We absolutely love exploring a time capsule back to the 1950s and 60s, marveling at how designers from that era envisioned ‘the future’.
Time and again, their predictions are surprisingly accurate, and even in cases where they missed the mark, it’s endearing to see their imaginative spirit. This collection continues to impress, remaining relevant and inspiring even 70 years later!
Illustrator Charles Schridde made his mark by visualizing the home of the future. This collection of fascinating illustrations was commissioned by Motorola, and Schridde was tasked with featuring their technology at the center of the designs.
The mid-century designs still look cool today, and some of them have gone on to inspire movie sets (Incredibles 2, anyone?) and 21st century architects.
Great retro-futurism. Via Atomic Ranch:
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20 Comments
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Unfortunately we don’t all live by the ocean.
That’s a great idea, thanks for the insightful comment!
Very nice! There’s an active, open and proper ethos to mid century design that is somehow uncluttered and pleasing to the eye. Perhaps moss and fog would encourage readers to try their own hand, sketches, drawings at a modern take on mid century modern aesthetic scenes? Perhaps architectural themed photos? Should be fun!
Good luck getting the permits to build that!
They apparently predicted Close Encounters of the Third Kind and having a mountain with plants in your living room.
Anyone for more glass walls and concrete pylons? More and more glass walls and pylons? Even MORE glass and concrete than that? It’s the future dude!
Funny, in these scenes everything looks futuristic *except* for the televisions. A box with a screen on the front? On a stand? LOL!
That’s insightful, thank you for the comment!
It seems like they’re finally coming! Check out technology like this: https://mossandfog.com/the-volonaut-airbike-brings-the-flying-speeder-from-star-wars-to-life/
Ha! We’ll have to look that one up. You sound knowledgeable on the subject.
Where are the hover cars that were predicted in my 1950’s grade school weekly reader.
I’ll bet a lot of people in the ‘50s went out and bought stock in Drackett – the company which owned Windex at the time…
We seemed to think that we would bring as much nature close to our living spaces.
But they didn’t consider our population growing so fast & in America inner cities didn’t have the room or money for that style of living. I would have thought that there would have been more about outer space living & moving sidewalks in the cities, that sort of stuff.
Apparently, they envisioned all of us living on waters edge, and still having console TV sets!
But there is a hanging TV, tho all the pictures on the tubes are black and white!
They couldn’t have predicted the slobs Americans have turned into!
Wow! How off they all were!
Modern architecture is a blah as ever!
Many of the architecture features shown here can be seen in home tours during mid-century modernism week in Palm Springs every February.
It is interesting to note that they weren’t predicting the development of flat screen TVs at that time. I do know that the Monsanto House of Tomorrow at Disneyland in the 50’s did have a small flat screen B&W tv.
Beautiful and awesome at the same time3.