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A new "what the heck is this?" question

Started by Phonesrfun, February 01, 2015, 09:19:29 PM

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Phonesrfun

A friend of mine is a local historian and combs through dozens of photos a week.  This one comes from a feature the local newspaper was running in 1957 when the local central office (Pacific Telephone) held an open house when the town cut over from manual to automatic dialing.

They had several displays set up including this one which depicts a "Telephone of the Future"  It is not a great shot of the actual device but I am trying to figure out just what it is.  Perhaps an automatic "speed" dialer?  It is in an interesting housing and has some sort of tube shaped thing at the top.  My friend suggested it was some sort of camera, but TV cameras were huge in 1957 and I don't see any kind of a monitor to view the other side of a conversation.  As far as I know, picturephone service was a long ways off in 1957.

any clues?

The remaining photo are a few other displays at the same open house.
-Bill G

rdelius

That is a Picturephone   possible a mock-up.Camera in small tube  and larger enclosure underneith fot the CRT

GusHerb

Yep definitely a Picturephone. I love that last photo with hordes of people in the CO, I didn't think they did that even back then.
Jonathan

paul-f

That "picturephone" was in publications in the late 1950s.  It and a few others are shown here:

  http://www.paul-f.com/wepic.html
Visit: paul-f.com         WE  500  Design_Line

.

Phonesrfun

Quote from: paul-f on February 02, 2015, 01:29:04 AM
That "picturephone" was in publications in the late 1950s.  It and a few others are shown here:

  http://www.paul-f.com/wepic.html

Well, I'll be danged.
-Bill G

Phonesrfun

Quote from: GusHerb on February 02, 2015, 12:59:18 AM
I love that last photo with hordes of people in the CO, I didn't think they did that even back then.

I agree! 
-Bill G

jsowers

#6
I love the soft plastic 554s in the fourth picture. Ivory on the left and rose beige or red on the right. Is that little Dennis Markham getting ready to dial?  ;D  No, he was only two years old in 1957.
Jonathan

Russ Kirk

Bill, do you have any info on where the CO is or what state it's located?
- Russ Kirk
ATCA & TCI

Phonesrfun

Quote from: Russ Kirk on February 02, 2015, 12:31:16 PM
Bill, do you have any info on where the CO is or what state it's located?

Sure.  The CO is still there on 1st and Alder in Walla Walla, WA. 
-Bill G

paul-f

Bill,

I found some better photos of the picturephone from a 1960 newspaper article.
  http://www.paul-f.com/wepic.html#1960

Also added some photos of other mid-1950s experiments.
Visit: paul-f.com         WE  500  Design_Line

.

Greg G.

#10
Speaking of picturephones, what's MagicMo been doing?  Any more treasures from her Dad's attic?  She last posted in October.
The idea that a four-year degree is the only path to worthwhile knowledge is insane.
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