19th Century Hearing Aids
I find old medical collections fascinating and this one is no exception.
From
Washington University School of Medicine in St. Louis, MO:
Deafness in Disguise
Concealed Hearing Devices of the 19th and 20th Centuries
These range from a simple 10dB gain "trumpet" for one ear such as this pretty flower:
To this 30dB gain bone conduction "fan" (assuming you still had good teeth):
Hats were even used (as this morose/peeved Gentleman demonstrates):
One of the more elaborate -- this "vase" is designed to be the centerpiece at a table and the silk-covered rubber tube run 'discretely' under the table linens to the ear of the person who needed it.
The 20th Century section goes into early electronic devices -- fake 'cameras' and 'purses' that could hold the heavy batteries.
I love how far technology has come in such a short period of time!
(spoken by a guy who is taking up Blacksmithing? --ed.)
Posted by DaveH at October 16, 2005 10:10 PM