A vintage photograph from 1941 is lighting up social media again, as viewers claim it shows a child holding what looks like an iPad — nearly 70 years before Apple released the device.
The black-and-white image, taken in Chicago by photographer Edwin Rosskam, shows a line of children waiting outside a movie theater. It’s a charming look at everyday life from another era. But all attention is now fixed on the boy standing on the far right.
In the photo, the child appears to clutch a rectangular object. Some online users insist the shape resembles an Apple tablet, even claiming they can make out a faint “logo.” One commenter joked that it felt like a scene straight from The Twilight Zone.
Others pointed to another odd detail. A girl near the center of the line seems to be holding what looks like a modern plastic water bottle — something not sold commercially until years later.
Many viewers, however, quickly offered more down-to-earth answers. Some suggested the “iPad” is simply a notebook, a Bible, or another small book. A few noted that children were often dressed in formal clothing when going to the theater, making a religious text or notebook far more likely.
Others explained that early movie theaters sometimes checked patrons for writing materials to prevent people from illegally copying films, which could explain the boy’s item.
As for the “water bottle,” some believe it’s a small clutch purse turned upright.
While the photo continues to spark curiosity, most agree it’s not proof of time travel. As one skeptic put it, “Even if it was an iPad, it wouldn’t work — there was no internet in 1941.”