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It’s crazy to think both how short and infinitely long a century is. You see, Motorola’s DynaTAC, the first cell phone, was launched in 1984 for a price of $3,995. And today, nobody can imagine their life without touch-screen mobiles with integrated Leica cameras and AI face recognition systems that come at much less than Motorola’s initial price.

So imagine how differently people back then perceived the advancements in technology that looked both incredible and life-changing. And they were. But technology, and the world we live in, escalates so quickly that it surpasses our best forecasts for what the future holds.

And this time, we are talking a look at retro-futuristic examples created in the previous century that give us a glimpse into weird and wonderful dreams of the human mind.

#2

A Fifties Navigation System. Don't Know Who Imagined This But I Love It!

A Fifties Navigation System. Don't Know Who Imagined This But I Love It!

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Eduard Korhonen
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3 years ago DotsCreated by potrace 1.15, written by Peter Selinger 2001-2017

Actually, it's a ln image someone created in 2013 https://www.designcrowd.com/design/8798738

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To find out more about the weird and wonderful retrofuturism movement, Bored Panda reached out to Lisa Yaszek, a Regents Professor of Science Fiction Studies at the Georgia Institute of Technology.

Lisa explained that when we talk about retrofuturist objects and images, we usually refer to images of the past from the late 1800s through the space race, like many of the images collected here. “And when we look at these images, it becomes clear that people from the past actually had expectations of the future that were often quite like our own!”

#3

1940s Vision Of Food Delivery Future

1940s Vision Of Food Delivery Future

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Sum Guy
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3 years ago DotsCreated by potrace 1.15, written by Peter Selinger 2001-2017

This is actually cool. when you order something, as the truck moves to your house, they are also preparing the food. It gets to you as soon as it's plated. AMAZING

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According to Lisa, “they seem to have been particularly good at extrapolating from all the exciting new communications technologies of the time—telephones, radios, film, and TV—to imagine a range of new communications technologies much like we have now that allow us to talk to anyone from anywhere (#1 and 11), navigate our cars with ease (#2), get breaking news on our screens (#5), and even shop from home (#18 is shockingly on the mark).”

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#5

Television Newspaper - Some Day You May Be Able To Receive The Front Page Of Your Morning Newspaper This Way

Television Newspaper - Some Day You May Be Able To Receive The Front Page Of Your Morning Newspaper This Way

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Bender Bending Rodríguez
Community Member
3 years ago DotsCreated by potrace 1.15, written by Peter Selinger 2001-2017

"Twenty dead and fifteen missing" ... not much has changed for front page news. Same doom and gloom on front page.

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#6

Self Driving Cars Of The Future, Circa 1960

Self Driving Cars Of The Future, Circa 1960

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Moreover, “People of the past were also quite good at anticipating how our clothing and personal presentation might change! Image #1 presents us with the kind of brightly colored, streamlined, unisex uniform first imagined by avant-garde artists and then made popular by science fiction filmmakers in the opening decades of the twentieth century and that are still very much with us today.”

As for image #16, Lisa sees it as an exciting representation of future fashion. “The two models here appear to be wearing then-contemporary undergarments, but other aspects of their styles are very modern! The artist certainly guessed correctly that in the future, we would wear less clothing in public, indulge in more body ornamentation (the man’s tattoos look a lot like the tribal body art that became popular with the Modern Primitive movement in the 1990s), and that gender roles might be less clearly defined.”

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#9

The Future Of Phones, 1956

The Future Of Phones, 1956

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Linus Nilsson
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3 years ago DotsCreated by potrace 1.15, written by Peter Selinger 2001-2017

Not even in the imagined picture is it possible to hold the phone comfortably.

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Having said that, the people of the past were not always very accurate with their predictions about the use of big science and big engineering, said Lisa. “Images #15, 19, 20, 21, 22, 25, and 30 are particularly good examples of the utopian dream that someone—possibly the state, possibly a benevolent corporation—will engage in big, public engineering projects that will allow us to live well in the potentially hostile environments we might encounter in the future.”

#10

James Bond Receives A "Text" Via His Smartwatch In The Spy Who Loved Me

James Bond Receives A "Text" Via His Smartwatch In The Spy Who Loved Me

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Kathryn Baylis
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3 years ago (edited) DotsCreated by potrace 1.15, written by Peter Selinger 2001-2017

But where would he keep the roll of tape the message is stamped onto?

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#11

1970s Futuristic Concept For Jetliner Air Travel

1970s Futuristic Concept For Jetliner Air Travel

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Vic
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3 years ago DotsCreated by potrace 1.15, written by Peter Selinger 2001-2017

All we got were planes that don't even have place for our knees..

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Marky Mark
Community Member
3 years ago DotsCreated by potrace 1.15, written by Peter Selinger 2001-2017

This was clearly 'imagined' by an artist and not an engineer. By the 1940's we had a sufficiently good understanding of aerodynamics that even a novice engineer would have seen the physical absurdity of this 'design'

The 5-star rated 5-star rating system
Community Member
3 years ago (edited) DotsCreated by potrace 1.15, written by Peter Selinger 2001-2017

Yes, I think this picture probably is an artist's absurdist idea rather than a vision for the future.

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Rissie
Community Member
3 years ago DotsCreated by potrace 1.15, written by Peter Selinger 2001-2017

Which makes more sense because it seems like a place you want to be for a while. Not to mention how silly it would be to carry that kind a load very quickly by air time after time.

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CHRISTOPHER BRIDGER
Community Member
3 years ago DotsCreated by potrace 1.15, written by Peter Selinger 2001-2017

it would be impossible for it to even lift, the wings would need to be 100x bigger and not touching.

Amazon QT
Community Member
3 years ago DotsCreated by potrace 1.15, written by Peter Selinger 2001-2017

Having my late Father that worked for Boeing for 40 years I know a little bit about Airplanes and this one “won’t hunt”.

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Grant Barke
Community Member
3 years ago DotsCreated by potrace 1.15, written by Peter Selinger 2001-2017

Twenty jet engines, imagine the amount of fuel that's going to need.

Kelz
Community Member
3 years ago DotsCreated by potrace 1.15, written by Peter Selinger 2001-2017

Whoa. Could you imagine being the pilot having to land that beast???

Amazon QT
Community Member
3 years ago DotsCreated by potrace 1.15, written by Peter Selinger 2001-2017

That wouldn’t even got off the ground it would have so much wind turbulence. -_-

Useless Panda
Community Member
3 years ago DotsCreated by potrace 1.15, written by Peter Selinger 2001-2017

Problem with such a big plane is it is very hard to get it fully loaded especially in certain seasons, big planes like this (A380) end up flying half-empty sometimes which still takes a lot of fuel but with less people on board, airline takes a big loss.

K Tigress
Community Member
3 years ago DotsCreated by potrace 1.15, written by Peter Selinger 2001-2017

Does it do warp speed too? Look at the tail of the jet. 🤔😉

Heidrance
Community Member
3 years ago DotsCreated by potrace 1.15, written by Peter Selinger 2001-2017

looks like a scene from a Studio Ghibli movie, like Porco Rosso or Castle in the Sky

John Otruba
Community Member
3 years ago DotsCreated by potrace 1.15, written by Peter Selinger 2001-2017

10 engines per side? Where they putting all the fuel for that?

Nazda Pokmov
Community Member
3 years ago DotsCreated by potrace 1.15, written by Peter Selinger 2001-2017

A cross between the U.S.S. Enterprise, gigantic cruise ship and a monster airplane.....

Zak Rasten
Community Member
3 years ago DotsCreated by potrace 1.15, written by Peter Selinger 2001-2017

Obviously not an engineer's concept, it's pure and unrealistic fantasy

Wandaluzt
Community Member
3 years ago DotsCreated by potrace 1.15, written by Peter Selinger 2001-2017

Ffs. This is concept art for a game. I've seen it before but this was even called out in the comments from the reddit post Bored Panda copy and pasted it from.

Barb Holland
Community Member
3 years ago DotsCreated by potrace 1.15, written by Peter Selinger 2001-2017

This is just a gigantic bi-plane (the pool area being the cockpit and the thing on the back being the tail.)

Marilyn Slater
Community Member
3 years ago DotsCreated by potrace 1.15, written by Peter Selinger 2001-2017

My first thought on seeing this was, 'I wonder how much fuel that would take to drive all those engines!'

Dahamada Jamawas
Community Member
3 years ago DotsCreated by potrace 1.15, written by Peter Selinger 2001-2017

Obviously there is not only an airplane of the future but also aerodynamics of the future

El Dee
Community Member
3 years ago DotsCreated by potrace 1.15, written by Peter Selinger 2001-2017

I think this breaks all the rules of physics or whatever?

Tiffiny
Community Member
3 years ago (edited) DotsCreated by potrace 1.15, written by Peter Selinger 2001-2017

That’s more of an airship but with wings instead of upward takeoff.

CatWoman312
Community Member
3 years ago DotsCreated by potrace 1.15, written by Peter Selinger 2001-2017

They just started adding showers and bars (first class only of course) so I doubt we’re anywhere close to literally jet cruises

Aeon Flux
Community Member
3 years ago DotsCreated by potrace 1.15, written by Peter Selinger 2001-2017

It's like a cruise ship in the air. Kind of like a zeppelin, actually.

Angela
Community Member
3 years ago DotsCreated by potrace 1.15, written by Peter Selinger 2001-2017

What a monstrous contraption! Like a flying cruise ship, ha ha. With all those engines they'd need continuous air refueling just to stay in the air.

Robert Bois le Duc
Community Member
3 years ago DotsCreated by potrace 1.15, written by Peter Selinger 2001-2017

No barrel rolls allowed, I guess. I can just imagine the sound of those tires squealing when they hit the runway at speed.

R. Lynx
Community Member
3 years ago DotsCreated by potrace 1.15, written by Peter Selinger 2001-2017

Steam Punkish. Looks like something out of Heavy Metal magazine.

B-b-bird
Community Member
3 years ago DotsCreated by potrace 1.15, written by Peter Selinger 2001-2017

Who would know that future air travel will turn into no legroom and frozen heated sandwich direction :) bye bye caviar on board from 50s, hello low cost :D

Jace
Community Member
3 years ago DotsCreated by potrace 1.15, written by Peter Selinger 2001-2017

There’s no way this was a sincere effort at prediction. It’s just utterly ludicrous.

WiTchY_WoMaN
Community Member
3 years ago DotsCreated by potrace 1.15, written by Peter Selinger 2001-2017

This wasn't that long ago....Should we be expecting this soon??

Shoddy
Community Member
3 years ago DotsCreated by potrace 1.15, written by Peter Selinger 2001-2017

Seems more appropriate for a two week flight around the world. If it could get off the ground

Hilary Mol
Community Member
3 years ago DotsCreated by potrace 1.15, written by Peter Selinger 2001-2017

This is like something out of the movie "Fifth Element". People of the past: "How could travel be more futuristic and exciting?" "Let's combine a stereotypical alien UFO/spaceship with a weather-protected country club pool-and-spa area, tack on a heavy cruise ship bottom welded to an aircraft carrier platform, and add a little B-52 bomber essence to make it look cool." "Exactly!"

Jenifer Riggs
Community Member
3 years ago DotsCreated by potrace 1.15, written by Peter Selinger 2001-2017

Today's largest aircraft isn't even close to that big, something as big as this image would be impossible to keep in the sky for long

Imposmate
Community Member
3 years ago DotsCreated by potrace 1.15, written by Peter Selinger 2001-2017

No that was artwork for some game that was never implemented. It was on a BoredPanda post.

Kelz
Community Member
3 years ago DotsCreated by potrace 1.15, written by Peter Selinger 2001-2017

You would have to have A LOT of room to take off and land. Like half of each state!!! (except Texas....lmao!!)

noel moreira
Community Member
3 years ago DotsCreated by potrace 1.15, written by Peter Selinger 2001-2017

That's not from the 70s, apparently it was supposed to be a level from a game from 2013. This picture is from DevianArt.

Syra ‍‍
Community Member
3 years ago DotsCreated by potrace 1.15, written by Peter Selinger 2001-2017

Looks like something out of a Studio Ghibli movie. Like an aircraft from Castle In the Sky.

noel moreira
Community Member
3 years ago

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François Carré
Community Member
3 years ago DotsCreated by potrace 1.15, written by Peter Selinger 2001-2017

Ah, the good old 1970's dreams of obscene, ultimate carbon consumption. "We're about to completely ruin the planet now, what could go wrong ?"

Marissa Voleta
Community Member
3 years ago DotsCreated by potrace 1.15, written by Peter Selinger 2001-2017

20 turbine engines...maybe Boeing should look into this.....just in case...

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#12

1969 Japanese Vision Of The Future Classroom, The Odd Part Is That Included Small Robots To Rap Students On The Head When Misbehaving

1969 Japanese Vision Of The Future Classroom, The Odd Part Is That Included Small Robots To Rap Students On The Head When Misbehaving

abt137 Report

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Farid Red
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3 years ago DotsCreated by potrace 1.15, written by Peter Selinger 2001-2017

Its not for misbehaving, its for punishment for getting wrong answer. Compare each student screen. Cruel.

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According to the professor, people also had surprisingly different ideas about transportation than we do now. “I get the sense that the women in image #1 have flown their personal airplanes to the restaurant for a quick drink, and I love the idea that we might create maglevs for mass transit and then use balloons and mechanized glass domes for personal travel (#4, 7). People were right to guess that we’d have automated cars (#6, 17), but they clearly didn’t anticipate that such cars would be used mostly for corporate purposes.”

“Finally, as a university professor, I am desperately sad that we have not developed robots to rap students on the head when they are misbehaving as in image #10. Someone needs to start working on that immediately,” the professor commented.

#13

VR In 1989

VR In 1989

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Sum Guy
Community Member
3 years ago DotsCreated by potrace 1.15, written by Peter Selinger 2001-2017

Someone keeps saying jesus is lord... I grew up in a christian household but we never forced it down other people's throats. It is annoying

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#15

How Nasa Imagined Life In Space

How Nasa Imagined Life In Space

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The professor of science fiction studies also noted that it’s important to remember that these futures were not retro to the people who imagined them. “They were modern imaginings of the future, inspired by the cutting-edge sciences and avant-garde arts of the time.”

From the retrofuturist images that were generated between the 1880s and 1960s, “we get a great sense of the sciences and technologies that were most important to people of the past, including new modes of mass and personal transportation, new communication technologies, and new habitats for new forms of living (garden mega-cities and artificial ringworlds),” Lisa explained.

#16

Fashions Of 1950, As Predicted On The Cover Of Life Magazine In 1914

Fashions Of 1950, As Predicted On The Cover Of Life Magazine In 1914

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#17

1981 Vision Of Suburbia After There's No More Room Left For Suburbs

1981 Vision Of Suburbia After There's No More Room Left For Suburbs

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Elaine Verhagen
Community Member
3 years ago DotsCreated by potrace 1.15, written by Peter Selinger 2001-2017

I love the fact that everyone still has a garden and freestanding house instead of a balcony with no space.

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#18

Home Shopping In The 1940s

Home Shopping In The 1940s

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Lisa added that “people were inspired by the rise of modern cities and modern factories to imagine that we would enjoy many large, state- or corporate-sponsored public works projects—and that those projects would combine the best of the natural and technological worlds,” and added: “They are wholeheartedly utopian!”

#19

Futuristic Road Trip With The Family (Bruce Mccall)

Futuristic Road Trip With The Family (Bruce Mccall)

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#20

City Of The Future As Imagined In 1908

City Of The Future As Imagined In 1908

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Meanwhile, Lina Survila, a global tech PR and chief editor at Abstract Stylist, also told Bored Panda that “artists had the perfect vision, and it seems they were very close to the ideas we see today.”

Moreover, “Retro futurist aesthetics have touched every possible art form there is. Fashion is no exception. When we think of futurism in fashion and a bright vision of what the future might be, we think of Paco Rabanne. The Spanish fashion designer was active in the '60s and totally disrupted the fashion scene with retrofuturistic designs and his ideas of how people would dress in the future (most likely, that future is now).”

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#22

Soviet Vision Of The Future In The 1930s

Soviet Vision Of The Future In The 1930s

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Retro ideas of how the future would look inspired many creators, artists, and thinkers, “from architect and designer Matti Suuronen (Futuro house created in the 1970s) to writer Isaac Asimov's book The Naked Sun.” Lina added that The Jetsons with their retrofuturistic flying cars also deserve a big shout-out in popularizing the movement’s aesthetics in popular culture.

#26

Monsanto House Of The Future 1957

Monsanto House Of The Future 1957

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N G
Community Member
3 years ago DotsCreated by potrace 1.15, written by Peter Selinger 2001-2017

Now I know where some of the Grand Designs lot got their inspiration. Anyone else looking for Kevin McCloud in this pic?

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#27

Worst Space Suit Design Ever?

Worst Space Suit Design Ever?

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Annamagelic
Community Member
3 years ago DotsCreated by potrace 1.15, written by Peter Selinger 2001-2017

One thing I appreciate about this is both individuals are equally underdressed. Too often female characters get a bikini while male characters get practical coverage. But this guy forgot his pants too.

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#28

This Was An Actual Space Suit Grumman Aircraft Corp Tried To Sell Nasa In 1962

This Was An Actual Space Suit Grumman Aircraft Corp Tried To Sell Nasa In 1962

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#29

Teen-Agers Of The 21st Century

Teen-Agers Of The 21st Century

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N G
Community Member
3 years ago DotsCreated by potrace 1.15, written by Peter Selinger 2001-2017

Ah, teen-speak. Incomprehensible to the over 40s in the past, present and future!

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#30

Nuke-Proof Underground City Below Manhattan, 1969 (Oscar Newman)

Nuke-Proof Underground City Below Manhattan, 1969 (Oscar Newman)

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#31

1980s Future City By Tatsushi Morimoto

1980s Future City By Tatsushi Morimoto

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#33

This "Convenient" Kitchen From '74

This "Convenient" Kitchen From '74

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#34

Retro Futuristic Living Room I Painted

Retro Futuristic Living Room I Painted

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#37

Very Futuristic 1980 Citroën Karin Concept Car - Link To More Pics And Details In Comments

Very Futuristic 1980 Citroën Karin Concept Car - Link To More Pics And Details In Comments

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#39

1927 Concept For A "Desert Ship" (Wüstenschiff) By German Engineer Johann Christoph Bischoff

1927 Concept For A "Desert Ship" (Wüstenschiff) By German Engineer Johann Christoph Bischoff

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#40

The Nuclear-Powered Bullet Train From The 1970's Series "Supertrain"

The Nuclear-Powered Bullet Train From The 1970's Series "Supertrain"

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#41

Kuba Komet, Futuristic Home Entertainment Center From West Germany, Late 50's

Kuba Komet, Futuristic Home Entertainment Center From West Germany, Late 50's

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Javiera Gotelli
Community Member
3 years ago DotsCreated by potrace 1.15, written by Peter Selinger 2001-2017

Due to its high price (close to us$10.000 in today's money), it was only manufactured between 1957-1962 and there are only about 10 of them.

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#43

Cigarettes, Tape Reels, And Chrome. Enjoy Your Stay In This Retro 70's Luxe Suite

Cigarettes, Tape Reels, And Chrome. Enjoy Your Stay In This Retro 70's Luxe Suite

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#44

Self-Contained Future 'Jet Ship,' Berkey Acrylic

Self-Contained Future 'Jet Ship,' Berkey Acrylic

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#46

Virtual Reality, 90's Perspective

Virtual Reality, 90's Perspective

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#47

Ed Emshwiller - A Female Android (1954)

Ed Emshwiller - A Female Android (1954)

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#48

Moscow In Xxiii Century. Lubianka. 1914

Moscow In Xxiii Century. Lubianka. 1914

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Jyri Hakola
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3 years ago DotsCreated by potrace 1.15, written by Peter Selinger 2001-2017

Sad to think that based on the date this happy utopia have probably been painted perhaps only weeks before few shots were fired in the streets of Sarajevo.

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