Not The Gizmo Quiz Part?

for youthful early risers

[lawman]

Remember, if you're 50+, you probably know what this thingy is. Let the younger members try to figure it out.

Thingy [images7.fotki.com]

[Woz]

Moustache Washing Machine? ;)

Onya
Woz

[dmorison]

A houshold device for safely handling nuclear and other highly radioactive material?

[lawman]

Haha, yeah, I really need my moustache washed 50 years ago. :)

[lawman]

dmorison, not a household device.

[Chris_R]

Shoe-Fitting Fluoroscope

[Chris_R]

[orau.org...]

[lawman]

Bingo. BTW, how old are you?

[Chris_R]

32 - 33 next month

[Chris_R]

I had never seen one before, but had heard of them - and your description sort of led me to believe it might be something outlawed - or dangerous - I was guessing that or the nuclear plates

[dmorison]

Knew it had something to do with radiation lol

[lawman]

What keywords did you use?

[Chris_R]

Unfortunately:

fluroscope

which google corrected and first result was as posted.

When I saw the picture I didn't think that was what it was, but I wanted to see what one looked like anyway. I had pictured just like a doctors scale with a screen on top (in my mind).

I first read about them years ago in:

[straightdope.com...]

And remembered the approximate date which coincided with what you mentioned (from what I could recall).

Also last week I ran across a guy selling one:

[swssec.com...]

I was tempted to buy it, but afraid I would give myself cancer. I wasn't looking for a fluroscope. I was looking for a device (I believe I saw in wired magazine that looks like a handheld metal detector - but with a digital readout that gives the actual composition of the material). If anyone knows what this is please let me know. I believe the article mentioned using it to identify specific metal in things like antiques and swords. It may have been around $1400. It was in some magazine in the last six months or so.

So anyway.

1) I already had fluroscope on my mind from about a week ago when I came by it by accident.
2) Your clue about the 40's and 50's led me to think radiation. There are those dishes (can't remember the name), but that isn't really a gadget - and the shoe xray came to mind.
3) So fortunately it was my first guess.

Did you ever use one? I would be curious to see one in action...

[lawman]

Yep, I remember sticking my feet in one at least once. I was no more than 4 or 5 as best I can recall.

[Liane]

lawman, I am within the age group you asked to bow out ... but I never saw one of these puppies in my life! Guess it must have been a US thing. Cnadians mostly run around in mucklucks anyway! :)

[kodaks]

lol...congratulations Chris_R!
yawn...too early for me! :)

[tbear]

Woohee.. I'm sure I remember sticking my feet into one of those gizmos when I was a wee tot in the mid to late 50s (I'm 53).
Was only once and in a Clark's shoe shop in Putney, S. London(could only afford fitted shoes once in my chidhood).

P.S.
Do you think that radiation could be the cause of smelly feet?

[lawman]

tbear, I think pmac's too young to be able to blame this machine. :)

[olwen]

I remember one from about the mid 50's at a better shoe shop in Dunedin, New Zealand - they were selling Clarke's shoes too. A great way to check the fit of children's shoes. I showed my partner who had never seen one, but as his father worked in a shoe factory he suspects his father may have made the shoes.

[wruppert]

I'm well over 50 and never imagined such a thing. I thought it might be some kind of ancient TV.

[lawman]

Hey wruppert, how old were you when your mother took you to the shoe store for your first pair of new shoes? I suppose that would depend on how many siblings were older than you. :)

[lgn1]

I wonder what piece of technology we currently used, will be found to be slowly killing us in 50 years.