1930's
An Automatic Electric Candlestick, with the short Bulldog-style transmitter. The design makes sense given the constraints of the parts. The receiver is too large to fit very well in a handset. Combined with the heavy primative microphone, it would make a really clumsy handset. Instead, you are supposed to use it like a desk microphone. You really need to be seated to use it properly. If you try to pick up the whole unit, you had better build up some muscle or keep your call short, since it is quite a load.
Western Electric Model 300. Heavy old bakelite, cloth cords. In old mystery movies, these are used as weapons. If you pick up the massive handset, you'll see how this could be used to stun an elephant.
Western Electric Princess. I have about ten of these. The older ones have light-up dials. Yellow is my favorite color for these. Er, ok, this exact one isn't a 50's phone, since it is touch-tone and modular, but the design is from the 50's.
Pay Station, in original condition. I have fixed it up somewhat, so I should take another picture. This phone is a battleship. It is made of cast iron. It has an armored chord. You could pound it all day with a baseball bat, and you would ruin a perfectly good baseball bat. It has a big copper grounding strap in it, so it can be hit by lightning. It is constructed to charge 10 cents for a phone call. It makes a happy BING BING! when it gets a dime or two nickles. It can take a quarter, too, and it'll make a GONG! noise. It will be still working on Judgement Day, if you need to make any last minute calls to your lawyer.
Automatic Electric. This looks like the Dryfus designed W.E. 500, but it is more streamlined and swoopy, and somewhat larger. The dial face bulges out. It is more like a 50's Cadillac than the utilitarian 500. Oh, I need to put a Dryfus 500 up and tell you what that is.
This is the clasic, and very common Western Electric 500. It is a great bit of industrial design. Pink is a pretty unusual color for these. This phone was made for years and years.
North Electric Company Ericophone. This one was tricky to get into working condition.
Northern Telecom Pancake
This is my favorite style, the Sculptura, or more commonly known as the Donut Phone.
Rotary Donut, Guh-roo-viee.
And my favorite phone in my favorite color! A beautiful treasure!
American Telephone Company Genie
Country Corny
OH! Wait a minute! I am forgetting all of the great novelty phones! The innards may not be steel, but the outers are like nothing else made before. Here is a fantastic example:
