Pre 1878

The very first attempts to compensate for hearing impairments were in the form of ear trumpets. These early hearing aids were made from the hollowed-out horns of cows, rams or other animals.

It wasn't until much later that ear trumpets were refined, based on investigations into the specific acoustical properties of different materials such as silver, shell, horn and, finally, plastic.

Ear trumpets were very common in the 18th and 19th centuries. At that time they were made from thin sheet metal or brass, usually coated with hard rubber or painted black to make them much less conspicuous against dark clothing.