Paleofuture looks at visions of the future as it was imagined in the past. Some of the images and ideas were so outlandish that it's hard to distinguish serious visionaries from the parodies of them. The kitchen pictured here is a parody. Sure, it's hi-tech, but clues such as an "antiques" cabinet are a dead giveaway.
Back in the 1940s, designers promised Americans that once the second World War ended, a brave new world of design would open up. But as we looked at recently, there was a very calculated effort to dial back expectations once it was clear that so many of these promises couldn't be fulfilled.
Even internally, some firms were making fun of the absurd claims being made about what life would be like after the war. The illustration above, from an industrial design firm in Ohio, was credited to "the Office Boy of the Schaible Company" and notes that it was "quietly submitted."
What impressed me was how big it is! Read more about it at Paleofuture (which has moved from Smithsonian to Gizmodo). Link -Thanks, Bill Badrick!