60s gadgets
In the sixties, gadgets held a special fascination. The designers of the
decade knew how to make their creations say "quiet, understated elegance" - this guy or
girl has got good taste. Today they simply say I've got money - not the same
thing.
In the sixties, technology was exciting. The space race had well and truly begun, when in 1961 Yuri
Gagarin became the first man in space. The obsession with rocket imagery
and silver foil reached its pinnacle in 1969 when Neil Armstrong took that
famous small step for one man onto the surface of the moon. The pictures
were beamed live into households across the world and a few lucky people saw it
in colour.
A more sinister development from the early years of the decade was the Berlin
Wall, which was built in 1961. The Cold War provided the movie industry
with an excuse for a popular run of spy films and books by Len Deighton, Ian
Fleming and John Le Carré were read by millions. The James Bond films provided
a show case of new technology and a glamorous image to the world of espionage.
The hothouse of the Second World War and the Cold War produced numerous
technological spin-offs. By the time the sixties started, we already had
transistor radios and computers. In 1962, Telstar beamed television
pictures by satellite across the Atlantic. It seemed that technology
would conquer all.
Our selection of gadgets from the sixties has been taken from some
of the most advanced products of the era. Selection has been made on
technological sophistication and elegance of design.
Music on the move
Pocket transistor radio
In the sixties every teenager had to have a transistor radio. They were
just like mobile phones are today - cheap, colourful and highly desirable.
You could have music and news on the move. They were the passport to the modern
world and showed that you were part of the "with it" generation. People in Third World countries would save hard to get one.
Quality was often low, but you could not be part of the Swinging Sixties without
one.
Styling often drew influence from American automobiles. From the
later sixties though, a more modernist design ethic reappeared. The radio above is
a Pye - "Empire Made" (so made in Hong Kong then!). Here there
is hint of the space age on the front of the radio.
Why was it hip?
- Pop music on the move
- Compact and light
- Every teenager had to have one
- Space age styling
Phillips E3300 cassette tape recorder
This was the world's first cassette tape recorder. It came complete with a microphone so that you could record your own voice.
The E3300 was a high quality and expensive product. I can testify to the quality since I still use one today. Go for an early
model with a round record button. It should not set you back too much, if you can find one. It was more portable than a record player,
although the Walkman was a long way off!
Why is it cool?
- The first cassette tape recorder
- Cutting edge technology
- Neat, minimalist styling
- High quality product
60s travel & business accessories
Samsonite Classic attaché case
In the sixties, the Samsonite Classic attaché case was one of the coolest business
accessories out. It was definitely an attaché case and not a brief
case. This case was carried by secret agents, including Michael Caine in "Funeral
in Berlin" (1966) . No self respecting 60s executive could be without one.
The design is simple, stylish, and modern. New materials abounded - hard wearing plastic exterior and
lightweight magnesium frame. There are also some substantial locks - not the one key fits all as on most
other brief cases of the era. If you had to fly on business, you just had to have one of these.
Nothing else would cut the mustard in First Class!
Samsonite luggage was produced by Shwayder Bros, a company little known outside the US at the end of the 50s.
They had always had a reputation for quality and innovation. In the 40s their Streamlite case was aimed at the
growing number of airline passengers. As the jet age dawned they launched the Silhouette case taking advantage of
the properties of glass fibre and magnesium to produce a design that looked modern and stylish, but was also light
and strong. The Classic attaché was a result of careful market research and captured the mood of the sixties
executive. It was the first product launched under the leadership of King Shwayder, who took over as president
when his father Jesse relinquished the role in 1961.
Parker 61
This pen had a special capillary filling mechanism with no moving parts. You simply unscrewed the barrel and
placed the filler upside down in an ink bottle and the ink soaked up. In practice they performed poorly and
often clogged up. Go for a later model with a cartridge filler if you want a more usable pen.
Philishave battery shaver
Even the humble shaver could look cool in the sixties. This battery shaver dates from 1967. It is an early
example of the Philishave range. The two rotating heads have more than a passing resemblance to the air intakes
of jet engines. Just the thing to pack in the hand luggage!
Photography
Pentax 35mm SLR
The coolest camera of the sixties was the Pentax. Pentax launched the
ground breaking Spotmatic with through-the lens metering in 1964. These cameras were the first
choice of professionals and amateurs alike. It was lightweight (for the
time) and easy to use. They take cracking pictures, if you haven't gone
digital yet. For the ultimate in sixties cool, go for a black Spotmatic.
Instant photography
The Polaroid Swinger provided instant pictures. You did not have to
send them off to be developed. This camera was launched in 1966 in the UK.
It must have been a hit at Christmas. The name was very much in keeping with
the spirit of the decade. Photographs were only black and white, but then
so was television. It also had a slot for flash cubes - remember those?
Binoculars
The number one binoculars in the sixties were made by Carl Zeiss in Western Germany. After the War,
the Zeiss factory remained in the East, but many of the key workers moved
to the West and established a
new factory. The East German factory carried on as a rival, under the name Carl Zeiss, Jena. They
stuck with old technology, whilst binoculars made in the West got better.
By the sixties, the Western firm was the leading name in binoculars and the
choice of the rich and famous.
Zeiss Binoculars from this era still command a premium in price, so
we have chosen a British offering for this feature. These Solaross
Binoculars (right) have quality optics, almost as good as Zeiss, a
leather case and are lightweight and easy to use.
Watches
Bulova Accutron
They didn't have quartz watches in the sixties, although they did have electronic watches. The Bulova Accutron, which used
a miniature tuning fork to regulate the movement, was one of the first.
Some of the first models were made without the face so that salesmen could
demonstrate the movement to customers. The idea was so cool that it caught
on and Accutrons were sold without the face. These watches were known as
"Space view". This model is an Accutron
Apollo from 1970, made to coincide with the Apollo Space Programme.
60s communications
Trimphone
The trimphone was the nearest you could get to a mobile phone in the
sixties. A long cable with a stretchable curly cord meant that
you could carry it around at parties. It was the first phone
without a bell ringer - an electronic warble, which was imitated by
birds, provided the ring tone. The trimphone had an illuminated dial
and a new type of handset. It was stylish and modern.
Just the thing for a swinging sixties pad. You could choose
from two-tone blue (shown), grey/green or grey/white. You
couldn't buy one, but had to rent one from the GPO for a few extra
shillings a quarter.
Although the design by Martyn Rowlands dates from 1964, the GPO took
a long while to get it right. Field trials started in 1965,
but you couldn't have one otherwise until the end of the sixties.