Civil War era Hearing Aid (Ear Trumpet). Click photo and "Detailed Description".
Very early Copper Hearing Aide (Ear Trumpet), dating from the early to mid 19th century (possibly earlier). It measures approximately 6 ½” long with the diameter at the larger end 4”, and 2” at the smaller end. It is made of heavy sheet copper with rolled lips and soldered seams all around. There is a hand-spun mesh covering on the end which goes against the ear.
During the 1800’s it was not uncommon for a person, we now call a young adult, to suffer hearing loss from a disease. Also, many soldiers during the Civil War were exposed to loud explosions during artillery bombardments, or serving in artillery units, resulting in damaged ear drums. A lack of medical knowledge on the treatment of injuries often resulted in hearing loss.
Somewhere along the line in history it is likely that someone observed that those having trouble hearing were grabbing their ears in a cupping action to try to capture sound. The ear itself is shaped in a smaller, similar cup form. The idea must have come across that sound could be captured with a wide area and concentrated to a small area in the early history of hearing aids.
The first recorded images of hearing aids are hollowed seashells and reversed animal tusk horns. These would have made for very poor acoustics in an echo chamber fashion, but people made them work. As advanced trumpets came onto the scene many centuries ago, someone finally got the idea that if a small opening to a large opening made a very large trumpeting sound, then a large opening to a small opening could capture a large sound and deliver it in concentrated form to the ear. And so the history of hearing aid devices continued to evolve.
This unique example is in very nice condition with no damage and having a beautiful aged patina to the copper. A rare piece which would be a nice addition to a Civil War or Medical collection.
