Weird and Wonderful

Don’t have a bedside table but what to read in bed? That’s not a problem -- just turn on your light spectacles.

Weird and Wonderful Gadgets and Inventions, hosted at the British Library in London, is currently hosting an inspiring exhibit showcasing a selection of some fantastic(al) and bizarre inventions. The small exhibit, made up of only 3 or 4 glass cabinets of goods, is definetly worth checking out if you happen to be in the St Pancras/Kings Cross neighbourhood. My favorites (other than the light spectacles):

Moustach protectors. Developed to keep your finely kept moustache dry. While the best of these (top right) covered your whole moustache, other versions consisted of cups and spoons with special holes that ensured liquids went straight into your mouth, not on to your moustache.

Finger stretcher. Developed in 1910, this (potentially dangerous) device let pianists stretch there fingers so that they could play difficult codes.

Route finder. Before the days of blackberries, iphones and the like, people were still able to find their way on the fly without carrying big maps... This wristwatch like route finder from the 1930s could show you the way, provided you loaded the write map into it before you set off.

More photos available here.