Retro Future: France in the Year 2000, as Envisioned in 1899

First released in 1899, France in the Year 2000 was a series of postcards that envisioned a future one hundred years ahead.  The designs and concepts are both naive and adorable, with some accurate predictions, and some very strange ideas, indeed.

We love the creative optimism in these concepts. It’s undoubtedly clear that the styling is 120+ years old, but the ingenuity and foresight in some of them is pretty remarkable.

Artist Jean-Marc Côte was responsible for these fascinating designs. We’d love to see an updated version of these, showcasing an imagined future 100 years from now. See more on Public Domain Review.

 

Whale Bus
retro future whale bus

 

School
retro future school

 

Rolling House
retro future house

 

Latest Fashions
retro future fashion

 

Auto Rollers
retro future rollers

 

Intensive Breeding
retro future breeding

 

Correspondence Cinema
retro future cinema

 

Air Firefighters
retro future firefighters

 

Barber
retro future barbers

 

Electric Scrubbing
retro future scrubbers

 

Farmer
retro future farmers