17 Forgotten World’s Fair Inventions

World’s fairs have always been showcases for human ingenuity, drawing millions of visitors eager to glimpse the future. While some debuts like the telephone, zipper, and Ferris wheel became household staples, countless other inventions faded into obscurity despite their grand introductions. These forgotten creations tell fascinating stories of ambitious dreams, premature technology, and ideas that were simply ahead of their time.

The archives of world’s fairs from 1851 to the 1960s are filled with contraptions that promised to revolutionize daily life but never quite delivered. Here is a list of 17 forgotten world’s fair inventions that captured imaginations but couldn’t capture markets.

Elektro the Robot

The 1939 New York World’s Fair introduced visitors to Elektro, a seven-foot-tall robot that seemed straight out of science fiction. Built by Westinghouse at their Ohio plant, this mechanical marvel could count on his fingers, walk around, and even sweep floors. The real showstopper was watching Elektro light up and puff on cigarettes, a party trick that drew huge crowds but had questionable practical value.

Telautograph

Long before fax machines became office essentials, the 1893 Chicago World’s Fair featured the telautograph—an early device that could transmit handwriting over telegraph wires. Invented by Elisha Gray, this contraption allowed someone to write on one end and have their exact handwriting appear on paper miles away. Despite being demonstrated again at the 1904 St. Louis fair, it took decades to find commercial success, arriving far too early for its time.

Underwater Hotels

General Motors’ Futurama exhibit at the 1964 New York World’s Fair painted a picture of humans living beneath the waves. Their underwater hotel concept included everything from submarine transportation to ‘aqua-scooters’ for underwater tourism. GM envisioned drilling the ocean floor for minerals while guests relaxed in climate-controlled suites below the surface, complete with observation decks for watching marine life.

Computerized Highways

The same 1964 fair showcased another GM prediction: roads that would automatically space cars at safe distances to eliminate traffic jams and accidents. This early vision of automated driving featured cars that communicated with embedded highway systems, maintaining perfect spacing and speed without human intervention. While the concept eventually evolved into modern autonomous vehicle research, the 1960s version relied on technology that wouldn’t exist for another half-century.

All-Electric Cities

General Electric went big at the 1964 fair with their ‘Fascinating Medallion City’—a completely electric metropolis where gas lines were obsolete. Every building, vehicle, and appliance ran on electricity, from heating systems to public transportation. The exhibit featured miniature electric homes, shops, and even a space observatory, all powered by the company’s vision of an all-electric future that was decades premature.

Kitchen of the Future

The Festival of Gas Pavilion at the 1964 New York World’s Fair displayed a kitchen where appliances magically appeared from walls, floors, and ceilings when needed. This space-age cooking area featured a refrigerator-freezer that dispensed both hot and cold drinks, along with a special compartment for aging meats. When not in use, everything disappeared back into the surfaces, leaving a completely bare room.

Disposable Plate Makers

Home plastic manufacturing was supposed to revolutionize dining, according to a 1964 World’s Fair exhibit. The plastic plate-maker would stamp out disposable dishes, cups, and saucers from sheets of thermoplastic film right in your kitchen. The idea was to eliminate dishwashing entirely by creating fresh tableware for each meal, then presumably throwing it all away.

Moving Walkways

Joseph Lyman Silsbee’s moving walkway debuted at the 1893 Chicago World’s Fair as ‘The Great Wharf.’ This early version of airport moving sidewalks featured both sitting and standing sections to carry fairgoers along the lakefront. Unfortunately, the contraption broke down constantly, leaving visitors stranded midway through their automated stroll.

Wireless Telephones

Alexander Graham Bell’s radiophone made waves at the 1904 St. Louis World’s Fair as an early wireless communication device. The system used light waves to transmit sound between a transmitter in the Palace of Electricity and a receiver in the courtyard. While visitors marveled at hearing music and speech transmitted through the air, the technology proved too limited for practical use.

Automatic Gatekeepers

The 1904 St. Louis fair featured the first coin-operated turnstiles that automatically admitted one person after receiving proper payment. These mechanical gatekeepers would lock after each entry until another coin was inserted, eliminating the need for human ticket-takers. While the concept was sound, the mechanical complexity made them unreliable and expensive to maintain.

Braille Printing Devices

Frank Haven Hall demonstrated his innovative Braille plate-making machine at the 1893 Chicago World’s Fair, where he actually met Helen Keller. The device could create metal plates for printing books in Braille much faster than existing methods. Despite its obvious benefits for blind readers, the specialized equipment never found widespread adoption beyond niche educational uses.

Third Rail Technology

The 1893 Chicago fair showcased elevated trains powered by a third rail system, which seemed like the future of urban transportation. This electric power delivery method allowed trains to run without overhead wires or steam engines. While the technology did eventually find use in some subway systems, most cities opted for different solutions.

Pressurized Aerosol Sprays

Francis Davis Millet displayed the first prototype of a pressurized aerosol spray system at the 1893 Chicago World’s Fair. The device could dispense liquids in a fine mist using compressed air, decades before aerosol cans became common household items. The concept was brilliant, but manufacturing pressurized containers safely and affordably wouldn’t become practical until much later.

Electric Automobiles

The 1893 fair featured William Morrison’s practical electric automobile, which ran quietly and cleanly compared to noisy gasoline engines. Visitors were impressed by the smooth operation and lack of exhaust fumes. Electric cars seemed destined to dominate transportation, but limited battery technology and the rise of affordable gas-powered vehicles like the Model T pushed electric cars into a century-long hibernation.

Automatic Potato Mashers

Among the household gadgets at the 1904 St. Louis World’s Fair was an automatic potato masher that promised to revolutionize meal preparation. The electric device would mash potatoes to perfect consistency without manual labor, freeing up kitchen workers for other tasks. Despite its appeal, the specialized appliance never caught on with home cooks who found simpler manual methods more practical.

Poulson Telegraphone

The 1904 fair introduced the Poulson telegraphone, an early version of the telephone answering machine that recorded messages on magnetic wire. Callers could leave spoken messages that would be played back later, a revolutionary concept for the era. The technology was decades ahead of its time—reliable answering machines wouldn’t become common until the 1970s.

Electric Dumbwaiters

The 1904 St. Louis fair featured electric dumbwaiters as a modern update to hand-operated house elevators used by kitchen staff. These small electric lifts could carry food and supplies between floors automatically, reducing the physical labor required in large households. While some wealthy homes adopted them, the complexity and cost kept them from widespread residential use.

When Tomorrow Never Came

These forgotten inventions remind us that predicting the future is remarkably difficult, even for brilliant minds with unlimited resources. Many concepts were simply too far ahead of their supporting technology, while others solved problems that society wasn’t ready to acknowledge. Some ideas were perfectly sound but couldn’t compete with simpler, cheaper alternatives that emerged later. The world’s fairs gave inventors an unparalleled stage to dream big, even if those dreams didn’t always translate into practical reality.