Yes, the picture you just took a look at is a real part of deaf history. Today, I was just stumbling through the websites. I came across an interesting website that focuses on hearing aids. The website is part of the Bernard Becker Medical Library at Washington University School of Medicine. They had a large amount of information and pictures of hearing aids from the 1800s and 1900s. It's called "Deafness in Disguise: Concealed Hearing Devices of the 19th and 20th Centuries". Just to let you know, you can click on any images below to enlarge them for a better look.
Yep, it's a real advertisement, so are the rest of the pictures below. Quite a different world for the deaf to live in, wouldn't you say? God forbid that I walk around with a sort-of funnel stuck in one of my ears. That would turn heads around, especially in today's world. I thought it was bad enough that the hearing people easily noticed the current hearing aids we now wear. Now I feel sorry for these deaf folks who had to put up with it back then.
Another advertisement, can you imagine yourself carrying around a long hose and sticking it into other people's faces to carry on a conversation? Yikes.
Enjoy normal family life again! Enjoy greater business success! Enjoy happy social life again! Enjoy church, radio, movies, music again!
Want to bet none of these claims came true for most people? Talk about a misleading advertisement!
They must have given Bob Hope a pretty penny just to say that.
"I won at least 2 EXTRA years of Hearing HAPPINESS!"
Hmm-mm. I don't think much need to be said on this subject. We all know how primitive the technology was back then. If they were that good, then why do we have cochlear implants? Another misleading advertisement, I'll say.
Only Paravox can claim all of these THREE tests? The first claim is already heavily misleading by saying the people with severest hearing loss can benefit greatly from the device. I really doubt that they did help. The most these devices probably did was for these who are barely hard of hearing. You do have to wonder how many misleading advertisements were made and released without consequences. It was the same with tobacco companies; they claimed that it was healthy to smoke back then.
That must be a lot of fun having that hose with you all of the times. Thank god we've made a lot of advancements since then. I even remember these bulky and awkward FM systems for the deaf. Though I never wore these, just the lighter version that you put on your waist. I've been told that the older FM system was a pain because of its weight and that you had to strap it onto your chest.
If you want to look at more pictures and read up on the history of hearing aids and more. You can go to the university's website by clicking here.
We are quite lucky to live in the 21st century even though there are still some barriers for us to break down, but it's definitely much better than it was a century ago.
Thank you so much for this resource as will show some of those pictures and from the website for my Deaf Culture class to show them how silly they looked back then and to show them how people tried to "fix" Deaf people throughout the years.
ReplyDeleteI notice they only show women with the 'do's to conceal those things in that first image!
ReplyDeleteAnd how do you win "two years" of hearing? Why not five years or maybe just six months? What the heck is that about?
The tube/funnel thing looks like a scream. I want one, just to see the look on peoples' faces when I wave it around! (Third image, woman on top left.)
I think I've seen some of these things on "antique" sales at ebay. I always thought I'd like a small display on one shelf in my house of several of these devices. The last item would be the remains of one hearing aid that my dog chewed up ;-)
I just realized that Beg is right about the advertisements using women most of the times to sell their products.
ReplyDeleteIn most of the advertisements, they featured the women. Very few of them had men in them. It's a good question why they used women.
Perhaps it was to attract more attention? After all, men were the biggest consumers in the old days. That's the total opposite of today's world. :-P
I think the funnel is a hoot... worth a good laugh.
It's a good question why they used women.
ReplyDeleteComing to this one late after BEG sent me the link today -- I think they used women because we're the only ones who could get away with the enormous towers of HAIR necessary to conceal that funnel. The only guys I know of who could get away with hiding that thing on their heads are drag queens, frankly.