Utterly perfect – Paleo-Future has a simply amazing post of a collection of promotional chocolate cards made in Germany by the cocoa company Hildebrand.  Created in the 1900’s, they predict life as they imagine it in the year 2000 – and there’s wonderful scenes both all too familiar and dissapointingly absent from our lives today.  From moving pavements and house pulled along on by a train, to weather machines, roofed cities and personal airships (oh, if that could just ‘take off’ I’d be inordinately pleased).

There’s really not much more I can add, except that it’s a perfect example of Steampunk – Victorian/Georgian era science predictions, where the technology changes but the society is unchanged.  I mean, simply the act of a stroll across the lake surface above, wishing others a good day, and even the horse has a balloon attached.  Perfectly implausible and wonderful at the same time.  Thanks to BoingBoing, Mr Hildebrandt (not directly related to the chocolate company in question, I assume) and Ms Nicole for pointing it out.  Just delightful.