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Charlie Chaplin Circus Movie Time Travel Cell Phone Mystery Solved?
Why assume this is a “time traveler,” if there is a simple explanation? As fictional
Star Trek character Spock would say, logic dictates that the most obvious solution is
probably correct. Although little known today, already in the twenties there were devices
of the proper size and shape, such as hearing aids and spy devices. I have not yet read
that anyone has suggested this person in the video may be a spy, but I think it is possible.
My current theory is that this is a spy or FBI agent with “futuristic” equipment,
or possibly this person was attempting to record sound to make this movie scene into
There were handheld hearing aids in the twenties, but it is unlikely that you would be talking
into them, and there was no one else visible for this person to talk to. Most people said
it couldn’t be a cell phone, because there were no cell towers. However, this doesn’t
existed as early as 1905. See my blog for the link to Collins wireless telephone apparatus.
Also note old radio patents (as early as 1800?) Other people have commented that it couldn’t
be a radio, because they weren’t that small yet. However, very small radios existed prior
to this, using batteries and headphones. The clothing is bulky, and only one hand is visible,
so more equipment (such as radio receiver, recording device, or speaker) may be hidden
from view; we can only speculate, but the person may be speaking into a microphone or
may be holding an earphone device. Most historical information erroneously states that walkie-talkie
type devices were not available in the twenties; however, that is only true commercially. Read
more about the early history of early wireless devices at my blog.
Science magazine picture strongly resembles the mysterious “mobile phone” device that
the user in the Charlie Chaplin premier video may have been using. Then, as now, the military,
FBI, CIA, and foreign governments had access to new technology first, before the general
public. Furthermore, recording devices such as the The Portable Detective Dictograph Audio
Amplifier, were available as early as 1907, and were made by General Acoustic Company.
Detectives, law enforcement agencies and secret agents using equipment such as these could
hide microphones under rugs, in clothing, or behind furniture and record conversations.
Although the picture doesn’t look exactly like what the mysterious person in the Charlie
Chaplin movie was using, it does show that the technology for mobile radio equipment
Too bad, in the Chaplin video we may never be able to identify this person’s exact
device, or know for sure what he/she was doing there. However, there is no evidence this
was a time traveler. My current theory is that this is a spy or FBI agent with “futuristic”
equipment, or possibly this person was attempting to record sound to make this movie scene into
a “talkie.” So, what do you think? Case solved? Or have I simply dropped another red
herring into the mix? Okay, enough of that—I better get back to work!