En L'An 2000 is a French image series created between 1899 and 1910 that envisions future scientific advancements by the year 2000. Originally produced for the 1900 Paris World Exhibition, the illustrations were first printed on paper as cigar box inserts and later as picture postcards. Despite their imaginative content, the cards were never distributed to the public. The only known surviving set was discovered by science-fiction writer Isaac Asimov, who featured them in his 1986 nonfiction book Futuredays: A Nineteenth Century Vision of the Year 2000. The artwork was created by various artists, including Jean-Marc Côté, though exact details about the contributors remain somewhat unclear.
The series presents a retrofuturistic vision of the future, with imaginative depictions of advanced technology and everyday life in the 21st century. The illustrations often showcase automated tasks, underwater scenes, and innovative flying machines, reflecting the era's fascination with aviation and mechanical progress. Public Domain Review notes that there are at least 87 known designs, 51 of which are available on Wikimedia Commons. These whimsical and hopeful visions of the future capture the optimism and creative imagination of the late 19th and early 20th centuries, offering a unique glimpse into how people of that time period envisioned technological progress.
Lyra's Letters
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