Precursors

A quarter century before the octopus-like deity Cthulhu, there was Saint Crustaceon.  From Pearson's, 1902.

Here's a precursor to The Prisoner, from Judge's Library, 1907.  A "man without a number" suddenly finds himself in a strange place, not remembering how he got there but under the impression that he came from another sort of world.  His mind flashes to events that happened previously.  He is greeted by a woman who informs him that in this place, "we are all numbered," and that strangers are welcome if they are likely to become good citizens.  (Bad citizens are referred to the "committee of three hundred.")  Residents display their numbers on the hems of their garments so that they can be seen.  She points out Number One walking down the street, "a very important personage."  The man without a number is told that his own number would be (not the Prisoneresque Number Six) but Twenty-three.  He then wakes up from what turned out to be a pipe dream.  Note that the character's name, "Lyomelph Cospatrick," could be read as containing an unlikely prediction of Patrick McGoohan.

This mask is a precursor to Groucho glasses.  From Le Rire, 1897.

Here's a precursor to the fake news phenomenon.  "The next thing the daily papers will have will be the sea-serpent on the ice, skating for dear life."  From Judge's Library, 1891.

Nearly six decades before the invention of "fusion cuisine," here's Irish stew Hungarian style.  From Judge's Library, 1908.  See Nostradamus Predicted Your Next Diet.

A decade before the debut of Variety magazine, this was this cover of Judge's Library, 1895.

Here's a precursor to Maxell's "Blown Away Guy" advertisement.  From Kladderadatsch, 1926.

Here's a precursor to Orson Welles' wine commercials for Paul Masson.  From Kladderadatsch, 1926.

Here's a precursor to people wearing underwear and pajamas in public.  From Life, 1920.

Here's a precursor to Absolutely Fabulous' Eddie Monsoon getting a daily aim from her life coach, to write a pop song.  From Illustrated World, 1920.

Here's a precursor to How to Be Your Own Cat.  From Die Muskete, 1934.

Here's a precursor to photocopy fading and digital compression artifacts.  "Photos sent through air by radio or over wire."  From Popular Mechanics, 1924.

Your instinct was correct: the corruption of the press is hardly anything new.  From Kladderadatsch, 1928.

Here's a precursor to the Doomsday Clock.  "Queer French clocks celebrate world war."  From Popular Mechanics, 1927.

Here's a precusor to Walt Disney's Fantasia.  From Fliegende Blätter, 1927.

Here's a precursor to William Castle-style gimmick advertising.  From Fliegende Blätter, 1933.

Here's a precursor to "What happens in Vegas stays in Vegas."  The caption reads, "I can't tell you what tricks they performed, or how they did it."  From The Moonstone by Wilkie Collins, 1868.

Here's a precursor to the Slinky toy, 13 years before its invention.  From Popular Mechanics, 1930.