Delving Deeper

Back to the future
A red model of Bowden’s bicycle was auctioned at Wright in December 2003. While estimated at $15,000 to $20,000, it only brought in one bidder and $14,160. Despite some issues with the bicycle’s restoration, six bidders were on the case at the March sale. The $35,000 price paid reflects both the fact that limited numbers were produced and current interest in postwar design, according to Michael Jefferson, Senior Specialist at Wright. In fact, the Spacelander is going to a private design collection that already has one.

Baby boomers look back on objects like this with nostalgia. The Spacelander encapsulates the story of its time—optimism for the powers of technology and the promise of the future. Today the drive to incorporate new technologies into daily life is accelerating as rapidly as it did in the postwar period. Think about the iPhone in your pocket. As we all text and tweet our way through life, a parallel emerges between then and now: that idea of “the future” is constantly upon us.