifetime partner", 1956
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This is the 1950's after all!

A hair dryer with legs

Another fantastic piece of 1950's retrofuture gadgetry: the "mobile hair dryer".

It lets you walk, hear, talk and work. Amazing. You can even hear baby cry, whilst using it to dry your hair.

In ivory or pink, this is the first truly whisper quiet hair dryer. Or so the copy says.

"Hear, walk, talk", 1959
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