From a 1924 edition of the Christian Science Monitor, we find one of the earliest indications of modern technology becoming ridiculous:
“Automobile tourists who visit Central Park at Schenectady Sundays during the months of July or August may enjoy the novel experience of listening to a concert direct from the instruments at the same time they hear the same concert by radio.
“The Schenectady Little Symphony Orchestra will play at the tourist park Sunday afternoons, July 2, Aug 10, 17 and 31 and the music will be radiocast by WGY. At Central Park and within 500 feet of the orchestra is the new induction loud speaker invented by Dr C.W. Hewlett, of the research laboratory of the General Electric Company. By means of a loop aerial the radio waves of WGY carrying the orchestra music will be picked up and reproduced by the loud speaker.”
Any bets on whether audio feedback was invented right in Schenectady’s Central Park?