Amherst Magazine

What May Happen in the Next Hundred Years - three illustrations for Amherst Magazine.

In 1900, Ladies’ Home Journal ran a bold piece that would have a rich afterlife. Its headline: “What May Happen in the Next Hundred Years.”

The author, an engineer named John Elfreth Watkins, got a lot right. He predicted something uncannily close to the internet and cell phones. Then again, he was sure that C, X and Q would be gone from the alphabet.

The other predictions from 1900 include that fruit would be much bigger in our time and marriage will be replaced by an annual contract.

 

amherst-big-fruit

1900 prediction: fruit would be much bigger in our time.

amherst-Marriage-contracts

1900 prediction: marriage will be replaced by an annual contract.

C-X-and-Y-final

1900 prediction: C, X and Q would be gone from the alphabet.