Forecast for 2012 from the distant 1912.

The French company "Lombart" in the distant 1912 was very inventive in advertising its products.


These postcards were found in the book "The history of the future: images of the 21st century" by Christophe Canto and Odile Faliu.
Some companies in the early 20th century often packed promotional cards together with food and tobacco.
In 1912, the French chocolate company Lombart released a series of six postcards called "En I'an 2012", which means "In 2012".
What is the best way to increase the sales of your products? Of course, through advertising. Sly Frenchmen already then understood this perfectly.

Creating creative advertising cards, showing how the level of technology development will look like in 100 years, the company sought to increase the sales of its sweets. These advertisements (the size of a postcard) were qualitatively manufactured, interestingly illustrated, made in color.
On each skilfully drawn postcard it was shown how specific technologies of the future from 2012 will assist in the delivery of delicious Lombart chocolate to the buyer.
Complete with Lombart sweets, these cards were sold to customers in 1912, and one piece each - to interest customers to collect the entire series and buy more chocolate.
Postcards were drawn by hand in 1879, by their author George Du Maurier.
And you imagine, if people from 1912 visited our 2012, what would they think?
They might be disappointed to learn that we do not have the ubiquitous airports on the rooftops or an 8-hour trip to the moon. Did not last!))

This postcard depicts the flying machine of the future, with a man on board.
Apparently some gentleman is going on a trip and reminds his servants to necessarily load chocolate Lombart.



The postcard shows a phone call when both sides can see and talk to each other in real time using software applications such as Skype, and Apple, IChat and FaceTime.
Parents in France are talking through a "picture phone" with their son, who is in Asia.
The main thing about which they are in a hurry to inform him is that they will send him Lombart chocolate by the nearest airplane flight.



This postcard shows a direct supply of chocolate by a dirigible from France to London.
As you can see, planes and airships coexist peacefully.
Here the futuristic airships are "lighter than air".
One airship seems to be sitting on top of the delivery building of Lombart candies.
Illuminated with a bright light, the airships seem to be at the airport waiting for a landing to deliver the Lombart chocolate, landing on the landing areas on the roof of the building.
All the airships have the inscription "Chocolat Lombart", written in red letters in bold.




Here are the 2012 cars that can fly.
They are shown with side wings and a screw that attaches to the engine.
One of the flying cars is going to land straight at the shop door to pick up some of the chocolate delicacies from Lombart.



This postcard shows people traveling to the moon in 2012 in a kind of "space plane".
The space plane has a passenger cabin, on the roof of which is a searchlight, illuminating the full moon (and getting it!)).
The trip from Paris was to take only eight hours.