Today, many people grumble about fellow cruise ship passengers using their mobile phones while at sea. Yet over a century ago, at the dawn of the wireless age, people were equally concerned that 24×7 radio communication would soon turn liners into floating trading floors and gambling dens.
We can now look back and chuckle at this Puck magazine cartoon from 1906, but back then people were truly worried that wireless would soon ruin their serene sea journeys. Today, of course, we have onboard mobile phone service, ship-wide Wi-Fi, satellite-linked televisions in all cabins and real-life onboard casinos. You know, come to think of it, maybe those people back in 1906 were right to be concerned.
To see the cartoon in full high-resolution detail, click on the image. (With some browsers, you may have to click twice.)
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