Mears "Ear Phone" Carbon Hearing Aid
The Mears "Ear Phone" carbon hearing aid was manufactured
by the Mears Ear Phone Company of 45 West 34th Street in New York, NY
around 1925.
The complete unit excluding the battery weighed 6.6 oz. (188 g).
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Front view of the Mears "Ear Phone" carbon hearing aid microphone showing
the 6-pointed star pattern of holes plus 3 slots forming the microphone grill. The microphone measured 2⅜" in diameter by
9/16"
thick (6.0 x 1.5 cm). It weighed 2.3 oz. (66 g).
Around the periphery of the microphone is stamped the words "The
Mears Earphone" (top) and "Mears Earphone Co. Inc. New York" (bottom).
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Rear view of the Mears "Ear Phone" carbon hearing aid
microphone showing the two shiny metal battery contacts (left and
right). Note that the left terminal is insulated from the metal of the
microphone by a paper insulator. The metal loop (top center) was for running a lanyard through it to wear
this hearing aid around your neck.
This microphone looks unfinished as though the back had fallen off,
but this is apparently how it looked from the factory.
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Rear view of the Mears "Ear Phone" hearing aid carbon microphone showing the
pins from the battery cord unplugged. These pins were of unequal
diameter so you couldn't plug them in the wrong terminals.
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Rear view of the Mears "Ear Phone" hearing aid carbon microphone showing the
pins plugged into the microphone.
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The Mears "Ear Phone" carbon hearing aid battery pins plugged into a
3-volt carbon zinc battery such as this
Gem No. 1A battery (shown here and in the top picture). Note: the pins on the battery are
of unequal diameters so you couldn't plug in the pins incorrectly and
thus accidentally reverse the polarity.
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Close-up view of the female battery pins of the Mears "Ear Phone" carbon
hearing aid showing how they plugged on to the battery terminals.
Note that the front terminal is larger than the rear one.
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Front view of the Mears "Ear Phone" carbon hearing aid earphone. The earphone measured 2
1/16" in diameter by ¾" thick (5.2 x 2.0 cm). It weighed 2.6
oz. (74 g).
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Rear view of the Mears "Ear Phone" carbon hearing aid earphone showing
the volume control/on-off lever at the top.
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Close-up view of the upper back of the Mears "Ear Phone" carbon hearing
aid earphone showing the 4-position volume control (1-4) with the off
position at "0".
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View of the headband that came with the Mears "Ear Phone" carbon
hearing aid. Note the head "pad" on the left and the earphone on the
right.
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Close-up view of the gimble bracket on the headband that held the
earphone in place yet allowed it to swivel and tilt to comfortably fit
itself to anyone's ear. lower part of the back of the Mears "Intensitone"
carbon hearing aid earphone showing the name "The Mears Ear Phone".
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The two pins (one on each side of the gimble bracket) fitted into the
holes in the earphone (see on right side—pin not in hole) The earphone
could pivot on this pins for a comfortable fit.
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Close-up view of the head pad on the opposite side of the headband from
the earphone. This leather-covered foam filled pad was more comfortable
to wear than just the plain flat spring-steel headband.
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Close-up view of the back side of the head pad showing how it slid on
or off the headband.
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