Telephone Collecting (Seven Decades of Design)

The styles of the telephones are often overlooked for their functionality. Everyone has one. But here, in text and over 250 color photographs, a history of the design of the telephone is presented from Art Deco years to novelty phones of the 1980s. Once the upright "candlestick" telephone was replaced by a desk set "cradle" telephone, its designs became diverse and important in a competitive industry. In this new book, the largest telephone companies are discussed, including Western Electric, Automatic Electric, Stromberg-Carlson, Kellogg, and North Electric. Major sections are devoted to European telephones and novelty phones. Memories will be awakened as you page through the book to see the phones you grew up with. Old telephones are appearing in antiques and collectors' shops throughout America, becoming one of the hottest new finds for collecting or just as accent pieces. This book will let you know what grandmother's phone is worth and so much more. A price guide is included.