Posted on behalf of Katrina Charles, BA Media Fellow

Sat-Nav in a wristwatch, pretty high-tech? Apparently, not necessarily. Sat-Nav wristwatches have been around since 1920.

This nifty device, which provides scrolling directions for multiple locations*, is one of 50 weird and wonderful labour-saving devices that have gone on display at the British Library.

It is not clear if this device can also provide traffic updates.

Other gadgets, some of which the Daily Mail provides pictures for, on display include:

The two handled self-pouring teapot (1886)

Clockwork burglar alarm (1852)

Grenade to put out fires (1890)

Mechanical page-turner (1890)

The automatic nose hair cutter (1920)

And according to the Telegraph there are also “Go no further” honeymoon garters.

The collection is provided by Maurice Collins, “a retired businessman from Muswell Hill, London, who has cherry-picked 50 must-have items from his collection of 1,400 historic gadgets to show off at the British Library Business and Intellectual Property Centre”, says the Daily Mail.

For more retro-futurism check out yesterday’s post: Welcome to the world of tomorrow!

*ok, you have to scroll it yourself and change the paper reel for different directions, it was the 20s!

Image: BL