10 Futuristic Ads From the Past

There's nothing quite like old advertisements to give us a look-see at what the past thought the future would look like, taste like, talk like or sound like. Ads also act as a wonderful time capsule when it comes to fashion and technology. Here are 10 that either focus on predicting the future, or, alternately, remind us just how far we've come from the not-so-distant past. Most were culled from this wonderful site: vintageadbrowser.com.

1. Bell Telephone, 1953

[In case you can't read the copy, it says: It's hard to say, young fellow, but you can be sure there are great things ahead. Today we telephone from moving automobiles, trains, airplanes and ships far out at sea. And radio microwaves beam telephone calls and television programs from tower to tower across the country. The day is coming when you'll be able to reach any telephone in the country simply by dialing a number. Perhaps some day in the future you may just speak the number into the transmitter and get your party automatically.] Vlingo, anyone, anyone?

2. National, 1960s

3. 1944

4. Philco, 1938

5. Burlington Route's Zephyrs and steam trains, 1944

6. Western Air Lines, 1943

7. Admiral Radio, 1942

8. Cannon Electric Development Company, 1944

9. IBM, 1955

10. Extensys Corporation, 1977