Our collections trace the history of telecommunications in Edmonton. On display for group or individual tours are artifacts from Violette & Bartlett families who worked in telephone technology for more than 85 years, Garry Mitchell, as well as others who contributed their items.
The museum houses an interactive experience for all ages – featuring working switchboard, linemen’s tools and parts from Alexander Graham Bell’s original phone! All interactive stations make this visit fun.
The History of the Telephone
An old barn-turned museum houses an expansive collection of vintage telecom equipment. Working switchboards and linemen’s tools are among the many items on display; Alexander Graham Bell’s original phone to modern mobile phones are among them.
As well as showcasing the technological significance of phone history, this facility also aims to engage its visitors. Background projections, songs about various periods’ phones and oversize models make the experience enjoyable and interactive for visitors.
This collection honors generations of men and women who erect poles, lay cables, design technology for an ever-expanding telephone network. It attracts retirees looking for some geekery as well as children mesmerized by old switchboards’ clickety-clack. Modern phone calling may seem magical: just press one button and your mom in Philadelphia or BFF in New York are there before you know it – yet this exhibit traces all its steps from Bell’s invention in 1876 until modern mobiles were invented today.
The History of the Switchboard
After Alexander Graham Bell created his telegraph invention, people sought ways to stay in contact across both domestic and global distances. Telephone exchanges provided infrastructure to connect people over long distances while switchboards served as its heart.
These manually operated devices required someone to physically plug and unplug cables to establish connections and allow subscribers to communicate across long-distance lines from different cities. At first, female switchboard operators often took their lives due to an extremely hostile work environment.
This museum pays homage to generations of men and women who worked tirelessly on telecom poles, dug cables, designed phones and managed technology over many years. Retirees seek nostalgia while school children find pleasure in watching old switchboards click clack away! This museum attracts both retirees looking back over telecom history as well as school children fascinated by clickety-clack sounds of switchboards from yesteryear.
The History of the Manual System
Manual labor (or manual labour) refers to physical work that is done primarily using one’s hands as opposed to machines or animals, such as agriculture. Humans have historically engaged in manual labour in order to accomplish essential tasks necessary for modern life.
As the global economy shifts toward digital, manual systems are gradually being replaced by embedded help. While embedded help may provide assistance, it cannot replace a clear and comprehensive manual.
The Telephone Historical Centre exhibits and library provide an insightful glimpse into the evolution of telecom technology over time. Ranging from wooden wall phones and classic rotary dials to an operator switchboard and complete two position Kellogg universal telephone exchange with linemen’s tools – it pays homage to over one century of communications development locally, nationally and internationally while boasting one of the nation’s largest collections of antique phones and memorabilia.
The History of the Electronic System
The museum hosts an exhibit featuring a complete two-position Kellogg universal switchboard that gives visitors a firsthand experience with this early communication technology, along with telephone booths and various memorabilia from previous telephone workers who responded enthusiastically by sending items out from garages and sheds to be displayed at the exhibit.
Colourful painted backdrops and equipment displays bring life to this collection that spans more than 100 years of telecommunication innovations. Highlights of the display include Xeldon the talking robot, full-sized magneto switchboard, last step-by-step private automatic branch exchange system and panel systems.
The Telecommunications Museum in Edmonton is a favorite stop for school groups, families and sightseeing tours visiting Edmonton. Additionally, it hosts workshops and seminars hosted by leading IT companies. Staff and volunteers – former employees from Southwestern Bell, SBC and AT&T as well as current ones – are dedicated to preserving telecommunications history for generations to come. It operates as a non-profit organization supported by membership dues, research fees and grants.
