The National Library of France (BNF) have a funny series of 87 french postcards that depict the life in 2000, made in 1899, 1900 and 1910. They were illustrated by Jean-Marc Ct and other artists, and were never distributed. It is speculated that they were included in foods' packages of the time and inGermanpostcardsas well.

"Chemical dinner";

A horse being shown as something uncommon, rare and extinct;

Some sort of delivery service;

Audio message;

A tailor;

Flying fire-fighters;

School;

Air traffic;

Electrical roller skates;

Electronic barbershop;

Interactive movie;

Listening to the "newspaper";

I love those! Some other pictures can be found on Wikimedia Commons . It is interesting to notice that, in some way, some of the pictures actually "guessed" the future pretty right, while some looks very ridiculous, in the good sense. I find it particularly funny how they forgot to change a "little" detail: the fashion.

What are your thoughts about it? Isn't interesting to see how someone 100 years ago imagined our present times? I wonder if in another 100 years, people will laugh at our predictions too.

Links:

Info and pictures

Wikipedia article

More info

updated by @leopoldina: 31 May 2017 12:52:42AM

quiet nice and amusing thankyou cherie

What great French postcards! ( although not the type I was expecting LOL) The artist certainly did have some accurate premonitions of what the future could hold. I loved the SCHOOL one in particular, a great representation of how the internet has become a brainwasher of the current generation in a similar fashion. Thanks for posting!

Very cool!

The clothing was the first thing I noticed. I wonder if they were worried about offending their audience or if they just didn't think about it?

I'm so glad horses aren't rare & almost extinct.

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What a remarkable find. Shows also how one can never imagine just how advanced we will become as the speed of discovery and technological advancement seems to be at an exponential rate now. Awesome, can't wait to have a good look.

Yes, I think if I was making a picture of the future as I expected things to be I'd probably represent myself in my present clothing, It's interesting isn't it. Unless you're a follower of clothing history and the reason things change, you probably wouldn't think of it.

Very interesting and funny. TY for sharing

Yes, really insightful and with a very healthy dose of cynicism applied as well.