A photograph taken in 1936 in Brooklyn has left conspiracy theorists convinced that time travel is real after a man was spotted appearing to hold a mobile phone decades before the device was invented.
The Photograph That Sparked Theories
The image, captured by photographer Berenice Abbott on July 16, 1936, depicts a street scene in Brooklyn's Union Square. At first glance, it appears to be an unremarkable snapshot of New York City life. However, one detail has caught the attention of believers: a man in the foreground seems to be holding a mobile phone to his ear, a device that would not exist for another five decades.
The discovery has sent conspiracy theorists into a frenzied search for answers, with some asserting that the individual is nothing short of a time traveler, reports the Daily Star.
Alternative Explanations
While time travel remains a possibility, it is equally plausible that the man is holding an entirely different object to his ear, or perhaps simply scratching his head. Nevertheless, this is far from the first occasion on which a supposed mobile phone has been detected in an image predating the invention of the handheld device.
Similar Claims from 1938 Footage
Film footage from 1938 has similarly fueled the theory that time travel is real, according to various commentators. In the clip, a group of people are seen walking toward the camera, with one young woman drawing particular attention as she holds something pressed against the side of her head. The woman is visibly chatting as she moves through the crowd, the device firmly clasped to her head with one hand, before she appears to lower it just as the footage concludes.
This has led conspiracy theorists to question whether the woman was speaking on a mobile phone or holding an entirely different object against her ear. Theorists subsequently explored the claim further, with one YouTube account asserting that the woman featured in the footage was their great-grandmother and that she was indeed using a mobile phone.
An Experimental Wireless Phone
According to YouTube user Planetcheck, the handheld device is an experimental wireless phone developed by industrial giant Dupont at their factory in Leominster, Massachusetts. The user said: "The lady you see is my great-grandmother Gertrude Jones. She was 17 years old. I asked her about this video and she remembers it quite clearly. She says Dupont had a telephone communications section in the factory. They were experimenting with wireless telephones. Gertrude and five other women were given these wireless phones to test out for a week. Gertrude is talking to one of the scientists holding another wireless phone who is off to her right as she walks by."
A 1670 Painting with a Modern Twist
In another baffling image, a 1670 painting by Dutch artist Pieter de Hooch depicts a charming domestic scene, with one of the subjects apparently clutching what appears to be an iPhone. The supposed depiction of an iPhone, painted centuries before such devices were ever conceived, can be spotted in the hands of a man positioned to the right of the composition, according to conspiracy theorists.
While these anomalies continue to intrigue and amuse, skeptics argue that pareidolia, the human tendency to see familiar patterns in random stimuli, is the most likely explanation. Whether time travel is real or not, these images serve as a reminder of how easily the mind can be tricked.
