Before the Mushroom Phone there was this!

[JimH]

Found this in an electrical catalog and thought I'd share it with everyone.  Proves the idea has been around longer than we'd thought!

[Dan]

Cool, looks like you could hit the lamp while dialing.

[Dan/Panther]

Another good idea not through.
D/P

[McHeath]

Clever, and pretty much exactly the solution the mushroom phone had, an external light cast on the dial.  The Princess solution was more effective, you could see the dial better when it was lit from inside, but it lacks that certain curious charm that a mushroom 500 has.