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Political Convention Telephones?

Started by SUnset2, August 20, 2020, 10:50:29 PM

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SUnset2

Since it is political convention season in the U. S., I thought it might be an appropriate thread to discuss phones for political conventions.

This is a phone that appears to have been specially made for convention delegates at the DNC in 1996.  It is made in Thailand for Lucent Technologies.  Rather cheaply made with mostly plastic and an electronic ringer.  I don't normally collect phones like this, but it was cheap and I couldn't resist.

So, was it common to make special phones for political conventions?  This is the only one I have seen.  In recent years, the delegates probably just bring their own cell phones.

Jim Stettler

 It may of been an official phone at the convention, then gifted to an employee or high end donor.
You could google the convention to see what the phones were.
It may of been avaliable at the  at a stand during the convention.


Regarding the imprinted handset cord.
You could special order imprinted handset  cords like the one on this phone. They also had various stock messages avaliable on the cords.


You live, You learn,
You die, you forget it all.

compubit

I know for a while long distance phone cards were a big thing at the conventions - and collectible...

Jim
A phone phanatic since I was less than 2 (thanks to Fisher Price); collector since a teenager; now able to afford to play!
Favorite Phone: Western Electric Trimline - it just feels right holding it up to my face!

SUnset2

It has a number card with a 312 number (Chicago).  There is also a sticker on the underside of the handset with a special number at Ameritech to call for repair service during the convention.  So, more likely than not, it was installed at the convention.

Jim Stettler

Quote from: SUnset2 on August 21, 2020, 12:09:08 AM
  So, more likely than not, it was installed at the convention.

That makes it a cool limited edition phone with limited use/wear. I think it is a cool phone to own (for cheap).
JMO,
Jim
You live, You learn,
You die, you forget it all.

Jim Stettler

I have an official 1984 Olympic telephone. Mine has the harder-to-find WE Olympic faceplate . Most had the AT&T faceplates. The WE faceplates were just used in the WE Olympic facilities. The AT&T faceplates were used thru-out the Olympic venue.
I got it from the guy that was in charge of the 1984 Olympic telephone system. It was his final project before retiring.
Paul F. shows a white example at this page.
http://www.paul-f.com/Commemorative.html
go down to 1984 Olympic, the upper photo.
My set is Black and says WE on the faceplate vs AT&T
-------------------------------------------------------------------------
I feel any of these special venue telephones are a cool slice of history.
__________________________________________________________________________________
___________________________________________________________________________________
As a side note, Paul F. shows a 100,000,000 telephone on the same page. and states the actual 100,000,000th phone was never identified.
I met a local woman who told me her husband installed the 100,000,000th phone in Colorado Springs. It was a princess phone. She said she had the newspaper article regarding it and I think the address was included in the article.
------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
Her husband was wheelchair bound due to a work accident. He sent her to the store and  committed suicide, this was a few months before I met her.
I really wanted to see the newspaper article, but she was in a fragile emotional state so I didn't push it. This was at her moving sale.
The article would of been in the Colorado Springs Gazette or the Colorado springs Free Press/Sun newspaper. The date would of been on or after the date on Paul's page.

Jim
You live, You learn,
You die, you forget it all.

Babybearjs

I just have a stars and stripes candlestick.... they didn't ever use those, did they?
John

Key2871

Wow what a sad story, but it wood have been very cool to see that article and to have that phone? Wow that would be very cool.
How did the guy know it was the millionth phone? Did the record show that?
KEN

Jim Stettler

Quote from: Key2871 on August 21, 2020, 03:53:08 PM
How did the guy know it was the millionth phone? Did the record show that?
This is the 100,000,000 installed.
He was an installer.
The PR dept. sent the press.
My guess is the operating company was predetermined. the installer and actual set was mostly by chance .
Just a guess,
Jim
I have handled the 1,000,000,000 phone produced by WE it was a heavy gold finish and a medallion describing what it was. It was offered as trade for a Blake transmitter. It was gone before I could find out much more.

You live, You learn,
You die, you forget it all.

Key2871

Sorry got cross eyes crossed looking at all those zeros.
Yes it makes sense it was a random chance thing for the installer and the set.
But cool story.
KEN