Tesla may have predicted the coming of mobile phones in 1909, but even he may have been surprised to see wireless technology in action as early as 1922 – used by women, no less. A video of a cinemagazine (which you can watch here) unearthed by British Pathé reveals as much – a couple of stylish young ladies stroll up the street with the very latest in accessories – a mobile telephone. It consists of a rather large box, some wires, a fire hydrant and an umbrella (to act as the arial, of course) and takes two people to work it adequately.
Mark Harris, spokesman for British Pathé, says the researchers who found the clip were amazed, given that it was recorded four years before even the television was first demonstrated. He added, ”The phone even has a lid which makes it the first flip-phone we are aware of, although it is probably not going to win any design awards.”
Whether or not the primitive mobile actually worked is not clear – after all, cinema is renowned for its showing off of fiction dressed up as fact.
The footage first appeared in Eve’s Film Review which is a cinemagazine for women and just goes to show that we ladies don’t need any gimmicky pink phones – we have a long heritage of operating mobiles without breaking any nails, thank you very much.
[via The Telegraph]
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