The 1960s and 1970s were decades of innovation. Households worldwide benefitted from new inventions designed to make our lives easier.
Throughout this period, we enjoyed revolutionary gadgets, but while some have survived to the present day, many have faded into obscurity.
Those of a certain age will remember these classic items, but sadly, kids today wouldn’t recognize them.
1. Cassette Tape Recorder
Before we could stream any music we wanted, we had to rely on other ways to catch our favorite tunes. If we hadn’t bought the vinyl record, one option was to record the song from the television onto a blank cassette tape.
Recorders were featured in 1970s cop shows, but young music fans today wouldn’t know what to use them for.
2. Sony Walkman
Cassette tapes were essential to Sony’s portable music device, the Walkman. Most associate the Walkman with the 1980s, but this revolutionary gadget made its debut in 1979, allowing users to listen to their favorite tracks on the go.
The Sony Walkman was technically portable, but it was clunky and stood out so much that thefts were common. These days, thieves won’t touch this device.
Few appreciate that this gadget laid a pathway for iPods and earbuds.
3. Mechanical Pencil
The earliest examples of the first mechanical pencils appeared in the 18th century. That’s slightly out of our age range, but they became everyday classroom items in the 1970s, so we believe they qualify.
Here in the U.K., they were known as propelling pencils. They were a status symbol, which is odd because they were pretty useless. The thin lead frequently snapped, meaning the user quickly returned to more conventional classroom pencils.
4. Pocket Calculator
So much ancient technology is redundant because it’s been replaced on our smartphones. Calculators are a perfect example, and most Gen Zs would find it hard to believe we ever used such a device.
In workplaces or schools where smartphones are banned, desktop and pocket calculators may still be used, but most items are now on the technological scrap heap.
5. Jell-O Molds
Many outdated gadgets from the period relate to the kitchen. During the 1970s, every kitchen had a Jell-O mold, which was used regularly. Jell-O was a treat, and the desert was more fancy if it appeared in the shape of a rabbit or some other woodland creature.
With Jell-O now out of fashion, these classic molds are no longer used, although some are kept as collectible items by those who remember when they served a practical purpose.
6. Rotary Telephone
The percentage of households with landline telephones continues to fall. The rarest is the rotary telephone, a unit with circular holes for our fingers, which we use to dial the required number.
Those of us who grew up in the 1970s will be sad to see them pass into history, while kids will think it bizarre that we ever used such a curious device to make calls.
7. Pong Gaming Console
In comparison to today’s gaming consoles, 1970s devices appear prehistoric. Everything has to evolve, and when I was growing up, the kid who had access to Pong was the most popular in class. Using “basic” would be an understatement for today's standards, although it was revolutionary for its day.
Pong was a game with a slight resemblance to tennis. It quickly became boring, and thankfully, the gaming revolution was just around the corner.
8. Foley Fork
It’s an honor when an invention becomes a design classic, but the title of this article suggests the item is no longer helpful. That’s the case with the foley fork. It had six tines that chefs used to mash potatoes.
The fork became famous when TV chef Julia Child used it. They were popular in the 1970s. However, in the days of larger mashers and potato ricers, the foley fork has left the kitchen.
9. Ashtrays on Public Transport
When smoking became more widespread, ashtrays appeared on every bus, train, and airplane. In parts of the world where the practice is banned on public transport, these little gadgets have been removed and only remain in vintage vehicles.
If you see an ashtray today, you may wonder what it is. You could always place your used bus ticket there, but check that there’s no hot ash residue or used gum (gross).
10. Reel to Reel Movie Projectors in School
When the movie projector came out in the 1970s, it was a treat. It was a sign that school was almost out. It meant that the teachers had given up and were happy to show a film rather than make us learn anything.
Some schools may still have the equipment, but most students laugh at the setup — everything is digital today. Hopefully, the excitement of watching a movie rather than learning something remains in the classroom.
11. Betamax Video Cassette Recorder
The first Betamax system was introduced in 1975. Produced by the Sony organization, it was one of the first commercially available recorders and players, but the VHS format quickly overtook it.
Many still claim that Betamax was the better system, but it became almost obsolete. Young people may still recognize a VHS tape, but they’d likely be baffled at the sight of a smaller and more streamlined Betamax.
12. Hand Cranked Whisk
Like the foley fork, the hand-cranked whisk was another kitchen gadget that was unnecessarily labor-intensive. It was also impractical for individuals whose culinary skills could have been better.
The whisk was typically used to combine batter for cakes. It was challenging to control, and the mixture would often fly out of its bowl and land on the nearby countertops. We’re nostalgic for the 1970s, but this is one gadget we don’t want to see return.
13. Stereo Radiogram
Music today is delivered in more compact devices, but in the 1960s and 1970s, the bigger, the better. A stereo radiogram was highly prized, sitting in the corner of the room of high-net-worth families.
The unit resembled a conventional sideboard, but a magical world appeared when it opened. Combining a turntable and cassette player was a luxury few would understand in today's modern age.
14. Commodore PET
The 1970s saw a revolution in personal computers, but every release resembles a museum piece compared to today’s machines. The Commodore PET was arguably the most iconic from the decade, with its space-age design being a period classic.
While modern technology owes much to the ‘70s, computer enthusiasts today would laugh at the PET’s cassette loading system, rhombus-shaped screen, and raised keyboard.
15. Folding TV Trays
When televisions began to enter more homes throughout the 1960s, many families wanted to spend as much time as possible in front of this groundbreaking device. We started consuming more meals in front of our favorite shows, and the folding TV tray meant you could eat without missing a moment.
Now that the novelty has worn off, more people sit around the dining table, while those who watch too much TV tend to eat from their laps.
16. Kodak Instamatic
In 1963, Kodak came out with a camera that changed the face of the industry. The Instamatic was a slimline device that could fit into your pocket at a time when most cameras were bulky to carry.
Many Gen Zs will remember small digital cameras, but they’d find this model intriguing. The fact that you must take the film to be developed by a third party adds to its mystery among today’s generation.
17. Wine Carafes
Wine needs to breathe, but even when the carafe was a popular household item in the 1970s, it seemed unnecessary. Removing the cork and leaving the bottle on the table was easier.
Now that most wine bottles have screw caps, the carafe has disappeared. It was little more than a showy status symbol associated with wine snobbery across the decade.
18. Bonnet Hair Dryers
Beehive hairstyles were all the rage in the 1960s, but how could you get your hair that high without weekly trips to the salon? The bonnet hair dryer, with its cap, was the answer, intended to distribute heat evenly.
These outdated dryers resemble instruments of torture today. Big bouffant hairstyles have died out, and so have these machines.
19. Walkie Talkies
Yes, we know the smartphone has improved our lives, but it’s also removed at least one fun childhood toy from circulation. The walkie-talkie enhanced playtime by allowing us to indulge in spy and war games.
Playing outside is a phenomenon that continues to die out, while children’s walkie-talkies are less of a thing. What’s the point when you can pick up your phone and call your mates?
20. Panasonic TR-001 Miniature Television
Before the trend of making TV screens much bigger, there was the Panasonic TR-001. Introduced in 1970, it provided a miniature TV, but the effect was spoiled because the rest of the unit was larger than the screen.
It was around four inches in height overall and had a one-and-a-half-inch screen. It was designed to fit in your pocket, but at that time, watching TV was something you always did at home.
21. Stovetop Kettle
It’s back to the kitchen now for a gadget that brings back fond childhood memories for many kids of the 1960s and 1970s. The stovetop kettle was a common appliance across both decades, and many of us can still recall the whistle it made when the water boiled.
Electric kettles came to replace them and are undoubtedly more convenient and efficient. Progress was necessary, but some of us will always miss that comforting whistle and the promise of our favorite hot drink.
22. Hostess Trolley
It’s still possible to buy hostess trolleys, but the desire to own one has diminished since their heyday in the ‘60s and ‘70s. Prohibitive costs are another factor.
It was a large piece of equipment designed to keep food hot as you brought it from the kitchen to the dining table. While it’s another unnecessary gadget that the young generation would mock today, the hostess trolley helped to make dinner parties more of a special occasion, and some of us mourn its passing.
23. Digital Watches
We still have digital watches today, but they are unrecognizable from the popular products in the ‘70s. Nowadays, your watch can monitor your health and pay for goods and services, among other things, but that wasn’t the case back then.
Models like the Pulsar P1 told the time. However, the display was in digital form, which made it incredibly exciting. The 1970s was an era of simple pleasures.
24. K-Tel Record Selector
Have you ever flicked through your vinyl collection, looking for something to play, and thought, “I wish there were an easier way of doing this?” No, nor have I, but if you find a secondhand K-Tel Record Selector, it can do the job for you.
The K-Tel company advertised many gadgets in the lead-up to Christmas. Many seemed unnecessary, but this was arguably the most unhelpful. It would automatically showcase your records, but it only held a maximum of 24 LPs, another reason the product died out.
