A bit of #mobile phone history 1922 and onward

A couple of days ago I got hooked on the British Pathé news reels, and here are three wonderful mobile phone related bits of movie. As an adapt mobile learning enthusiast and researcher, I just got so enthusiastic about these bits of moving history. And when looking at them I think: the same ideas are in all of our minds, whether the technology enables them or not.

The first dates back to 1922 and is called Eve's wireless, and it seems this movie accounts the "Home-O-Fone", which is based on the crystal radio (ah memories of my childhood electronic play-set that offered me a crystal radio as an easy bit of DIY option). In that movie you see two women walking down the street and letting 'hubby' know they will be late. Using a fire hydrant for grounding, and an umbrella as an antenna... great! And what do they phone? A record operator! Or at least it seems that way. The lady who first seemed like a phone operator puts on a record and presto, music can be heard in the street.



A second one links the mobile phone (in this case a car phone, 1946) with what would now most likely be seen as a hotspot. Two Italian (Naples) women park the car alongside the street, plug in a socket and use the car phone. A bit like finding a café with wifi to look at your mail :-)
The movie is called Rome: Auto Telephone, but the description says Napoli, Italy.



A third movie dates from 1946, and is entitled: Madame will you walk and talk. In this movie you see a woman making use of a (hefty) mobile phone option, to keep her (lady)friends on top of what is on sales or not, or getting a knowledgeable man to get the car going again, and the last scene of this movie has a homely feel (ducking behind my chair for the remarks that will no doubt be voiced by my feminist friends).