Your most "interesting" phone is...

[McHeath]

Wow, cool phones!

Remco, your 1880 phone is the probably the oldest I know of.  Does it work?  It's in great shape for 130 years.

Kidphone Doug, your collection never ceases to amaze.  The kit phone for kids is unique, very interesting and I'm guessing rare.  Mega cool sign!

AtomicTom, I've seen your manual 500 in another spot on the forum, I think, and like it, it's one of those weird phones that have charm by their unusualness. 

Phoneguy06's red Cortelco is sweet, wish mine was any color but ash.  And the D1's very nice.

[teka-bb]

Wow, cool phones!

Remco, your 1880 phone is the probably the oldest I know of.  Does it work?  It's in great shape for 130 years.

I might still work but I don't want to try it. It's too priceless to let it go up in smoke.

[teka-bb]

If I have to choose my most interesting Rotary phone it would be this one:

Philips Type NF 000 07-29 :


It's the same model as the Dutch PTT/HEEMAF Type 1955 in Ivory made by HEEMAF for Philips.

About Gerard Kiljan (1891-1968) the Dutch industrial designer: In the fifties, the Dutch PTT engaged him to design an integrated telephone in a functionalist style. It was manufactured by the Heemaf factory in Hengelo (east of our country) and appeared on the market in 1955.

The construction inside is similar as in the Ericsson 1951 and the Standard Electric model of 1954, and comply with the strict standards of the Dutch PTT, controlled by their laboratory in Leidschendam.

The Ericsson model was manufactured at the Dutch plant of Ericsson in Rijen in the south of the country. The Standard Electric telephones came from the BTMC plant in Antwerp (Belgium) and maybe also from the Dutch plant in The Hague.

Originally Gerard Kiljan was a graphic designer. In 1931 he designed also for PTT (at that time called : Rijkstelefoondienst) a series of stamps (subject: children) and a leaflet for the telephone company. In that time he was a teacher at the Royal Academy of Expressive Arts in The Hague and some years later in Rotterdam. He was strongly influenced by the principles of the design movement called : Nieuwe Zakelijkheid (New Objectivity). Contemporaries are the designers Henry Cahn and Piet Zwart.

Until the fifties Kiljan was not active as an industrial designer. He was more interested in photographic experiments. Kiljan's telephones (beside the table model there is also a wall model) have for some time now become coveted objects for collectors and design freaks.

[AET]

Here is a pic with it in there.  It's on the left next to the clock. 

[Doug Rose]

Love them all, the kiddie kit is amazing as is the soungstage phone and the Navy machine.

Most of all THAT SIGN!

Absolutely pristine, beautiful item, did you rescue it personally from the bus station?

I dont have much of interest apart from maybe my 2 "weatherproof" phones, one dial and pulse, one I got just recently button and DTMF.

When I purchased the sign from a guy on Craig's List, it was his story. I'm hoping its true as it gives the sign a past life. I will give it its future life.....Doug

[Doug Rose]

"Kidphone Doug, your collection never ceases to amaze.  The kit phone for kids is unique, very interesting and I'm guessing rare.  Mega cool sign!"


McHeath.....many thanks. I have been fortunate to have been in the right place at  the right time more than once.....Doug

[bellsystemproperty]

I find the Ericofon very interesting, although the 500 is more practical.

[Craig T]

I gotta say this Mexican phone. It was interesting trying to open it 

[Dan]

My camera is out, but my phone is like this--french with a little mother-in-law extra receiver that hangs up on the back. Mine is grey, however.  Great for ease dropping or hearing your loved ones in "stereo".

[teka-bb]

I gotta say this Mexican phone. It was interesting trying to open it 

How did you get it open?

[Craig T]

Actually I did not get it open. D/P sketched a tool that should work to open it. I have yet to attempt fashioning it.

[bingster]

Most of my phones are common models, so I don't really have anything interesting.  Maybe the 1-57 500U, or the KTAS D-08 just because it's my only non-North American phone.