smithsonianmag:

The iPad of 1935

The April, 1935 issue of Everyday Science and Mechanics included this nift invention which was to be the next logical step in the world of publishing. Basically a microfilm reader mounted on a large pole, the media device was supposed to let you sit back in your favorite chair while reading your latest tome of choice.

Continue reading at Smithsonian.com.

Illustration courtesy of Paleofuture

And just for fun, check out this short film on the iPhone of the 1935. “Isn’t it just a toy?”: