Explore 295 Inventions Collections - Atlas Obscura
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Edinburgh, Scotland

The Wave of Translation

A plaque commemorates a Victorian scientist's monumental discovery about waves.
Snow globes were invented at the turn of the 20th century but didn't often feature Christmas characters until after World War II.
objects of intrigue

This Family Gave the World the Snow Globe

But did they create the famous one with a starring role in Citizen Kane?
Carole Rosenblat December 15, 2022
Norman Breakey Monument
Edward, Manitoba

Breakey Monument

Dedicated to the inventor of the paint roller.
Acetylene Gas Generating Station
Herndon, Virginia

Acetylene Gas Generating Station

The birthplace of the Herndon Gas Company.
The last remaining public payphone kiosk was removed from the streets of Manhattan in May 2022.
objects of intrigue

The Last Public Payphone Kiosk on the Streets of New York

How the once-ubiquitous convenience became a rare museum piece.
Shoshi Parks July 26, 2022
Osgood, Indiana

Bilby Tower

The last example of an innovative piece of surveying equipment now stands in its inventor's hometown.
During his lifetime, Thomas Edison received more than one thousand patents. But when asked which of his many inventions was his favorite, Edison said, "I like the phonograph best. Doubtless this is because I love music."
objects of intrigue

Saving the Sounds of the Early 20th Century

Some recordings in the New York Public Library’s wax cylinder collection haven’t been heard in generations—until now.
Sarah Durn April 14, 2022
clocks

Podcast: Corpus Clock and Chronophage

Join us for a daily celebration of the world’s most wondrous, unexpected, even strange places.
The Podcast Team April 4, 2022
medical museums

Podcast: Good Vibrations Antique Vibrator Museum

Join us for a daily celebration of the world’s most wondrous, unexpected, even strange places.
The Podcast Team March 18, 2022
Milan, Italy

Pantelegraph

Invented in the mid-19th century, this machine could send copied images via telegraph lines.
food

The Secret Lives of Kitchen Appliances

Before your favorite tools, cooking was hell.
Anne Ewbank January 11, 2022
Holmdel, New Jersey

Bell Laboratories Transistor Water Tower

This water tower commemorates the invention of the transistor on this site in 1947.
A trio of Shyvers Multiphones from John Bennett's collection.
music

Early On-Demand Music Streaming Required Lots of Nickels

In the Pacific Northwest 70-plus years ago, a telephone-based jukebox connected callers to their favorite tunes.
Michelle Harris November 10, 2021
The recreated <em>Götheborg</em> sailed into Stockholm as part of the celebration around Crown Princess Victoria and Daniel Westling's wedding on June 19, 2010.
sailors

To Build an 18th-Century Ship, Shipwrights Had to Remaster a Lost Craft

It took a lot of careful planning to once again bend wood with giant steam boxes.
Sarah Durn November 9, 2021
Nashville, Tennessee

Lane Motor Museum

Located inside a former bread factory, this museum explores a century of transportation history through innovations that were extraordinary or failures—sometimes both.
science

Podcast: The World’s Quietest Room

Join us for a daily celebration of the world’s most wondrous, unexpected, even strange places.
The Podcast Team October 18, 2021
Edison's desk, which has remained untouched since the day he died.
West Orange, New Jersey

Thomas Edison National Historical Park

Take a step into the workshop where Edison and his employees revolutionized the world.
Brazil Telephone Museum
Vitória, Brazil

Brazil Telephone Museum

An emporium of communication in Vitória's Old City.