This 1938 video of woman speaking on cellphone might hint at the possibility of time travel

Time travel has only been a reality in fiction novels and movies, but scientists have long considered its possibility. Over the years, various pictures and videos hinting at time travelers have puzzled the internet. One such video from over 80 years ago resurfaced online, leaving people wondering if it featured a time traveler. In a 1938 documentary film shared by Leominster Access Television on YouTube, viewers were shocked to see a woman apparently speaking on a cell phone.

The clip featuring the so-called time traveler gained popularity when shared by Scoop View. The video's caption read, "Time Traveler in 1938 film caught talking on a cell phone in 1938 coming out of a Dupont Factory in Massachusetts." Among the many factory workers, one woman stands out, holding what appears to be a cell phone to her ear. She seems to be chatting happily, then lowers her hand and talks to her co-workers. Although the video quality isn't clear enough to confirm it's a cell phone, the black handheld device she carried fit in her palm.

The clip garnered over 1.8 million views, with many marveling at the idea of a cellphone in those times. "Wow. Not only time traveling but cell phones that communicate with cell towers that will not exist for 70 years. That's amazing," said @rangerhawk. "This video is cool. She can time travel by making wireless calls while everyone else only has home phones. That's really smart," commented @phillipbedwell8424. However, some believed that it may not be a cell phone but a pocketbook, radio, hearing aid or wallet. "Just because she has something in her hand, which is not clearly identifiable, does not mean it's a cell phone," remarked @raven21633.

As the mystery woman and her "cell phone" gained traction, her great-grandchild revealed the truth. According to the Mirror, the woman was carrying an experimental wireless phone built by DuPont at their Leominster, Massachusetts, factory. "The lady you see is my great-grandmother Gertrude Jones. She was 17 years old. I asked her about this video and she remembers it quite clearly. She says DuPont had a telephone communications section in the factory," the individual revealed. 

When DuPont was experimenting with wireless telephones, Jones and five other workers were asked to test these wireless phones for a week. "Gertrude is talking to one of the scientists holding another wireless phone who is off to her right as she walks by," they added. What the woman was using was close to a walkie-talkie. In 1937, a Canadian named Don Hings invented a walkie-talkie, according to Crystal Radio Systems. Considering the evolution of communication to the walkie-talkie level back in the early 1900s, a 17-year-old Jones using a wireless phone was indeed a possibility. 

This article originally appeared 3 months ago.