In the early 1900s, this disc record player was the pinnacle of on-demand music.
The alarm clock was invented in 1718, and deodorant came about in 1888, relieving society of tardiness and stink—to a degree, at least.
The world got a little smaller with the invention of the telephone. Alexander Graham Bell won the first U.S. patent for it in 1876.
TVs came out of the console with the invention of the portable television. “Portable” was a relative word.
1984 saw the first Mac computer. Imagine walking into a Starbucks and seeing this guy everywhere.
It was fairly difficult to take a selfie with this camera from the 1900s.
The wire clothes hanger was invented in 1869. And yet, clothes still seem to have a special relationship with bedroom floors.
This collection of thermostats runs from 1915 to 1939.
Along with indoor plumbing in the late 1800s, society also got acquainted with the concept of the toilet bowl, like this ornate one from around 1900.
This Motorola DynaTAC phone from 1990 meant making untethered calls and having nothing to mindlessly wrap around your fingers while chatting.
This Maytag washing machine cut down on the laundry woes of middle class domestic life.
This microwave oven dates back to 1974. It’s unclear how college students survived before its invention.
Here’s an ice tray and water bottle from the 1930s.
This Regency transistor radio from 1954 meant adults could gripe at teenagers and young adults (the transistor radio’s target audience) for being glued to portable devices, and not for the last time in history.
The electric table fan made life a little more bearable before air conditioning. This fan is from 1920.
Erin Carson is a Staff Reporter for CNET and a former Multimedia Editor for TechRepublic.
