From Hype to Flop: 8 Last-Century Inventions That Bombed
3) The Fiske Reading Machine
Rear Admiral Bradley Fiske invented many cool gimmicks, which may explain why people thought that his reading machine was going to be a huge hit. Here’s how it worked: the books were printed on small pages in tiny letters, and readers would use magnifiers to enjoy the story. This invention would make the printing process cheaper, books would last longer, be easier to carry and store, etc. Everything sounds great so far, so what went wrong? In short — it’s about money. Paper is a big business, after all. Maybe using a magnifying glass for hours every day was the final nail in the coffin.
4) Submarine Tube
The submarine with a tube going down was once thought to be the future of underwater photography. Invented by Charles Williamson in 1911, this apparatus was intended as a treasure-seeking device. Later, he changed the tune to “it’s an unusual way to see the ocean.” And I gotta say, it does look fun on paper; however, with the invention of small, waterproof cameras in 1940 sent the tube sank to the bottom.
