That Old-Time Hucksterism: The Oddest Doohickeys of Industrial-Age Entrepreneurs

The rich and colorful history of charlatanism and its somewhat more legitimate business cousins is showcased in a new book called "Bizarre & Outlandish Gadgets & Doohickeys." Written by Maurice Collins, the volume is packed with the brainchildren of would-be disruptors who tried to make their fortunes between the years 1851 and 1951. Some clearly hoped to get rich quick at the expense of a credulous public, but others were guilty of nothing more than having a clever idea that once must have made sense but now seems quaintly out-of-date, usually because of its reliance on laughably archaic technology.
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