One of the great things about antiques is that they help us realize just how much some things have changed. Some everyday-items from the past have become completely irrelevant, while others have changed dramatically. Below we’ve found 7 everyday-items that have either gone the way of the dodo or have drastically changed since their heyday. See how many you can correctly identify, and leave your score in the comments below!
1. We’ll start off with an easier one.
This was a necessity for those early mornings. Any guesses? Scroll down to see the answer!
If you guessed coffee grinder, you’re correct! Back before you could find a Starbucks on every corner, coffee beans were sold whole, and you’d have to hand crank them before you could make your morning cup of joe. I don’t think I could handle that much activity before my first cup of coffee.
2. Here’s one that many of us still use
They sure have changed! One of the more divisive of the household chores, we can’t imagine having to lug this thing around. Scroll down to see the answer!
Who answered vacuum cleaner? The model pictured is actually the Baby Daisy. Designed in France and dating back to 1910, the baby daisy was a manually-powered vacuum and required two people to operate it; one person standing on the base of the vacuum while moving it back and forth, using a broomstick in the holder on the front, while the second person would do the actual vacuuming with the hose.
3. Back to the kitchen
If you can’t tell from the photo below, here’s a hint: this would go well with the coffee grinder from number one. Scroll to see the answer!
If you said toaster, you’re correct! Yes, the best thing since sliced bread…err, the best thing to happen to sliced bread? Either way, toasters as we know them began to pop up when Albert Marsh developed a way to use a safe heating element in a toaster in the early 20th century. Before that, people used to toast their bread by fire!
4. The technology really hasn’t changed much
You might not see this in as many kitchens as you used to, unless that kitchen belongs to a baker. However, they do still make new versions of this baking utensil and things have just gotten a little bit more shiny. Scroll to see the answer!
No one likes lumpy dough, which is why you should always use a flour sifter! While flour is still sold in relatively large sacks, back in the day the containers were even larger than they are now! All of that flour would eventually become packed pretty tightly. Running flour through the sifter would help aerate it, making it lighter and easier to mix; perfect for making bread for that fancy toaster!
5. Here’s one that’s simple
It’s straight-forward and really only serves one purpose. You’d often see it installed by the front door. And while they’re not all this fancy, they’re definitely quite efficient. Scroll to see the answer!
Whether you call it a boot scraper or a mud scraper, you’re right! These were used to do exactly what their name implies: scrape the excess mud and dirt off the bottom of your shoes before coming inside. We’ve already seen how cumbersome vacuums used to be, and no one likes having to bust out the old broom or mop, so it’s no wonder these handy little contraptions were invented.
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