100-Year-Old Life Hacks That Are Surprisingly Still Useful Today

When you think about it, everything we know now is most likely the result of wisdom being passed down from generation to generation — but how did people possibly remember all this stuff before they could just add it to the Pinterest app on their phone? As it turns out, they used something akin to trading cards…with a twist.

Gallaher’s, a Victorian British cigarette brand, began inserting stiff cards with helpful information on them in cigarette packs around 1880, so as to make them sturdier. The cards became so popular that Gallaher’s started an entire series of ‘How To Do It’ cards.

The New York Public Library recently digitized its ‘How To Do It’ cards collection, and these vintage life hacks are still absolute gems…

1. How To Tell The Points Of The Compass With A Watch

2. How To Take Ink Stains Out Of A Handkerchief

3. How To Stop A Runaway Horse

4. To Separate Glass Tumblers