Keep a Lid On It—Really

Behold the Electric Sink, which in 1951 included a most unusual top-loading dishwasher, within which "sixty-four whirling, swirling jets brush-flush every hollow, groove, corner, and contour of every dish, glass, piece of silver and cooking utensil." After the 9 3/4-minute cleaning cycle, the lid automatically popped open [uh-oh] for "flash drying"—a function the manufacturer inexplicably fails to define.