22 Vintage Illustrations of the Future That Were Way Off Base

Daniel Bonfiglio Published 11/06/2024 in wtf

It is a natural human instinct to try and predict the future, and from writers to politicians, everyone has had their go at some point. But artists get to bring their ideas to life, and let the page turn into a small snapshot of possibility.

These 22 drawings and designs did their best to predict the future, and whether spot on or totally off base, can teach us a little bit about the past, and help refine our own predictions of the future.

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1.
A 1923 cartoon that imagined machine made art 100 years in the future.
2.
Ambitious predictions about 1975.
3.
Alternate reality Roomba from 1900.
4.
In 1985 Ebony magazine predicted what Michael Jackson would look like in the year 2000.
5.
An artist's depiction of the future, painted in 1930.
6.
Four more images from the same artist's series.
7.
8.
9.
10.
A 1925 prediction of what a future New York could look like.
11.
In 1983, this was Nissan’s idea of what their future cars would look like.
12.
A 2001 paper of “Future Predictions.”
13.
A 1939 comic book doing a decent job of predicting modern bullet trains.
14.
Surprisingly accurate prediction of the future of video games.
15.
Retro-future office from the 1964 World's Fair.
16.
2022 Energy Predictions from 1922.
17.
A series on housework.
18.
19.
20.
The Secretary of the Future, 1960s.
21.
Change your car's color as easily as filling it up with gas, 1958.
22.

1.
A 1923 cartoon that imagined machine made art 100 years in the future.
2.
Ambitious predictions about 1975.
3.
Alternate reality Roomba from 1900.
4.
In 1985 Ebony magazine predicted what Michael Jackson would look like in the year 2000.
5.
An artist's depiction of the future, painted in 1930.
6.
Four more images from the same artist's series.
7.
8.
9.
10.
A 1925 prediction of what a future New York could look like.
11.
In 1983, this was Nissan’s idea of what their future cars would look like.
12.
A 2001 paper of “Future Predictions.”
13.
A 1939 comic book doing a decent job of predicting modern bullet trains.
14.
Surprisingly accurate prediction of the future of video games.
15.
Retro-future office from the 1964 World's Fair.
16.
2022 Energy Predictions from 1922.
17.
A series on housework.
18.
19.
20.
The Secretary of the Future, 1960s.
21.
Change your car's color as easily as filling it up with gas, 1958.
22.