Archive · 10 Sep 2026
Viral Painting 'Smartphone' Claims Debunked by Historical Mirror Explanation
People online found an object in a 1937 painting that looks like a smartphone.
The painting shows events involving Indigenous people and English settlers in Massachusetts during the 1600s.
Some people joked that the object proved time travel.
Others wondered whether it could really be an early phone.
Experts and historical explanations suggest it was probably a small hand mirror.
Mirrors were goods traded during the colonial period.
Some viewers have also suggested it might be a book, religious text, or weapon.
The painting was made by Umberto Romano to show the history of the Springfield area.
Social media users noticed a smartphone-like object in Umberto Romano’s 1937 mural.
The mural depicts Indigenous people and English settlers in 17th-century Massachusetts.
Some viewers jokingly or seriously suggested the object was evidence of time travel.
The object is more likely a small mirror traded with Indigenous communities during the colonial period.
Romano created the mural with students for Springfield’s former main post office in 1937.
- Who
- Italian-American artist Umberto Romano created the mural, which depicts Indigenous people and English settlers connected with William Pynchon’s settlement.
- What
- A viral debate concerns whether a handheld object in the mural resembles a modern smartphone; it is more likely a mirror.
- When
- The mural was completed in 1937 and portrays events from the 1630s.
- Where
- The mural was created for the Springfield Main Post Office in Springfield, Massachusetts, now the Commonwealth of Massachusetts State Office Building.
- Why
- The object’s dark rectangular shape and the person’s posture make it look like a smartphone to modern viewers.
Time-Travel Interpretation
Historical Interpretation
Identity of the object
Time-Travel Interpretation
Some social media users claim the object looks like an iPhone or another modern smartphone.
Historical Interpretation
The more likely explanation is that it is a small mirror, though some viewers have also proposed a book, religious text, or weapon.
Meaning of the image
Time-Travel Interpretation
Some viewers jokingly or seriously suggest the image could indicate time travel.
Historical Interpretation
There is no evidence Romano intended to depict a smartphone or modern technology, and the mirror interpretation fits the historical setting better.
- Mural title
- Mr Pynchon and the Settling of Springfield
- Artist
- Umberto Romano
- Completion date
- 1937
- Likely object
- A small hand mirror
- Historical setting
- The Agawam area of present-day Massachusetts during the 1630s
- Original location
- Springfield Main Post Office
- Project
- One of six murals supported by the Federal Art Project