The Vociphone was filed for a patent (BE246727) on thursday 13th of June, 1912, at 12:10 AM, by Mr François Vandervaeren, Belgian citizen of Brussels (121, rue de Laeken). It was notably sold at the Roberty's Vandervaeren company (
124, Boulevard du Nord, renamed in 1918
Boulevard Adolphe Max).
The Vociphone was packed in a cardboard box in the bottom of which was stuck the user manual, saying : «
Le Vociphone est la dernière nouveauté instrumentale trouvée jusqu'à ce jour. Les enfants comme les grandes personnes peuvent jouer l'instrument sans aucun apprentissage ni professeur. » ("
The Vociphone is the last musical novelty found until now. Children as adults can play the instrument without any learning or teacher"). And ending with «
Le Vociphone se joue en famille comme en société. Essayer c'est l'adopter. » ("
The Vociphone can be played in the family as in the society. To try it is to adopt it.")
In the patent documents, the description says : «
Musical instrument novelty reproducing in a perfect manner the human voice, and called "Vociphone".»
On the patent drawings, the Vociphone has the rather common shape of the nose flutes from this time, but features a angled air duct cap and 4 little eyelets (numbered "9") maybe used with a lace for hand-free playing, but unfortunately not yet documented in the patent (the one a the bottom of the mouth cape is particularly strangely positioned...)
The Vociphone was planned to be built in "any appropriate material, tin plate, nickel, etc.". It was commercialized, but with a shape quite similar to the original metal Humanatone.
Photos : © Jacques Cools and Larigot (ACIMV)
