Tags
Andy Warhol, David Hockney, Del Boy, Fax, Fax Machine, Filofax, Old Technology, Only Fools and Horses, Rolex, Sloane Ranger, Yuppie
Being almost the start of the year I had to change the diary insert in my filofax. Yes, I still have a filofax in spite of owning a smart phone, I like to write things down. While I was filling out the ‘personal details’ section I noticed that this year there was no spaces for a Fax number.
Now I have never owned a Fax machine. I only once, in 1996, worked somewhere that used a Fax machine. The Fax machine seems to have come and gone and passed me by.
The Fax machine seemed to come out of nowhere in the mid eighties. No yuppie worth his salt would be without one any more than he was without his Rolex, Aluminum briefcase, Filofax, red braces and Porsche key ring. It was also an essential tool for the Sloane Ranger to keep up with who did what to whom at which Hunt Ball.
In the early 1990s the Fax machine had its moment in popular culture. Del Boy in ‘Only Fools and Horses’ spent more than one episode selling knocked off Fax machines. With one even being an important plot point in the episode ‘The Class of `62’. ‘OFaH’ also shows how in the early 90’s the Fax and Mobile phone vied to be the future of modern technology, if Del wasn’t selling one he would be selling the other.
Although Andy Warhol was and early user of the Fax machine David Hockney is the artist who is most associated with it. Examples of his Fax art sell for surprisingly high prices. Although they are not easy to display. Fax paper and ink isn’t meant to last, like an old till receipt faxes fade, quickly.
Some people it seems did not quite understand that the fax was a facsimile. Many are the tails of people sending faxes with post it notes covering most of the text seemingly expecting the receiver to be able to remove the post it note to read what is underneath.
Now it seems that the Fax is no more. It has finally been killed by email after a long battle. I can’t really say that I’ll miss it.
I never actually sent a Fax.
I never actually received a Fax either for that matter.
