What Is It? - Need Phone ID

[Dennis Markham]

A reader from my blog sent me these photos asking if I could enlighten him about it's make, etc.

I have no clue.  Does anyone?

Thanks,

~Dennis

[Doug Rose]

Ugly

[teka-bb]

There used to be an Italian company that made these kind of telephones out of Italian marble. There were / are other companies (China?) that also made/make these kind of phones.

I don't consider them to be collectable, I don't like them.

They are most definitely not antiques.

[Dennis Markham]

Doug, when I read your posting I laughed out loud.  And Remco, I agree with you as well.  I don't particularly care for the phone either.  I was just trying to help out the guy who was asking on behalf of his mother.  My first glance made me think of the Western Electric Design Line series, but the dial instantly said no to that.  I did double-check Paul Fassbender's site to confirm what I already knew.  I thought one of the guys from the other side of the pond might know.

Thanks for your responses (so far).

~Dennis

[bingster]

I don't know much more than Remco does.  I know these to be Italian, and the company that made them, did so in a number of different marble case configurations.  They're not terribly old--maybe 1960s and '70s.  They show up on ebay frequently, but I've never paid enough attention to know what they sell for.

[LarryInMichigan]

This phone would look much better as a lamp.

Larry

[teka-bb]

Nowadays Pakistan appears to be the place where a lot of onyx / marble telephones are produced.

No matter who makes them I still consider them to be ugly.

Dutch PTT sold an onyx telephone during the 1980's (made in Germany by Krone). I have it in my collection but at the moment it's in storage.

[Doug Rose]

When I was in the 4th Grade when Lincoln, I mean Kennedy was President, we would build phones that were much better looking and had all Western Electric parts. That looked like this.....Doug

[teka-bb]

At least the Dutch PTT model named Marquette had a real (gold plated)  dial:



In 1986 it cost about 470 US$ but that doesn't make it less ugly...

[Jim Stettler]

Onyx telephone from New york, I think the auctual phone is made in Italy. They usually have a paper tag on the bottom.

Onyx  had several different marble phones.  Most styles were made of "Slabs", like this one. They are very hard to ship without the phone getting a slab or 2  knocked loose.
Jim S.

[Bill]

If the owner is co-operative, it might be interesting to ask him to open it up and take a couple close-up photos of the inside. Then add very close-up photos of any printed markings.

Bill

[Doug Rose]

It will have a postage stamp sized network inside and a small electronic ringer. Basically a state of the art anchor. Yes.the onyx is heavy, the phone is a lightweight. ....Doug

[Jim Stettler]

It will have a postage stamp sized network inside and a small electronic ringer. Basically a state of the art anchor. Yes.the onyx is heavy, the phone is a lightweight. ....Doug

The network is probably bigger than a stamp (but I suspect pretty cheaply made), and they had a real (cheap)bell. . These came out in the 1970"s.
So think of cheap 1970's telephone technology.
Jim

[Dennis Markham]

Thanks everyone for your replies to this posting.  I'm going to contact the owner and suggest he log in and post some photos.