1960s-70s Everyday Objects Vanish from Public Life

Everyday objects that were fixtures in homes, schools and workplaces in the 1960s and 1970s have largely vanished from public life, leaving many younger people unfamiliar with them. Items such as cassette tapes, rabbit ear television antennae, bumper jacks, fondue sets, CB radios, rotary dial phones, mimeographs and overhead projectors were once common across Britain and other Western countries, but have been superseded by digital technology, changing social habits and new product designs.

Cassette tapes replaced vinyl records beginning in the early 1960s and became the dominant portable music format through the 1970s and 1980s, before compact discs and later digital files took over. While vinyl records have seen a recent revival, cassettes remain rarely used and many young people would struggle to identify or operate one.

Television reception before digital broadcasting typically required an aerial. Rooftop aerials and the adjustable twin-pole boxtop, commonly called rabbit ear antennae, were used to reduce static and tune pictures on analogue sets. The switch to digital signals and streaming services removed the need for those indoor antennas.