THE UNEXPECTED RETURN OF PNEUMATIC TUBES

Once a pioneering technology that revolutionised deliveries, pneumatic tubes had all but disappeared. Now they're back and enjoying a resurgence

Remember the good old days when pneumatic tubes were all the rage? No? That's okay. Since they were invented in the 1850s and largely phased out by the late 20th century, it's likely only a few of us recall when they were in regular use. Built to propel cylindrical containers through small pipes using compressed air, pneumatic tubes were used to send packages, mail and important documents around offices and between buildings at high speeds. But despite being depicted in television shows such as Futurama and Star Trek as a futuristic tool, this old-school delivery system is rarely used today. It was killed off, for the most part, by the speed of communication brought about by advances like email and the internet.

Pneumatic tubes seem to be making a slow and undramatic comeback, however, not only being relied on for genuine applications, but also seeing an increase in investment.

THE VICTORIAN FAD

Before pneumatic tubes slowly slid into obscurity, they went through a period of being used everywhere - and were incredibly popular. Josiah Latimer Clark patented the idea of sending letters and parcels by pneumatic transportation in London in 1854. By the 1890s, there were miles of pneumatic tube postal networks in London and other cities in the UK, as well as other cities including Paris and New York. This technology was demonstrated by sending cats and goldfish, deliver fast food, move money around banks - and one bar in Berlin even found a way to use them to send flirty messages between tables in the 1920s.