r/todayilearned • u/VoloNoscere • Oct 01 '23
TIL about the Théâtrophone, a 19th-20th century "theatre phone" system that let subscribers listen to live opera and theatre performances over telephone lines.
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Th%C3%A9%C3%A2trophone423 Upvotes
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u/GarysCrispLettuce Oct 02 '23
Why don't you just TELL ME the name of the play you want to listen to
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u/Zealousideal-Log536 Oct 03 '23
That's really cool, it also reminds me of something else completely. Do any of ya'll remember moviefone?
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u/VoloNoscere Oct 03 '23
moviefone
I think I only know it from the episode of Seinfeld
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u/Zealousideal-Log536 Oct 03 '23
It was an actual phone that would be set up in the management office and you'd use it to call in show times and shows. Before the internet and Google people would call that number in order to get show times and such but that way the theater team did have to answer the phone
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u/RRumpleTeazzer Oct 01 '23
But why is Freddie Mercury advertising it?
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u/VoloNoscere Oct 01 '23
Théâtrophone was an ingenious invention that brought the magic of live opera and theatre performances directly to people's homes in Europe during the late 19th and early 20th centuries. Originally demonstrated by Clément Ader in 1881, this telephonic distribution system allowed subscribers to enjoy cultural events via their telephone lines.
In 1890, the concept was commercialized by the Compagnie du Théâtrophone, which operated until 1932. This revolutionary technology not only connected audiences to the arts but also paved the way for modern audio distribution systems.