Odd Phone in Photo.

[Dan/Panther]

I found this photo for sale on eBay, and can't make out the type phone. Can anyone show a better example of the phone this guy is using ?
D/P

[LarryInMichigan]

D/P,

I do not believe that it is a phone.  It looks like a mechanical recording/dicatation device.  He is speaking into a tube which is modulating a stylus on a rotating cylinder. 

Larry

[Dan/Panther]

Larry;
you are absolutely correct.
The photo was listed as "Man on Phone", I didn't associate the dictaphone concept at the time.
D/P

[Dennis Markham]

Nice fan in the background.....

[Dan/Panther]

Dennis;
Odd you should mention that, but when I first saw the photo, the fan caught my eye. Don't know why it just did.
It is similar to one my parents had when I was little. I used to sit in front of it and make weird sounds to hear the echos back. Anyone else ever do that ?
D/P

[Dennis Markham]

Yes Dan, I used to do the same thing.  The big box fans work good for that too.

I might have stuck a finger in a fan or two when I was a kid too.  That was long before they made the grilles so small that little fingers can't get inside.

[Dan/Panther]

Dennis;
I did the finger thing also. Took a couple times to get it right though.
D/P

[Jim Stettler]

Auctually, it is a Bell " phone" , a dictophone. I have one. While researching it I discovered that Bell owned dictophone.

ISTR that they invented them as an office dictating machine. I had assumed that they would of fallen under edison patents.

They became popular once wax cylindar "records" became obsolete.

These recorded on to wax cylindars. If you wanted to reuse the cylindar, you would use a shave attatchment or a seperate "shaving machine".
They were replaced by "wire" recorders. (recorded on magnetic wire). Tape recorders were the next technology.

Mine is on aroll-around stand w/ cylindar storage underneath.

Jim

When I was young (early 1960's, these would turn up in a lot of thrift stores

[Russ Kirk]

Here is a photo of a phone I have never seen,  but I'm sure some of the experts on the forum have the answer.   I found this photo at officemuseum.com.   It is from 1905 and shows a candlestick on a long extension arm and an unusual switch-hook.  Is this a custom configuration or a standard issue? It seems a good solution for a shared phone with back-to-back desks.

Russ

[Dan/Panther]

Jim;
I had a Dictaphone, that used a transparent blue belt, not reusable. I don't even know what happened to it ?

Russ;
Seems like a custom job to me, but I'm just guessing.
BTW, I don't recall welcoming you to the forum.
D/P

[Russ Kirk]

Well,  thank you for the nice welcome. 
I find this forum full of friendly people and wealth of information.
I like the feature of adding a photo in the message instead of have to provide a link.

That web page - officemuseum.com has a lot of old photos that include phones. 
Here is another interesting photo. This one shows the connecting block and the bell box mounted on the side of the desk.
Oops!  is this off topic because it does not have a dial?? <g>
It is interesting to find old photos with telephones in their original environments.

Russ