Tell me about this German phone

[mienaichizu]

German red desk phone made by Siemens & Halske type Fg tist 282 T. Produced since 1954.

That's all I know about it and I'm planning to buy one, someone is offering me at a cheap price, about $18 but seems to be not in good condition

[Mark Stevens]

Wow, that's a cool phone! The color is great, too. I don't know much about non-U.S. phones, but I've at least seen photos of most of them...this is a new one on me!

[bingster]

Sweet phone!  I gotta find me one of those, now.

[HobieSport]

What a beauty, and indeed, what amazingly rich color!  It's interesting to compare some of the European phones to the American Dreyfus designs from the same eras. Thank you, Mienaichizu for pointing it out.

[McHeath]

I stumbled across this phone style last night when trying to figure out what Mienaichizu's "Denken" phone was.  I'd never seen one before, and here he has one up on the forum the next day.  Great color!  It's funny how you get all used to the handset sitting on a desk phone a certain way and when it gets turned 90 degrees it suddenly looks really odd.  This is a cool phone.

[HobieSport]

Speaking of German phones, here is an interesting one from the Bauhaus era:

http://tinyurl.com/585pd3 ( dead link 05-18-21 )

Is it just me or is this one boxy butt-ugly phone, never mind the cost.   (Sure it has lot's of historical value in industrial design.)
But please, give me a Henry Dreyfus design any day!

[bingster]

I'm sure it's the most beautiful phone ever, in the eyes of people who like Bauhaus.  I never liked it, personally, so I'm with you, Hobie--butt-ugly is being charitable with this one.

[HobieSport]

Yep, Bingster;  Good 'ol Bauhaus.  I read Walter Gropious' book written when he was just starting the Bauhaus.  The idea was very inspiring; having students learn by real hands-on crafty design for mass production.  But then looking at what came out of it...not always all that great...really ugly boxy architecture, uncomfortable expensive furniture, and one butt-ugly phone.

Here's another interesting design from Siemens & Halske:
http://cgi.ebay.com/RARE-SIEMENS-HALSKE-TELEPHONE-ART-DECO-DIAL-PHONE_W0QQitemZ180062341077QQcmdZViewItemQQptZCorded_Phones?_trksid=p3286.m20.l1116
( dead link 03-27-21 )

[McHeath]

I've seen a lot of Euro phones, and Aussie ones, and other North American makers like Automatic Electric and all, and I have to say that it seems that Western Electric, with Henry Dreyfuss as their designer, was a hard act to beat.  His phones certainly set the pace in many areas, from technology to usability.  Look at his 1949 model 500 and compare it to what was being offered by anyone else, anyplace else, at the time and the other phones suddenly all look dated and clunky.  A lot of other makers phones, while interesting for sure, have an awkwardness about their design and mechanics that really shows when a Dreyfuss design is placed next to it.  Take this Bauhaus phone, now I like modernist art, like it a lot, like things like square glass skyscrapers and Rothko paintings.  But this Bauhaus phone looks like something designed by a 6 year old told to draw a phone, it simply does not work.  Then look at people like Jonathan Ive at Apple, love or hate Apple one must admit that Ive does modern design amazingly well, his products have good balance, pleasing forms, and convey a sense of elegance.  A lot of work has been done in applying math to "beauty" and discovering that things that are generally seen as beautiful have certain mathematical formulas going on in them. People like Ive and Dreyfuss, by either overt knowledge or simply an inner sense of these rules, made and make products that follow the rules of beauty. 

[mienaichizu]

Wow, that's a cool phone! The color is great, too. I don't know much about non-U.S. phones, but I've at least seen photos of most of them...this is a new one on me!

The one being sold to me is color green, like moss green
The photo above is only for reference but only with a different color
I'll get the phone as soon as I have the money

[mienaichizu]

What a beauty, and indeed, what amazingly rich color!  It's interesting to compare some of the European phones to the American Dreyfus designs from the same eras. Thank you, Mienaichizu for pointing it out.

This seems to be a real beauty for me too but the seller pointing it out that that phone was the ugliest he has seen that's why he's selling it for a cheap price

[mienaichizu]

Yep, Bingster;  Good 'ol Bauhaus.  I read Walter Gropious' book written when he was just starting the Bauhaus.  The idea was very inspiring; having students learn by real hands-on crafty design for mass production.  But then looking at what came out of it...not always all that great...really ugly boxy architecture, uncomfortable expensive furniture, and one butt-ugly phone.

Here's another interesting design from Siemens & Halske:
http://cgi.ebay.com/RARE-SIEMENS-HALSKE-TELEPHONE-ART-DECO-DIAL-PHONE_W0QQitemZ180062341077QQcmdZViewItemQQptZCorded_Phones?_trksid=p3286.m20.l1116

I love the modernist style especially Bauhaus. Its true that they produced great looking furniture but sometimes it is not so comfortable

[HobieSport]

I didn't mean to disrespect Bauhaus.  Some of the designs are really good.  I was just making fun of that one phone because it looked so boxy.  Sorry.

[mienaichizu]

I also admit it that that phone is boxy and a bit uncomfortable but by judging its design it is quite unique with other telephone models that makes it beautiful