This 1919 cartoon accurately predicted mobile phones at concerts over 100 years ago... - Classic FM

16 November 2022, 16:48

William Haselden 1919 cartoon. Picture: Mirrorpix

By Kyle Macdonald

A cartoon successful the Daily Mirror from the aboriginal 20th period astir unbelievably anticipates the dependable of ‘pocket telephones’ successful the performance hall.

We’ve each experienced it. Sitting successful a performance hallway oregon theatre, the assemblage is hushed, and the euphony astatine a beauteous pianissimo...

And past *ding ding ding*, a mobile telephone starts to dependable of integer beeps oregon that all-too-familiar marimba ringing tone.

But it turns retired that English illustrator William Haselden (1872–1953) predicted it all, a full period earlier, successful a cartoon titled When we each person pouch telephones, published successful The Daily Mirror successful 1919 erstwhile the telephone was a precise caller invention.

It asked: what if we had a portable, pouch oregon *mobile* telephone with america successful our time to day? And however mightiness they interrupt concerts? It’s each rather prophetic...

Read more: Did you cognize the archetypal Nokia ringtone comes from a portion of Spanish classical guitar music?

William Haselden cartoon. Picture: Mirrorpix

The cartoon was placed alongside different situations wherever this ‘pocket telephone’ mightiness beryllium a idiosyncratic annoyance and societal nuisance: whether it beryllium connected a engaged train, erstwhile you’re successful a hurry, with babies, oregon adjacent erstwhile you’re astatine the alter.

Take a look astatine the afloat acceptable of the singular prophecy below:

William Haselden cartoon. Picture: Mirrorpix

Haselden drew governmental cartoons and caricatures, but became astir celebrated for pieces of societal commentary connected middle-class fashions and manners. His illustrations, similar this one, were often drawn implicit a fig of panels, for which helium has been viewed arsenic the begetter of British portion cartoon.

We wonderment what helium mightiness person thought if helium was instantly transported to a performance 100 years into the future, and proceeding the present omnipresent announcement earlier performers instrumentality to the stage: “Could we delight inquire you each to acceptable your phones to silent”.