A patented 19th century faux tortoise shell celluloid auricle with an attractive organic design in its original tin box with provenance of date, manufacture and ownership.
On the inside of the lid is a picture of a Victorian woman sporting the aid and below this “To be adjusted behind the ear as shown above. Dr F M Blodgett’s Multi-Audiphone for deafness No 1286 Broadway New York.” On the base a label completed by hand reads Name: H. H. Moore. Residence: Frewsburg N.Y. Price: 5.00 $ Date: Dec 3rd 1891. The auricle is marked “Multi-Audiphone Dr F M Blodgett New York Patented April 8 1890 2R”, the latter denoting the size and side. The patent can be seen in the last picture.
H H Moore was a preacher in the Methodist Episcopal Church in the Frewsberg district of New York who retired in 1900. See this link. There are a number of other references available through Google searches
Dr Frank H Blodgett also developed an earlier device the Micro-Audiphone patented in 1886 which was not successful and production ceased in 1894.
I have found little else on Dr Blodgett and this striking 19th century patented Multi-Audiphone auricle of Art Nouveau design was probably made in small numbers over a limited period. It is extremely rare and I know of no other outside this collection.
- From the Phisick collection