Fashion Meets Wearable Tech (1882)
The Head Telephone
From Frank Shaw’s Patent Application:
Be it known that I, FRANK SHAW, a citizen of the United States, and a resident of New York, in the county of New York and State of New York, have invented a certain new and useful Head-Telephone, of which the following is a specification My invention relates to appliances designed to support a listening-telephone against or in proximity to the ear of the user, so as to leave the hands free, and is designed to furnish a simple and effective device particularly suited to the needs of switch-hoard operators in telephone-exchange systems. Devices intended for this purpose have hitherto been cumbrous and heavy. My invention accomplishes the object without the use of metal springs or supporting curvedmagnets, and without adding materially to the weight of the telephone.
What I claim as my invention is 1. A head-telephone consisting of the receiving-telephone A, combined with the flexible band or strap B, adapted to encircle the head of the listener and to hold the telephone firmly against the ear.
A head-telephone as thus constructed is much lighter, simpler, and cheaper than those hitherto devised, and at the same time fully accomplishes all the objects of such devices.
Title: Patent Drawing for Frank Shaw's Head Telephone
Date: December 5, 1882
Source: National Archives: Records of the Patent and Trademark Office NAID: 6277692
Here’s some more retro-tech from Forgotten Files
Frank was way ahead of Dr. Dre.