Author: Morris Butler
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No matter your interest or age, this section has something to offer for every age and interest group. From discovering more about telecommunications history to witnessing how phones have progressed over time – this section has something for everyone!

This series includes files on exchange histories, facts and figures, personal recollections and historic buildings. Also included are binders containing newspaper clippings and scrapbooks that are being microfilmed for preservation purposes.

The Smithsonian

The Smithsonian Institution is one of the world’s greatest museums and research complexes, housing 17 museums and galleries, a zoo, and various research facilities. Their collection boasts more than 150 million objects, specimens, and works of art.

The Archives are home to numerous original volumes that provide invaluable insight into Alberta and Canadian telecommunications history, from maps and drawings, through photographs and posters to posters and prints. Furthermore, large bins contain advertising samples dating from 1950s-1980s advertising campaigns.

The Archives’ holdings in Canadian Telephony history are comprehensive, covering every facet of telephone development in Canada. Their collections reveal all aspects of this history from politics, competitions and personalities involved with its development – as well as modern communication’s roots at this juncture following fur trade’s end – through pioneering telephone pioneers as well as their technologies and companies supporting them.

The Telephone Museum

The telephone is one of the world’s most-utilized telecommunications devices, allowing instant, personal communication with anyone anytime anywhere at an economical and user-friendly price point.

The Museum features working electromechanical central office-type switching equipment as well as a catalogued telecommunications reference library, in addition to offering various telephones, switchboards and outside plant displays that include poles, wires and tools for display.

Bell Canada officers made the initial decision to create the Collection by agreeing to preserve all documents, photographs, equipment samples and records related to their predecessors in the telephone business. Over time it has grown into an archive that contains files on Bell-Northern Research and Development Laboratories, independent telephone companies, telecommunications in foreign countries as well as correspondence dates photos samples equipment samples equipment of every era from across time and place.

Candlestick phones and wooden box phones fill endless racks, alongside classic rotary phones and novelty ones like Hush-a-phone (for private conversations), Desk Grab-a-phone and the phone James used from a cigar shop to report President McKinley’s assassination more than 100 years ago.

The Edmonton Telephone Museum

The Edmonton Telephone Museum is a telecommunications museum in Edmonton, Alberta founded by retired employees of ED TEL in 1987 and opened to the public shortly thereafter. Since its move to its current location at Prince of Wales Armouries Heritage Centre in central Edmonton it offers guided tours for groups as well as individuals.

The museum houses an impressive array of artifacts, such as a fully functioning hands-on switchboard and step-by-step private automatic branch exchange that demonstrate how these systems operated. There are also photographs and early telephone directories.

The museum is open to the public and provides an ideal opportunity to gain knowledge about telecom. Its large collection of memorabilia will appeal to visitors of all ages. Admission is free of charge; donations are welcomed.

The Telephone Archives

The Telephone Archives is a vast digital archive containing images and historical information ranging from porcelain telephone signs to manufacturer catalogs, founded in 2001 as part of BT Heritage, a corporate responsibility initiative to preserve telecom artifacts.

The Archives possess an extensive collection of historical telephone photographs, videos and films, depicting old equipment, engineers and operators at work as well as local scenes and landmarks. A curated selection can be seen online via BT Group’s image library where some have even been scanned to become searchable.

The Archives also houses an impressive selection of vintage telephone directories dating from 1895 to present day, along with many technical manuals on telecommunications technology and history. This resource provides a rich resource for anyone interested in Edmonton’s telecom heritage; students and researchers can visit to explore this remarkable collection; plus there are oral histories available here too!

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Telephone Historical Centre Visiting hours

Discover the history and development of wired telephone networks as well as inventions that lead to cell phones, computers and other forms of telecommunication at this hands-on museum. Exhibits include wall-mounted hand-crank magneto phones; manual switchboards; working Panel and Crossbar electromechanical central office switches; outside plant displays of poles cables and splicing equipment – and more!

Hours

Old Strathcona Museum houses antique telephones, switchboards and outside plant displays such as poles, cables, splicing equipment and tools – as well as poles, cables, splicing equipment and tools from former telephone exchange buildings in Edmonton TEL’s Old Strathcona branch – from antique to current technologies ranging from poles, cables splicing equipment and tools. There is also an extensive cataloged reference library as well as hands-on demonstrations featuring working Panel and Crossbar electromechanical central office switches; Step-by-Step private automatic branch exchange (demonstrating stepping switch principle); mobile phone displays featuring 1980s car phones to current technology were established to establish this museum founded by retired Edmonton TEL employees themselves.

Admission

The Telephone Historical Centre is an interactive museum with a pay-what-you-wish admissions policy, so history remains accessible for all. Group rates are also available; please note, though, that at least 2 hours should be allotted for seeing all exhibits.

At this museum, visitors can try out magneto phones and dial telephones as well as manual switchboards and electromechanical marvels that helped launch cell phone networks, digital services and more. Artifacts such as giant telegraphs and Edmonton Exchange Building from Old Strathcona can also be viewed. Prior to April 2019, Edmonton Telephone Historical Centre had been located within Prince of Wales Armouries Heritage Complex.

Gift Shop

The gift shop of the Telecommunication Museum features telephones, posters and memorabilia from telecommunication history; an ideal place to get something truly memorable to remind yourself of your visit to this unique space. The self-guided, accessible history museum features many engaging and fun exhibits from its past including an operator switchboard from 1920, military telephones, wall-mounted hand-crank magneto phones and dial phones from different eras of phone useage as well as a step-by-step private automatic branch exchange that illustrates stepping switch principle as well as hundreds of pieces of telephone related equipment, tools and accessories. Exhibits trace the development of telephone technology from Alexander Graham Bell’s 1876 liquid transmitter through to today’s mobile cellular phones, with books, scripts and CDs related to telephone history available for sale at our gift shop which opens an hour before Globe performances and remains open through evening intermission.

Exhibits

The Telecommunications Museum provides an accessible history of communications technology from Alexander Graham Bell’s telephone to modern equipment used for communications today. It serves as a valuable educational resource, offering groups and individuals alike a chance to explore the telecommunications industry’s impact on society.

This interactive museum is one of Canada’s largest and most engaging displays. Dozens of phones line the walls, some which ring or dial. Other exhibits include a working switchboard, Step-by-Step private automatic branch exchange system and mobile phones from 1980’s through today.

There is also an impressive collection of tools of the trade, copper cabling, manhole covers and collectible insulators from the old telephone system on display here, making this museum unique in Canada. Established by retired ED TEL employees on December 3, 1987 in an old telephone exchange building in Old Strathcona before eventually moving to its current home at Prince of Wales Armouries Heritage Centre in 2004.

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Telephone Historical Centre

Telephones have long been part of our everyday lives, yet their innovation was once at the cutting-edge. At Edmonton Telecommunication Museum we explore its rich history in Edmonton and beyond.

Contributions in this issue explore how telephone use has shaped both everyday practices and identity projects, challenging conventional approaches in communication history by adding transnational dimensions.

The History of the Telephone

Today we take for granted what was once revolutionary technology: telephones are one of the world’s most widely-used communications devices.

The telephone was developed from improvements made to telegraph technology – transmitting both an electrical signal and sound. Two inventors, Elisha Gray and Alexander Graham Bell, independently invented telephones almost simultaneously; Bell patented his version first while some suggest Italian inventor Antonio Meucci may have built one earlier than 1849.

From a practical viewpoint, the telephone has revolutionized our lives by providing instantaneous communication without having to write letters. It allowed people to instantly and without written notes communicate quickly while also increasing privacy by eliminating unexpected visits from relatives and door-to-door salesmen. But at times its use encroached upon domestic seclusion by allowing others to listen in on personal conversations or watch switchboard operators connect calls; but in spite of all its disadvantages it continues to evolve in our society today.

The Artifacts

The Telephone Historical Centre is Canada’s only telephone museum with collections dating back to 1885, featuring hands-on exhibits that trace telecommunications technology’s journey over time. School and children programs are held regularly at this museum.

The museum features an assortment of artifacts, such as antique rotary dial phones, three box wall telephones, and old switchboards. Visitors can experience line switching the old way by placing their names in a phone book.

This museum is open year-round to the public and can accommodate groups of up to 20 visitors at one time. Established by retired employees of Edmonton Digital Telephone Exchange Ltd (ED TEL), its doors first opened for business in Old Strathcona neighbourhood that December. Later that year, it moved to Prince of Wales Armouries Heritage Centre for storage purposes – with the goal of collecting, researching, organizing, documenting, exhibiting and storing materials related to telephone history in Edmonton.

The Exhibits

The museum provides visitors with an accessible history of telecommunications, which they can discover either through guided or self-guided tours. Visitors will have the chance to view telephones, equipment and tools used in telecommunications as well as collections such as copper cabling, manhole covers and standard insulators.

THG Museum houses an original red K-6 British call box with an intriguing history: its source was found via shortwave radio amateurism; through it they managed to connect with someone in England who shipped the box over.

The THG collection also includes a manual switchboard and Step-by-Step Private Automatic Branch Exchange that demonstrate the stepping switch principle, as well as a replica of Alexander Graham Bell’s famous telephone used on March 10, 1876 to send his famous message to Mr. Watson (one of the first words spoken ever over telephone). The museum provides interactive exhibits suitable for visitors of all ages.

The Volunteers

The Telephone Historical Centre’s volunteer program is key to its work. Volunteers provide invaluable assistance across a range of areas – from staffing the Museum Information Desk and store to researching artifacts and library materials; many become docents who assist with museum guiding of groups or school visits; others volunteer their time in gardening projects or set up displays at community events such as Wildrose Antique Show.

Recent cooperation between the museum and Judith Dyck’s communications students at the University of Alberta saw them conduct a study on Edmonton’s communication history for her graduate class COMM 505: Utilizing and Managing Communications Technologies. Their amazing paper entitled “The Role of Telephone in Edmonton as an Expression of Civic Identity” can be found here on this website.

Volunteers are needed for an exciting project to survey structures located on Olmsted Tract. It will be an amazing learning opportunity and experience! This opportunity presents itself to those with an affinity for history.

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Classroom Outreach offers schools the chance to connect their students to history through artifacts and engaging activities, teaching historical literacy skills while meeting Kentucky Academic Standards for Social Studies.

This research center conducted short telephone surveys to collect data on the experiences of older adults living through the Covid-19 pandemic, identify needed resources, and document its effects on callers themselves.

History of the Telephone

The telephone is an electronic tool used for intercontinental communication between two people regardless of their locations. Early telephones used electric current to send audio signals over wires (known as fixed or landline telephones). Today’s mobile phones, on the other hand, use radio transmission technology instead to carry digital data between users.

Samuel Morse revolutionized communication using electrical signals when he created an early electric telegraph that sent dot and dash messages across. Though revolutionary at its time, it also had certain drawbacks that limited its functionality.

At first, it could only transmit one message at a time and relied on physical lines that could break anywhere within its system – including undersea intercontinental cables. Around this time, Alexander Graham Bell independently created an electronic device which transmitted sound by producing electromagnetic undulations in copper wire and registered his patent for it on the same day Elisha Gray filed her claim for something similar.

The Future of Communication

As technology rapidly changes, communicators need to stay abreast of developments. While some may fear new technologies such as augmented reality, AI, and speech recognition software, their growing use proves otherwise. Communicators must adapt quickly rather than reject anything completely; live chatbots and instant messaging tools offer increased efficiency while still offering human connections – the future looks bright!

Barnardo’s recently conducted a survey among 8 to 18 year olds who predicted that in 30 years’ time people will communicate using body and brain implants and holograms; yet still desire human-to-human communication.

Become a Student Caller

The Telephone Historical Centre Outreach Programs provide students with an invaluable opportunity to develop essential communication, networking and sales skills that they will carry throughout their careers. Each semester follows the university academic calendar; funds raised support student scholarships and programs.

As part of their response to the Covid-19 pandemic, HBEC staff and CAB felt that engaging with research registry participants through another means would be necessary; one such means being via telephone outreach project.

This telephone survey enabled HBEC to collect data on older adults’ experiences during the Covid-19 pandemic; suggest resources to address identified needs; and act as a point of contact to reduce social isolation. Furthermore, regular debrief meetings proved invaluable in providing support and motivational assistance during this project.

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Telephone Historical Centre Collections

This collection spans nearly 14 decades of advances in telecommunications. It includes early local telephone directories (which listed people’s professions, spouses’ names and whether or not they rented or owned their homes), tools used by linemen and tokens.

This collection also houses documents, catalogues, and equipment that trace telephone manufacturing from its initial factory in Brantford in 1878 to Bell-Northern Research and Development Laboratories of today.

Manual Telephones

Guernsey’s collection traces the development of communications from 1858, when electric telegraphy communications first started, through to 1908 when States Telephone Department was introduced. Artefacts in this collection include manual telephone switchboards, step-by-step private automatic branch exchange and phone booth.

At first, telephone customers would call central office operators for operator assistance for calls between manual or automatic exchanges in large cities. Once dialing, an operator at the destination exchange would see it displayed on an indicator and connect it by plugging a cord attached to their switchboard into an appropriate jack on that cord.

Hello Montreal! is a new exhibition that pays homage to generations of workers who erected poles, buried cables, designed and managed technology systems, installed telephones in homes, businesses and offices as well as used audiovisual displays, background projections, songs about specific telephone models as well as oversize models to provide visitors of all ages an entertaining and educational experience.

Telephone Directories

Telephone directories, also referred to by different names (white pages, yellow pages or classified directory) in various countries, contain listings of telephone subscribers identified by name, address and phone number. They also contain useful information regarding new lines opening or Bell local managers as well as telephone rates.

This collection of city telephone directories from various locations contains lists of people’s professions (which may help identify family members), maps and advertisements. Some directories also contain information regarding civil defense/emergency management services, utilities, hospitals/doctor offices/other businesses that could prove invaluable in an emergency.

The collection also houses manuals for telephone equipment, working examples of automatic exchange switchboards from different periods, as well as telephone kiosks such as K3 and electrophone kiosks that give an insight into the technological development of telecom and how the phone has supported government, business and personal communication over time. They are available for researchers to use.

Telephone Booths

This interactive exhibition honors generations of men and women who created our modern telephone network. Travel back in time with us as we show rotary dial phones, wall-mounted magneto phones, manual switchboards and much more from days past!

A telephone booth, commonly referred to as a public phone box or call box, is a small structure fitted with payphones for public use. They typically include privacy doors for added protection as well as windows so passersby can see whether it is currently active. They typically also contain printed directories of local telephone numbers.

The Collection’s Series VIII: Memorabilia (1904-1990s) consists of artifactual material such as equipment, employee awards and commemorative materials as well as posters, scrapbooks and framed artwork. This series provides a record of telephone history from an archive perspective; it’s broken up into three subseries: Clippings contains newspaper articles in scrapbook form while Material Produced by SNET provides pamphlets, booklets and guides to service.

Telephone Artifacts

The Collections offer visitors of all ages an exciting opportunity to learn about and appreciate the electromechanical wonders that allowed telecommunications networks to grow and flourish. Ranging from rotary dial phones and wall-mounted magnetos, to hand-crank switchboards and cell phones – to today’s smart phone technology – our telephone artifact collection provides a fascinating window into its development.

Staffers pushing a rolling cart at the Collections facility in Suitland, Maryland quietly moved one of the museum’s greatest treasures – an ancient communication artifact known as an early Western Hemisphere telephone – into its high ceilinged space for safekeeping. It’s truly astounding what humans were capable of creating during ancient civilizations!

The Connecticut Telephone Company Archives Collections began with a decision by company officers to keep all equipment they owned for future reference. Now there are also records and files related to early and most successful Connecticut phone companies, exchange history/fact files, personal memories/building information files as well as many other related topics.

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