Western Electric Picturephone

 In development from the the mid-fifties, Western Electric engineers managed to transmit black and white images through regular copper phone lines.  The ad above is from 1969 when the big marketing push began, with new pushbutton phones and a futuristic cathode ray screen. Although released with great fanfare it found few customers, reaching a total of only 453 in 1973. Part of the issue was expense, but people also found it intrusive, the market was not ready for the concept. More here.