A to Z - C

For my A to Z Challenge theme I will be posting items that are no longer with us or are close to becoming extinct.

These are great items to use if you are trying to set a time period in your story or to stay away from if you want your story to be timeless.

Cathode ray tubes (CRTs) were used to display the pictures in your television and computer monitor. These bulky tubes have been replaced by LCD and plasma, which are thinner and lighter.  I, for one, don't miss the large bulky televisions and computer monitors. Couldn't have a lap top with CRTs!

Cassette Tapes These were the latest and greatest music innovation. They were going to replace and wipe out albums. They did a pretty good job of replacing the album but because you could not pick the song you wanted on a tape without fast forwarding and rewinding until you found it but on an album you could pick exactly the song you wanted without all the fiddling, I think albums stuck around. Tapes were compact, easy to carry and you could record on them yourself. The birth of the mixed tape and the garage band self-recording.

Coal heating for homes. When I had the pleasure of visiting the amazing mansions in Newport Rhode Island many of these homes were the ultimate in advancements for their time. I remember a few houses that had coal brought in underground from across the street so you would not see the coal. After WWII coal was seen as the old technology and was replaced by fuel oil burners.

Circuit City  Need I say more?

Happy writing!