If you’ve been in the workplace long enough, no doubt there’s a lengthy list of the technology you’ve cast aside.

Fax machines, pagers and copiers the size of a small car are all tools that were marvels of their time but have been replaced in the steady march of technical innovation.

Despite their obsolescence, there’s something we can learn from them, says Steven J. Hansman, a futurist and expert on emerging and past technologies.

Sometimes it’s about knowing when to act on a good idea, Hansman says. Other times it’s deciding to hold on to something that’s tried-and-tested instead of jumping on the newest gadget. Other times, it’s judging when an upgrade is in order.

Here are a few inventions that were once treasured, each one offering insight into the nature of the workplace and about how we work today.

An archaic solution to the open office?

