Old Landline Telephones… great retro design art
Discussion
As my dad worked for the G.P.O (Post Office) as it was known for about 40 years from the early 1960's he used to bring home old telephones and bits of exchange for me to fiddle with as a child/youth. Hence the interest in electronics and mechanical stuff. We had our own home brew house exchange years before anyone else and extensions in every room.
Now being mature and sensible I hankered after a nice desk top 1950's Bakelite phone with reassuring clattering post war ring.
I found one in a antique shop recently and after sending it to Gavin (83) at 'The Antique Telephone Company' for conversion it's got pride of place sitting on top of my veneered 1950's vintage Stereo Dynatron 'Marlow' Valve Radiogram.
The telephone works well and requires a Home Counties Radio 4 stiff upper lip British accent and correct procedure when in use.
'Hello, Walmington-on-Sea 333. How may I be of assistance?'
You are a bit stuffed if you need the * or # key though, so thankfully it's only for speaking with real humans...
Now being mature and sensible I hankered after a nice desk top 1950's Bakelite phone with reassuring clattering post war ring.
I found one in a antique shop recently and after sending it to Gavin (83) at 'The Antique Telephone Company' for conversion it's got pride of place sitting on top of my veneered 1950's vintage Stereo Dynatron 'Marlow' Valve Radiogram.
The telephone works well and requires a Home Counties Radio 4 stiff upper lip British accent and correct procedure when in use.
'Hello, Walmington-on-Sea 333. How may I be of assistance?'
You are a bit stuffed if you need the * or # key though, so thankfully it's only for speaking with real humans...
Love them.
I'm no luddite, but I generally refuse to talk on the phone these days. It's just a stressful experience. Awkwardly holding some tiny mobile to your ear, no thanks. These old sets felt secure even clamped between head and shoulder. Hard to pin down but they inspired confidence sat at a desk with a proper phone. Calling people on mobiles seems to put me immediately on the back foot. You decide on what you want to say and then the signal starts cutting out, or you hear your own voice repeated down the line...
We're going backwards I'm telling you!
I'm no luddite, but I generally refuse to talk on the phone these days. It's just a stressful experience. Awkwardly holding some tiny mobile to your ear, no thanks. These old sets felt secure even clamped between head and shoulder. Hard to pin down but they inspired confidence sat at a desk with a proper phone. Calling people on mobiles seems to put me immediately on the back foot. You decide on what you want to say and then the signal starts cutting out, or you hear your own voice repeated down the line...
We're going backwards I'm telling you!
ARHarh said:
like this one i have on my desk. Works for now until they cut off land lines. It will then become my homes voice control.
I've posted it before but you can get VOIP conversions:https://www.vintagetelephony.co.uk/products
LordLoveLength said:
The BT Trimphone - with a glow-in-the-dark dial illuminated by a tritium filled glass tube.
Which was ok as long as it didn’t get broken and release the radioactive tritium!
Must have cost a fortune in collection and disposal for them.
They ended up in the skip!
Remember in the olden days, you put your hand over the mouthpiece to ‘mute’
On these, the microphone was by the earpiece, connected be tube. So you could still be heard when covering the mouthpiece.
Caught a few gossips out!
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