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Asbestos
Not every invention introduced at a World Expo turns out to be good. Asbestos was heralded at the Centennial Exposition in Philadelphia in 1876 for its extreme heat resistance, strength and capacity to absorb sound. It was subsequently used to fireproof floor tiles and building materials, and was used in brakes, pipes and boilers. Later, doctors discovered it caused cancer and other lung disease.
Typewriter
Typewriters were hot technology in the 1870s, with rival companies vying to produce the best machine. The Rev. Rasmus Malling-Hansen of Denmark invented a "writing ball," which won first prize at world expositions in Vienna in 1873 and Paris in 1878. The ball resembled a hedgehog with letter keys poking out all over its spherical surface. At Philadelphia's Centennial Exposition in 1876, the Remington Company exhibited a typewriter using the now-familiar QWERTY keyboard.
Automobile
Cars and gas may seem to go together, but steam powered most early autos, as it did trains and ships in the 19th century. The first car to be produced in series – Amédée-Ernest Bollée's "La Mancelle" – used steam. Altogether, about 50 of the vehicles were made. La Mancelle was exhibited at the Paris Expo in 1878.
Ferris wheel
The world's most familiar amusement ride – the Ferris wheel – was originally designed to be an architectural wonder. Ferris's "great wheel" – built for Chicago's Columbian Exposition of 1893 – was meant to outshine the Eiffel Tower. Today, Ferris wheels come in all sizes. Some are just for amusement, while others – like the "London Eye" and China's 525-foot tall "Star of Nanchang" – are architectural landmarks.
Zipper
The next time you zip up your jeans, thank Whitcomb Judson, a railway inventor of the late 1800s. Judson patented the "clasp-locker" – a sliding hook and eye fastener and forerunner of the modern zipper – to make closing high-top boots easier. He introduced his invention at Chicago's Columbian Exposition in 1893 and soon set up a company to popularize his invention. His ideas eventually evolved into today's zipper.
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