Recreating the Wheel

Ever get the feeling you've been recreating the wheel?

Since discovering a well-worn copy of Popular Science's 1953 publication "How to Improve Your House and Grounds", I have been thinking that we (as a society) may be doing just that.

Vintage and antique artifacts possess the awesome power of time travel, transporting us but for a brief moment into the narrative of the past.

In the case of this book of DIY plans from Popular Science, you can catch a glimpse of an amazing time of experimentation and self-reliance.

I love that I am living in a similar period of innovation and self-reliance right now. And talk about environmental stewardship! Just look at the design of that upcycled tire swing in the plans above.

Have we been here before? Are today's cutting edge designers and Do It Yourself-ers sort of reinventing the wheel - or are we building on the ideas of our parents and grandparents? I'm not sure how far we've REALLY progressed since 1953 in terms of industrial design and Doin' It Ourselves...in spite of unlimited access to information. What do you think?

Want more plans? Stay tuned for the next installment of "DIY 1953 Style" for DIY Spanish sandals - and yes, they are stylish. Click here for more plans on this site.