It's Comfy Day! Get out your comfy wear, favourite cup of hot delicious, and settle down with your favourite book (or podcast?)
The lady pictured has it all figured out - with a Carter's reading machine (plus reclining couch) as advertised in 1888
More about John Carter's inventions on this lovely blog: https://www.retrovation.co.uk/post/carter-s-inventions
Wacky invention from 1890, to becalm seasickness...
According to the Strand, "the passenger's chair is attached to a balloon, the chair being attached to the deck by a ball and a socket joint; to keep the balloon from swaying too much, it is attached to a rod above. ..."
We have yet to hear from those who have tried this out.
Ginger beer, anyone?
#victorianinventions #fundayfriday #whatwilltheythinkofnext #victorian #wacky #weirdandwonderful
Whacky Victorian Invention of the Day, presenting:
The Lunette Parasol
courtesy of William Sangster, 1843, whereby lenses would be sewn into the fabric of the parasol to allow the bearer of said parasol to peep through...
‘one, two three, or more of these eyesights may be used according to fancy or convenience’
Miss Havisham decided on lunettes around the rim - quite stylish, eh?
#victorian #victorianinventions #whatwilltheythinkofnext #parasol
Oh my! Our illustrious guest is eyeing the teacups and soup bowls with a wary eye - can it be on account of his wonderful moustache?
Fear not!
Aunt Mabel has him covered (quite literally) thanks to the ingenious invention of moustache guards!
All thanks to Mr Harvey Adams who first invented the moustache cups in the 1840s - since then, moustache guarding has gone from strength to strength!
#victorian #victorianinventions #whatwilltheythinkofnext #whacky #inventions
Is your horse bumping into the furniture a lot? Is he finding the newspaper print at breakfast a struggle? Is he squinting at his food? Fear not!
Mr Dolland, from the opticians Dolland & Aitchison, developed a set of bi-focal spectacles for horses in the late 1880s.
With this brilliant invention, your horse will be set to seize the day (without tripping over anything).
Victorian Inventions. You can't go wrong. Only whacky.
...some Victorian dude trying out a flying machine....
1877, and someone 'suggested' this might work. Part kite, part hot air balloon, part parachute - what could possibly go wrong?
Great for a steampunkish adventure....
#victorianinventions #inventions #whatwilltheythinkofnext #steampunk #weirdandwonderful #flyingmachines #fridayfun
Looking for a fun gift idea?
Presenting the exploding ghost candle - complete with miniature ghost.
Imagine you have given your house guest this candle to take to his room. He settles down to read ...the seconds tick by, & BOOM! instead of a candle flame flickering in its candlestick, we have a little apparition waving its arms about!
Described in 'Strange Devices' by James Scott for the Strand Magazine, 1895
#victorianinventions #victorian #inventions #whatwilltheythinkofnext
The Bonafide Ventilating Top Hat was one of various designs registered for copyright in the 19th century, in an attempt to resolve the question of perspiration & steam that accumulated inside a gentleman's headwear. A miracle!
Sadly this model never got further than the paper it was drawn on; instead, it marks human ingenuity in a collection compiled by Julia Halls: Inventions That Didn't Change The World (published by Thames & Hudson).
What might have been...
"I scream, you scream, everybody wants ice cream..."
Celebrating Agnes Marshall, the celebrity chef of the 1880s who popularised ice cream and frozen desserts, and patented an ice-cream maker 'Marshall's Patent Freezer'; this was just one of many inventions which the Marshall company produced. Agnes Marshall is also credited with inventing the ice cream cone: it appears in an 1888 recipe for 'cornets with cream' & was made from almonds.
Yum!
Tales from the Penny Bloods