On August 4, 1925, U.S. Patent No. 1,548,653 issued to Martin Borglum on an Automobile Signal. 99 years later it is hard to image the problems still to be solved in the automobile industry, and the limited technological resources to address those problems. Mr. Borglum’s solution to signaling direction changes? Hang a “peculiar and grotesque figure adapted to be mounted upon the vehicle in a conspicuous position in which the figure will have movable arms for indicating visually proposed changes in direction of the vehicle and movable eyeballs coordinated with the arms to shift in the same direction with the latter whereby to vary forcibly and in an odd striking way call attention to the signal and to the proposed change in direction” on the side of the car:

That this seemed like a good idea in 1925 is a testament to how far we have progressed since then. Here’s a better view of Mr. Borglum’s Cargoyle:

Directional signaling was apparently one of the big problems of the day, because that same day several other patents issued on direction signals. Anthony Ritsky proposed mounting a spinning arrow on the car fender in his U.S. Patent No. 1,548,386:

George L.Cantwell proposed a signal mounted on the spare tire on the back of the car with an arrow that signals the driver’s intent in his U.S. Patent No. 1,548,115:

Three entirely different solutions to one of the problems of the day, brilliantly illustrating the importance of diversity in thought. There are few bad ideas — just different levels of good ideas.