Popular Science J-6-2: A weird little time capsule

Is it worth your time?

Honestly, only if you have a thing for vintage newsreels or you’re the type who finds old patent drawings relaxing. If you’re looking for a plot, look elsewhere. It's just a man talking about hair combs and glass slides.

Gayne Whitman is our guide here, and he has that classic, slightly aggressive mid-Atlantic announcer voice. He sounds like he’s trying to sell you a miracle cure even when he’s just talking about a hairbrush. It’s charming, in a way, but also kind of exhausting.

The weird parts

The segment on reproducing microscopic life on glass? It feels like something you’d watch in a darkened classroom while the teacher is asleep in the back. It’s strangely hypnotic, though. The way they handle those tiny slides feels like high-stakes surgery.

Then there’s the hair trimming comb. The way Whitman describes it as a veritable blessing for "milady's coiffure" is just peak 1930s-speak. You can tell they really thought this was the future of grooming. It’s just a comb with a razor in it, guys. Calm down.

It’s funny to see this alongside something like The Fog or even the chaotic energy of Alô Alô Carnaval. This is so stiff and buttoned-up compared to those. It lacks the soul, but it’s got that weird, grainy texture that makes you feel like you’re peering through a hole in time. 🕰️

• That moment when they show the fingerprint ink—it looks messy.
• The air travel bit is hilarious. Comfort? In the 1930s? Sure.
• Whitman’s eyebrows are doing more acting than the actual science.

It’s a short watch. Don't overthink it. It feels like someone just found these reels in a dusty attic and decided to string them together. Sometimes, that’s enough. Just don’t expect a deep dive into the human condition or anything like that. It’s just a comb, folks.