Zenith Hearing aid, 1949

Electric hearing aid in gold metal case; the hearing piece has a long ribbon ending in a little diaphragm with a red ring around it. There is an emblem on it. Below the name of the company is a little phone receiver icon with the inscription "phone magnet" in cursive.

"The first commercial application for the transistor, developed during World War II, was for hearing aids."

Letter of Appreciation
Dear historic and contemporary asstistance devices,

while some of your siblings shed a light on the complex and often problematic concurrent development of violent technologies which turned into assistive devices, we appreciate all that you have enabled for countless people past and present. In the following, we would like to pay hommage to your complex and contested beauty. 

My beloved Zenith hearing aid, 1949, I wonder who you really are? People tell me you maybe transmit across large distances to coordinate military attacks, going by the name of transistor radio. It’s hard for me to picture that. You look much more like a phone to me. It says so under your name. You gleam like gold, wanting to shine and be beautiful. I can see you glisten. 

You entice and impress, you are powerful and useful. Yet I wonder, what your true purpose is. Are you changing the world for good or do you merely pretend to be my saviour?

I anxiously await your response!

Yours truly
LeoSonjaJoanaHannahAkin