The folks over at Ohio State University’s Cartoon Library and Museum have posted a fantastic cartoon from 1901 that takes a humorous look into the world of tomorrow — specifically that far off, futuristic year of 1987.
Drawn by J. Campbell Cory for the New York World newspaper, this “prophetic vision of the 20th century” drew from the sense of optimism many people enjoyed at the dawn of the new century, while still poking fun at modern life in 1901.
So what amazing advancements will people see in the 20th century, according to Cory?
- We’ll communicate with the planet Mars
- Our buildings will grow so tall that they’ll be perpetually capped with snow
- Travelling from New York to Paris and back will take mere minutes
- We’ll find the North Pole (and promptly divvy it up)
- You’ll never have to run after the train again, since it’ll stop with the push of a button
- We’ll enjoy some artificial cooling during the hot summer months
- And in a gloriously retro punchline — women’s hats will still obstruct views at the theatre
[OSU Cartoon Library via Twitter]