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Northern Telecom "Dawn"

Started by deedubya3800, September 09, 2010, 08:45:21 PM

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deedubya3800

A little later than most phones we discuss, but within the general scope nonetheless, I have to bring up the Dawn by Northern Telecom. Apparently, some people have called it the "pancake", though the touch-tone version (whose actual name escapes me) looks more pancake-like to me. I actually have one of these in pale yellow with the gold trim (those that lack the gold trim just look weird, in my opinion) in perfect working order, though I don't use it often.

This model has recently gotten a lot of airtime on the Disney Channel, being featured prominently for the first ten seconds of the title sequence of "Sonny With A Chance", one of their hottest new shows. No one on the Web seems to be asking about the phone, though I doubt many phone collectors watch the Disney Channel often anyway. The phone pictured there, however, is a very RED phone, but the Dawn does not appear to have ever been made in red.

Upon studying the picture below, it seems that the Dawn used for the show may actually be a pale yellow unit that has had the shell and handset painted red and a red handset cord installed. Below the gold trim, the base of the phone, what little of it is visible, appears to be a creamy color. Something else I noticed is that they appear to have put some little mechanism under the handset that makes it jiggle when the phone rings, a feature not found on the real Dawn. The ringtone heard in the title sequence, however, is authentic.

Below are two screenshots from the title sequence, which can be seen here, and a picture of mine.

Kenny C

My sister watches the show alot and i have noticed the phone and wanted to know what it was so this answers my question.
In memory of
  Marie B.
1926-2010

bingster

There was also a version with a little cradle that raised the handset above the base. These were also available here from our local phone company (C&P/Verizon).  They also had the airplane, the one with a little pad of paper below the dial and a few others from Northern.   
= DARRIN =



paul-f

Visit: paul-f.com         WE  500  Design_Line

.

bingster

I've spent a lot of time on your site, Paul, but I hadn't run across that particular page.  I had no idea the one with the cradle (Athena) had a light in it.  That's a nice little feature.
= DARRIN =



deedubya3800

Two things I have to wonder: Will the Dawn ever become known as the "Sonny" phone? And, if his name had been Alexander Graham Plane, would more phones have been shaped like planes rather than like bells?

Wallphone

#6
I have had a few of these Northern Telecom phones and they didn't seem to be built to very high quality standards. Of the two plane phones I had the dial was was shot in one of them. Of the others that I had (Athena, Dawn, & Rendezvous), most had some kind of problem with them. Some wouldn't dial out and most had bad handset cords. I think it was George Carlin that said "I'm glad his name wasn't Alexander Graham Siren".
Dougpav

deedubya3800

#7
I wonder if I could make any money getting some red paint and making a replica "Sonny With A Chance" phone. :'(

Dominic_ContempraPhones

Dawn was a UFO that could fly (gravity wave manipulation).  AGP needed a runway.  Any phone number with too many consecutive zeros could cause a takeoff on AGP.  Dawn could take off straight up.

The other problem with AGP was you couldn't dial 1 800 GO FEDEX on it.