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Noise pollution, 1930s-style

Further proof of The Onion ‘s key historical insight: that all compound words can become archaic and hilarious with the simple addition of hyphens

A police amphibian airplane trailed a tri-motored ship from which advertising matter was being broadcast through a loud-speaker for almost two hours yesterday afternoon


from “Flying Loud-Speaker Chased by Air Police; Dr. Reisner Objects to Noisy Sky Advertising,” The New York Times, 6 April 1931 :: via The Soundscape of Modernity

Nov 24, 2008, updated Mar 31, 2025