A 1937 painting, 'Mr Pynchon and the Settling of Springfield,' has reignited online discussions and theories about time travel due to an object held by an Indigenous man in the foreground.
The artwork, created by Italian-born artist Umberto Romano, depicts William Pynchon, the founder of Springfield, Massachusetts, trading with native peoples around the 1630s. The object in question, held by one of the Indigenous individuals, appears to resemble a modern smartphone, leading some to claim it is evidence of time travel.
Commenters on social media have noted the striking similarity of the object to a smartphone. However, historical interpretations suggest the item is likely a European trade mirror. Mirrors were common trade goods during that period, and the man's posture—holding the object up and looking at it—aligns with examining one's reflection.
Historians, including Daniel Crown in 2017, have supported the interpretation that the object is a mirror, a plausible item for trade between English colonists and native tribes like the Pocumtuc people, who were indigenous to western Massachusetts.
This painting is not the only historical artifact to be cited in such theories. Other artworks, including a 19th-century Austrian painting titled 'The Expected One' and a Greek sculpture from 100 BC depicting a woman with an attendant, have also been subjects of similar speculation. The ancient sculpture, known as the Grave Naiskos of an Enthroned Woman with an Attendant, has been claimed by some to show a laptop with USB ports.
Separately, viral online interviews have featured individuals claiming to be time travelers. One self-proclaimed time traveler, identifying as Alexander Smith, alleged he was a former CIA operative recruited in 1981 for missions to the year 2118. Smith claimed that time travel technology has existed for decades and predicted its widespread commercial and non-commercial availability beginning in 2028. He also linked 2028 to a purported government disclosure of extraterrestrial life.
The painting itself is one of several New Deal-era murals by Romano that illustrate the history of Springfield, Massachusetts. The mural portrays Pynchon and his group engaged in trade with Native Americans, with some figures depicted being punished. The object held by the man in question stands out as none of the other figures are shown holding anything anachronistic.
Despite the persistent theories, the prevailing historical explanation for the object in Romano's painting remains that of a trade mirror.