Friday
Jun292007
Futuristic Air Travel (circa 1900)
Friday, June 29, 2007 at 2:45PM 
This painting by Harry Grant Dart is one of my favorite images of the paleo-future. According to the Library of Congress it was used as the cover for an issue of All Story magazine between 1900 and 1910.
The most revolutionary aspect of this image may be the depiction of a woman at the wheel. Women couldn't even vote in the United States until the Nineteenth Amendment was ratified in 1920.
You may recall that I created some wallpapers last week using this image, among others, which can be found here.
See also:
Paleo-Future Wallpaper
Postcards Show the Year 2000 (circa 1900)
Predictions of a 14-Year-Old (Milwaukee Excelsior, 1901)
What May Happen in the Next Hundred Years (Ladies Home Journal, 1900)
Reader Comments (14)
Would it be polite to ask you post that cover again with higher resolution? It would be grand to play with it a bit, the wallpaper is nice but doesn't have the balloon itself in the picture.
You would have one very grateful reader, if you would. Please?
Follow the Library of Congress link. You can download the source file from there.
Is it supposed to be a balloon? From the bits of blue sky you can see through it, it looks like it's intended to be a heavier-than-air craft.
...Mind you, in that case the lack of landing gear and the presence of what looks like a mooring cable are a bit mysterious.
Beautiful picture, though.
I love this image so much it's my current background. It's just so... Diamond Age-ish in it's futuristic Victorian sensibilities. Not to mention that book made liberal use of Airships and other aerostats.
-moogoob
At the moment, I have this image as wallpaper. I love it. Thank you.
It really is a wonderful image - very modern in its playful use of color, but still so Victorian. Thanks for sharing this treasure!
this illustration is strangely evocative of Lebbeus Woods drawings..
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very beautiful picture and wonderful blog about the futre !
Very sporty!
This is a very beautiful image and I liked it very much this is very modern very modern in its playful use of color, but still so Victorian. Thanks for sharing this treasure!
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Adam smith
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Itsn´t it beautiful how coiffed and dressup the lady is. The past made the future look so elegant.
Love it.
If only the present was as glamorous as the past anticipated it would be. This is true of so much stuff that just doesn´t look at attractive as our fathers and grandfathers imagined it would. But I suppose you have to forfeit good looks for speed.
Steve
Young Drivers Car Insurance