Author: Morris Butler

The Museum of Telephone History features many different telephone models and related items for display. It makes a fun family outing, school field trip or is an invaluable addition to any sightseeing tour itinerary.

Archives at Edmonton Public Libraries include telephone directories and photos documenting Edmonton phone use history. Furthermore, our collection features technical manuals and books about telecom.

Museum of Independent Telephony

This museum showcases both the social and technical significance of telephone networks through working equipment that offers tangible evidence of an evolving technology. Additionally, this museum honors and recognizes the creativity, craftsmanship, and industry found within telecommunication communities through educational programs, exhibits, and special events.

Once Alexander Graham Bell’s patent expired, more than 6,000 independent telephone companies (commonly known as Independents) sprang up across the nation. This museum celebrates their history through old switchboards and linemen’s tools used by linemen; pole insulators; etc.

This museum is well worth a visit; however, as with all free museums and non-profits it requires support to remain operational. If possible, consider making a donation so they may continue preserving and displaying historical artifacts for future generations – thank you! Located at 412 South Campbell Street in Abilene Kansas; phone: 785-928-8500

Roseville Telephone Company Museum

Roseville Telephone Company Museum houses one of the nation’s finest collections of antique phones and memorabilia, its displays highlighting more than a century of communication technology in Roseville as well as globally. Open to visitors year-round.

At its 106 Vernon Street location in Downtown Roseville, the museum exhibits and displays that show how people used to communicate between one another. Their collection includes old-fashioned upright phones called candlesticks as well as early wooden wall phones and magneto switchboards as well as colored glass insulators and telephone booths.

The Museum is the perfect spot for family outings, school field trips and city sightseeing tours. Operated by volunteers and free to visit, its staff are dedicated to sharing our telephone industry history and answering any queries that arise from visitors.

Oklahoma Museum of Telephone History

Oklahoma City hosts this museum dedicated to telephone history dating from 1900 through today, including switchboards, crank wall phones and decorator phones from 1900 onward. Also displayed here is a collection of tools used by their ancestors as well as hands-on items for children.

The museum houses many historic artifacts, such as a 1905 switchboard and vintage cable car buggy from its collection, as well as antique phone equipment like 1905 rotary dial phones and wind-up wall phones from its collection of antique phone equipment. Furthermore, there are various historical documents and photographs.

The museum boasts many online collections available to the public. Notable examples are Civil War soldiers’ personal narratives and interviews conducted with Oklahomans during the 1930s as well as over 200 manuscript collections on Native Americans from their manuscript collections complemented by maps and posters – collections which historians will find invaluable.

Hello Montreal!

Hello Montreal! is an insightful exhibition which takes visitors back through 140 years of advances in telephony. Utilizing Bell’s extensive historical collection, Hello Montreal! shows how telephone has revolutionized communication.

At this museum, visitors will discover an astonishing collection of vintage phones spanning 1895 up to 2015 – from magneto switchboards used at Montreal exchanges around 1895, all the way through a massive battery switchboard seating over 100 operators! Additionally, visitors can see Princess phones first launched in 1960 (some even lit up), along with modern Vista 350 phones which display caller names.

There are a range of activities designed to engage children at this exhibit, such as trying their luck as switchboard operators from the 1920s – by connecting as many calls as possible! It also honours generations that contributed to developing telephony through pole erecting, cable burying and developing equipment design – providing visitors with an exciting glimpse of Canadian invention and urban communications history.

Telephone Historical Centre Visiting hours

Telecom Pioneers of Old Strathcona operates this museum since 1987 in Old Strathcona’s historic Old Strathcona neighbourhood and houses an extensive collection of telephones and equipment from Bell Systems employee services organizations such as theirs.

This museum chronicles the evolution of wired telecommunications from Alexander Graham Bell’s 1876 patent up until today’s cell phones, featuring working central office step switches, operator switchboards and outdoor displays of poles, cable and splicing equipment.

Visiting Hours

Canada’s largest telephone museum encourages visitors to touch and try things for themselves, with crank phones dotting the walls and guests taking seats at an antique switchboard from 1900s where they can act as operators and connect calls through. The museum traces phone innovation since Alexander Graham Bell first invented his device back in 1876 all the way up until modern mobile communications; hours of operation run Tuesday – Friday 10 am – 3 pm (closed Saturday, Sunday and Monday); admission by donation; this venue can be found at Prince of Wales Armouries Heritage Centre: 1400 Kingsway Ave Edmonton Alberta T5K 0J5; telephone: (780) 424-2400

Admission

Donations keep museums open so history is accessible for all. Additionally, this 501(c)(3) public charity teaching museum fosters enthusiasm for engineering by comparing modern telecommunications technology with vintage tech from days gone by; while its phone collection provides inspiration to future innovators.

Roseville Telephone Museum provides an exciting and educational destination for family outings, school field trips and group sightseeing tours of Edmonton. Exhibits at this museum include working Central Office step switches and operator switchboards; antique wooden wall phones; candlestick wall phones and desk/rotary dial telephones, plus one of North America’s largest telecommunications reference libraries and outdoor plant displays including poles/wires/splicing equipment.

Family members often possess information and objects useful to genealogists; however, their reluctance to share these with others can thwart research efforts. A written letter, visit, or telephone survey are excellent methods of gathering this data. Furthermore, asking family members about their experience with telephone companies might aid in tracking down records more quickly.

Exhibits

The museum provides visitors with many interactive exhibits and displays to enable them to understand the development of communications technology. Exhibits include working central office step switches and operator switchboards; antique telephones and decorator phones; crank wall phones that ring, dial, and have bells inserted into their mouthpieces for privacy; as well as hundreds of pieces of communication equipment.

The exhibits at this museum demonstrate how communications technology has progressed over time from smoke signals to text messages, and recognize the creativity and dedication of individuals who have worked in telecommunications – such as one woman who warned troops in New Mexico and an operator who remained at her switchboard during a flood.

The museum features artifacts that reflect Edmonton’s rich history. Exhibits at this destination also include working panel and crossbar electromechanical central office switch equipment; outdoor plant displays featuring poles, wire, splicing equipment and tools; as well as a cataloged telecommunications reference library – making this an engaging destination for family outings, school field trips or group sightseeing tours of Edmonton.

Tours

The Jefferson Telecom Museum aims to foster an interest in science and engineering among its visitors, making it an excellent family destination and an educational school field trip or group sight-seeing tour. Featuring working central office step switches, operator switchboards and hundreds of pieces of telephone-related equipment and tools.

Staff at this museum include former employees from local phone companies with firsthand knowledge of the technologies displayed there, who share their expertise to preserve landlines as cellular phones continue to transform society. This dedication ensures that history will never be lost to us all as technology changes rapidly around us.

Visitors of the museum are treated to guided tours led by museum volunteers, providing insight into the telecommunications industry while experiencing how telephones used to work decades ago. The facility houses a two-position Kellogg universal telephone switch so guests can learn how to manually connect calls; further displays include party lines (where four housewives used one circuit together to gossip), as well as hush-a-phones which allow users to whisper secrets directly into its mouthpiece for privacy.

This museum chronicles the development of telephone technology since its invention in 1876. Featuring working equipment, visitors can see evidence of progress made over one hundred years in telecom.

This collection boasts wooden wall phones, candlestick phones, classic rotary dials and novelty phones – as well as a two-position Kellogg Universal switchboard that enables visitors to experience how manual switching was once conducted before automation became mainstream.

The History of the Telephone

Humans have always attempted to communicate over long distances using various means such as smoke signals, letters and telegraphs – until the invention of telephone. With its immediate and live communication abilities, this allowed for real-time contact between distant parties.

Alexander Graham Bell became the first person to patent a telephone on March 7, 1876, after working as a teacher of deaf children and searching for ways to electronically transmit speech.

Antonio Meucci and Charles Bourseul had also experimented with various designs of telephone before Alexander Bell came along; each had his own version. Bell used vibrations of copper wire, similar to violin strings, to transmit sound over long distances; his invention was displayed at the Philadelphia World’s Exposition in 1876.

The History of the Roseville Telephone Company

Prior to automated systems making calling easy and effortless, callers had to use manual exchanges staffed by busy, often cranky operators who sometimes cursed out impatient subscribers; sometimes these operators even included female representatives.

The museum features working central office step switches and operator switchboards as well as antique wooden telephones, candlestick wall phones and rare phone booths from its collection. Furthermore, one of North America’s largest telecommunications reference libraries as well as outdoor displays of poles, wire and splicing equipment can also be found here.

The Telephone Historical Centre serves as a STEM-style teaching museum that allows visitors to experiment with old-fashioned phones and switchboards while providing hands-on learning opportunities about technology evolution. Furthermore, this engaging destination serves as an engaging destination for family outings, school field trips, or group sightseeing tours of Edmonton. Additionally, rare communication technology such as its first liquid transmitter and prototype mobile telephones are preserved here to ensure their legacy does not fade into history. Open to the public since 2007, this place can serve as an engaging destination for family outings, school field trips or group sightseeing tours of Edmonton! The Telephone Historical Centre makes for an engaging destination open to all visitors; perfect for family outings, school field trips or group sightseeing tours of Edmonton!

The History of the Jefferson Telecom Telephone Museum

This museum presents a fascinating look back at the evolution of telephone technology from candlestick phones to modern cell phones. Anyone interested in understanding more about telecommunications should visit.

Volunteers have spent more than 70,000 hours renovating this museum located in what were once military officers’ quarters, housing operator switchboards and working central office step switches as well as thousands of telephone-related items such as novelty phones.

At Jefferson Telecom Museum, many exhibits were donated by former employees who once worked there. One of the more fascinating exhibits includes a “party line” phone used by four housewives at once to share one telephone circuit and exchange gossip; as well as a hush-a-phone, which allows people to whisper secrets into its mouthpiece for privacy.

The Jefferson Telecom Telephone Museum is an excellent educational destination for families, students, and anyone else curious about telephone history. Easily navigable, self-guided tours are also offered; for groups of 10 or more it is necessary to book guided tours at least two weeks in advance.

The History of the Telecommunications History Group

The Telecommunications History Group (THG) is an international society dedicated to collecting, preserving, documenting and educating about the history of telephones, switching systems, telegraphs and payphones. Through conferences, workshops and public programs held throughout the year to educate the public on this field; publishing books; working with schools on curriculum inclusion.

The THG collection spans from Alexander Graham Bell’s first call in 1876 up until mobile technology today, including rare artifacts such as candlestick wall phones, rotary dial phones and a Kellogg universal switchboard that enables visitors to simulate manual line switching at telephone exchanges before automated systems became the norm. Staffed by current and retired phone company employees with extensive knowledge about each piece displayed ensures that landlines’ history won’t be forgotten as cellphones become standard fare.

Telecommunications equipment tells fascinating tales of innovation and culture. Teachers use this collection of items to ignite students’ intrinsic curiosity and foster an interest in engineering.

HBEC’s community-driven research approach is one of the hallmarks of its success, and this project illustrates how this method can be employed within pandemic situations.

Museum Exhibits

Our museum exhibits offer insight into technology, history, culture and people from many walks of life. With our large collection of telephones dating back from their initial use to contemporary models and equipment, come experience one of North America’s largest telephone museums!

Our exhibitions are enhanced by educational programs that educate visitors on the significance of nature. Students gain an appreciation of its value through a multi-sensory experience that includes touching, smelling and hearing about its treasures.

This groundbreaking app allows visitors to hunt for and collect plant and animal images from our William Farquhar Collection of Natural History Drawings. Visitors can use the app to collect 69 images before using additional information about them once captured – creating an enjoyable interactive way for them to explore our exhibitions!

Museum Volunteers

The Museum Volunteers program is an engaging history program tailored specifically for your classroom, office, home or other group setting. Utilizing historic objects from our collections we can guide your students in developing observation and inference skills with object explorations, stories and activities from Ohio social studies standards as well as Common Core standards that can be delivered either remotely or physically.

Discover how Saratoga County residents celebrated holidays in the past through photographs and historical objects. Participants will discover traditions surrounding Christmas, Hanukkah, Halloween, Thanksgiving and other major holiday customs.

As part of its response to the Covid-19 pandemic, HBEC created a telephone outreach project in response to this pandemic to keep registry members engaged without physical events and programs. This initiative complements HBEC’s longstanding commitment to community engagement while still fulfilling their overall mission of supporting older adults and their caregivers across Texas.

Museum Archives

Telecommunication museums provide children and adults alike with an immersive history lesson of communication technology’s evolution from its original invention through today’s multifunctional smartphones. Museums preserve artifacts that illustrate its iterative design process while simultaneously stimulating visitors’ curiosity on how communication technology has profoundly transformed society.

Museum archivists are responsible for developing and upholding collections management policies that adhere to professional archival ethics and standards in their repositories. Where possible, they should adopt existing institutional policies and procedures as much as possible while when necessary creating tailor-made policies to fit their repository’s collecting scope.

Museum archivists should strive to collaborate with other manuscript collecting repositories when considering new acquisitions, in order to respect donor wishes regarding access restrictions and copyright. Furthermore, they will ensure their institutions can retain ownership of archival holdings while where applicable requesting that donors transfer copyright ownership through Deed of Gift documents.

Museum Collections

Telecommunication museums provide a tangible history of communication technology, offering visitors an easy way to understand its development in today’s interconnected world. By preserving rare models and prototypes, museum collections demonstrate how these processes shaped our connected lives.

This museum boasts operator switchboards and step-by-step automatic branch exchange systems as well as panel systems – an engaging destination for families, school field trips, and sightseeing tours of Edmonton. Its collection reveals how telecommunications have advanced since Alexander Bell first unveiled his phone in 1876 all the way up until mobile phones have taken their place as part of everyday life.

A museum’s governing authority serves as both a trustee and guardian of its assets, overseeing them for public use and respecting pluralism and diversity both inside the collection as well as among communities they serve. They must protect these assets as public resources while conducting all their activities for common benefit rather than private financial gain; museums that serve their local communities must find creative solutions to meet challenges presented to them by community service.

The Telephone Historical Centre Collections in Edmonton is a telecommunications museum. For over 10 years it has chronicled technological changes to telephones while collecting old models as reminders of how far we’ve come.

This exciting collection boasts an exquisite full-sized magneto switchboard, Step-by-Step private automatic branch exchange and rare phone booths as some of its stars.

Telephone Sets

Few innovations have had as profound an effect on human communication than the telephone, and this collection explores its place within business, society and culture.

The collection of phones at the museum spans from Alexander Bell’s inaugural phone in 1876 to mobile technology today, and even features a Kellogg universal switchboard that allows visitors to simulate how operators would have connected circuits years ago – it even works!

Other exhibits at the museum include candlestick wall phones; the McKinley phone (1897), which was used to report President William McKinley’s assassination; an old Western Electric Model 21 wall phone that is often referred to as the “three jug phone”, and an attractive telephone from 1920. There is also a display of explosion-proof telephones used in mines or other environments where even minor sparks could spark disaster.

Colorful painted backdrops decorate equipment displays like an operator switchboard and last step-by-step private automatic branch exchange system, along with panel systems. The phone museum is an engaging stop for history enthusiasts, families and school groups on field trips or sightseeing tours of Edmonton.

Operator Switchboards

Before automated systems made phone calls easier for callers, calls to non-local numbers (or between local lines) required a manual exchange where operators used electrical cords and switches to establish connections – usually operated by women.

Finding female operators wasn’t always easy, though. Male operators tended to roughhouse and often cussed out impatient subscribers; phone companies used door-knocking techniques in an effort to attract better-mannered operators by canvassing girls and young women at random addresses.

The museum boasts a working model of an early telephone switchboard that visitors can use to simulate how callers connected in the past. The switchboard comprises rows of female jacks wired as either individual subscriber extensions (to one subscriber at a time) or trunk lines; each of them also contains its own lamp.

Military Telephones

This collection includes a working central office step switch, operator switchboards, crank wall phones and hundreds of pieces of telephone equipment. In addition, the museum boasts one of North America’s largest telecommunications reference libraries as well as outdoor plant displays of poles, wire, splicing equipment and tools.

Docents, who are current and retired employees of the phone company volunteering their time, provide visitors with expert escorting through exhibits. Additionally, the museum features hands-on displays designed to spark children’s curiosity about technology and history; Boy Scouts can use the museum as fulfillment of Inventing and Engineering merit badge requirements.

This collection displays the development of telephone technology over a century, from manual system telephones to automated switching technology. Artifacts related to Bell’s contributions in furthering telecom are also present here, along with an original Kellogg Universal switchboard from 1940 which shows line switching performed manually at telephone exchanges prior to automated systems becoming commonplace.

Wall Phones

Our collection boasts nearly a century of items related to telephone technology. As a non-profit organization funded by membership dues, research fees, and grants we maintain one of the nation’s largest privately held telecommunication archives as well as operating two museums.

Our museum boasts an assortment of rotary dial phones as well as early switchboards from Lars Magnus Ericsson in 1878 – as well as an operational replica.

Many companies produced wall phones in the 1900s and 1920s. While some models were made from wood with intricate carvings, others featured simpler designs or were less ornate; others still came equipped with standard pony receivers and cathedral top designs that collectors commonly refer to. A rare find were double box or twin box phones containing magnetos that generated electricity to power it.