10 outdated household items that were once everywhere
Image: New Africa
Looking back at what the world looked like 20 to 50 years ago is fascinating. So many household items we take for granted today didn’t exist, while others we once couldn’t live without have completely fallen out of use. Think of rotary telephones, VCRs, cassette players, and more. Let’s take a trip down memory lane and revisit some household relics.
1
Rotary telephones
Rotary telephones became common in America around the 1920s. In contrast to the push-button models that would come about in the 1970s, rotary telephones required a bit more work to dial a number. As the name suggests, users would have to place a finger in a numbered hole on the dial and then rotate it to a metal stop and release it — repeating this process with each number.
Dialing a long number could take quite some time , especially if you had many 9s and 0s, because these required the dial to travel the longest distance. It was normal to see these phones connected to the wall by a cord with a sturdy handset that rested on top of the base. Making a phone call was a completely different experience.
2
Tube television (CRT TVs)
When you see how thin and sleek TVs are nowadays, it’s almost impossible to imagine them as massive and heavy objects. CRT TVs became common after World War II , and the ownership boom happened throughout the 1950s.
These bulky cubes became the centerpiece of the typical family’s living room , where they gathered to watch TV. At first, images were black and white until the 1960s and 1970s, when color television would transform the viewing experience. Early televisions also didn’t have remote controls (something we now take for granted), so viewers would have to walk across the room to change channels or adjust the volume.
3
VCRs
It’s almost strange to remember that there was a time when people couldn’t watch movies at will, and their main choices were to wait until they aired on television or to buy theatre tickets. But this changed with the 1977 introduction of the VHS (Video Home System) players, aka VCRs, which revolutionized the way folks watched movies. The rise of VHS led to the explosion of video rental stores (such as the once-ubiquitous Blockbuster chain), which became a staple during the 1980s and 1990s.
Before returning a rented movie or in order to rewatch it, users had to rewind the tape , and many rental stores charged an extra fee if the tapes weren’t rewound. VCRs were later phased out after the rise of the DVD player.
4
Cassette Tapes and Cassette Players
Philips changed the world in 1963 when it released the compact cassette player, which became one of the most popular ways to listen to music from the 1970s through the 1990s . Cassette tapes made music portable, and suddenly people could listen to their favorite albums in the car or on a walk once Walkmans were introduced in 1979.
There are so many memories attached to cassette tapes, but homemade mixtapes are worth highlighting. This made it possible for listeners to create their own custom playlists on a cassette to share with friends and family, and making someone a mixtape was considered a very thoughtful and personal gift.
5
Telephone Directories
What would you do today if you wanted to find phone numbers, addresses, and local businesses? Probably Google. But not so long ago, you had to resort to The Yellow Pages. We all remember the large, thousand-page phone book; every family needed one if they wanted to be connected to the world. In some ways, phone books were the internet before the internet.
They included everything from residential phone numbers listed alphabetically to business directories organized by category. Whether you needed to reach a doctor or a plumber or even a school classmate, the phone book was the way to go.
6
Typewriters
The "click-clack" of the keys, followed by the familiar "ding" at the end of each line is likely one of the most recognizable sounds of the 20th century. Before personal computers, the only way to craft professional-looking documents was with typewriters — you could find them in schools, businesses, and homes.
Commercial typewriters came about in 1874, unlocking a new era of written communication. So many famous novels, newspaper articles, letters, and school assignments were written on typewriters before the digital era kicked in. Typewriters became a symbol of the art of writing , and we still use the QWERTY keyboard layout, introduced with them, on our modern computers and iPhones, too.
7
Encyclopedias
Instead of asking Google for the answer, a few decades ago, one of our only trusted sources of information was encyclopedia sets . Whether you were trying to find information on any topic for research, a school project, or simply out of curiosity, you had to go through the 20 to 30 hardcover volumes and find the one that contained the portion of the alphabet you needed to look into.
One of the most famous sets was the Encyclopedia Britannica, and having any set was considered a sign that a family valued education. But unlike digital encyclopedias, which can be modified in a matter of minutes, these had to be updated and printed again every year; therefore, companies offered door-to-door service.
8
Ashtrays in nearly every room
It’s almost impossible to explain to younger generations that people were once allowed to smoke in theatres, hotels, planes — even hospitals! Smoking was the most natural thing to do ; around 40% of American adults smoked cigarettes , which created a necessity for ashtrays everywhere.
From the 1940s through the 1970s, most homes had ashtrays in living rooms, bedrooms, kitchens, and even bathrooms; it was considered basic courtesy to have them around the house when guests visited. They came in all shapes and colors, made of glass, ceramic, crystal, or metal — different designs to match the home’s decor. This trend began fading after the 1980s with the growing awareness of the dangers of smoking.
9
Rolodex card files
Before the 2000s, if you were a salesperson, executive, secretary, journalist, or anyone who managed a large network of contacts, chances are you had a Rolodex. This compact and useful tool was perfect for managing information from different contacts when there were no cellphones . Professionals relied on them to keep track of clients and colleagues — actually, the phrase "having a good Rolodex" meant having an impressive network of connections.
It consisted of hundreds of small index cards arranged alphabetically on a rotating wheel, and users could quickly flip through the cards to find the information they kept there. In contrast with a normal address book, with a Rolodex, if someone moved or got a new phone number, you could simply replace the old card with a new one rather than having to rewrite it.
10
Manual Can Openers Mounted Under Kitchen Cabinets
If you grew up sometime between the 1950s and 1980s, you probably remember manual can openers permanently mounted beneath an upper cabinet in the kitchen. These can openers were very convenient when cooking, and they were built to last — made of durable steel and sturdy enough to keep being used for decades .
Once handheld and more ergonomic can openers (and later electric models) became more affordable, mounted versions gradually disappeared from households, though some are still found in professional kitchens.
