A photograph taken at Towan Beach, Cornwall, in September 1943 appears to show a man holding what looks like a mobile phone, prompting claims of time travel.
The man, dressed in a tatty brown suit, stands out in the middle of the wartime image, seemingly absorbed in the device while beach-goers around him enjoy the summer sun.
Social Media Reaction
The picture was shared online by Stuart Humphrys, who initially missed the unusual detail. He captioned it: "British war workers escape to the seaside - this Cornish beach was photographed in September 1943. (It would be lovely if one of you were able to identify which beach!)".
After posting, users on X questioned the man's apparent use of a phone. South London History asked: "Er...is it just me or is this guy checking his phone.....in the 1950s?". Dr Kevin Purcell added: "Good catch. It's clearly the man in the shot is a time travelling tourist checking his mobile device. Finally the evidence we need that time travel is real. We now see things in old photos that we missed before but now we know they're phones now that we have them."
Alternative Explanations
Gerald Jackson commented: "Shows how much beachwear has changed! Jacket, tie and hat? Mind they did that when I was a kid in the 50s." However, Mr Humphrys remained sceptical, stating: "I think that chap is rolling a cigarette!".
Historical Anomalies
This is not the first time such claims have emerged. In 2010, a mobile phone user was spotted in a Charlie Chaplin movie, prompting audiences to label the individual a time traveller. George Clarke, a filmmaker from Belfast, posted the footage on YouTube, showing a brief section from DVD extras for Chaplin's 1928 silent picture The Circus, where a woman appears to chat on a gadget pressed against her ear.
Some suggested it was a portable hearing aid, though this theory seems improbable. Additionally, Umberto Romano's 'Mr Pynchon and the Setting of Springfield' appears to show a shirtless man clutching a flip phone. Apple CEO Tim Cook once confessed to discovering an iPhone in a 347 year old painting by Pieter de Hooch entitled "Man Hands a Letter to a Woman in a Hall." Cook stumbled upon the Dutch artist's creations at a gallery in Amsterdam and said: "I always thought I knew when the iPhone was invented, but now I'm not so sure anymore."
