Modern telephone technology may take for granted now, but 100 years ago it was revolutionary. The museum recognizes generations of men and women who erected poles, buried cables and designed and managed this important telecommunications network.
The museum boasts one of the largest collections of antique telecom equipment in North America, such as working central office step switches and operator switchboards; as well as wooden box phones, candlestick wall phones and novelty phones.
History
The museum presents the history of communications technology from Alexander Graham Bell’s 1876 invention through modern mobile technology. It houses one of North America’s most extensive collections of telephone-related items including working panel and crossbar electromechanical central office switchboards; wooden, candlestick wall phones; rotary dial phones; as well as novelty phones.
Founded by ED TEL retirees in 1987, the museum is an independent non-profit museum open and accessible to the community. Housed within the historic Jefferson Barracks building at 426 Centre Street in Gridley, it serves to preserve independent telephone history for future generations. Volunteers reached out to former telephone workers who donated items from garages and sheds that now comprise our collection – such as an 1896 telephone building; working Step-by-Step Private Automatic Branch Exchange exhibit that illustrates switching principles; plant displays with poles cables splicing tools & antique line insulators as well as our cataloged telecom reference library!
Exhibits
From Alexander Graham Bell’s original telephone to modern mobile phones, this museum’s collection provides an interactive history of communication technology. Additionally, this exhibit pays homage to generations of men and women who worked tirelessly over time to erect poles, bury cables, design phones and manage networks – along with all their predecessors!
It boasts one of the largest collections of antique telecom equipment in North America, from candlestick wall telephones to Kellogg universal switchboards. Museum educators – many former telecom professionals themselves – are dedicated to helping visitors gain a better understanding of the history behind communications systems.
The Learning Resource Room utilizes full-scale mannequins to explore telecommunication innovation through time. School groups love this exhibit! Additionally, the museum offers its unique travelling trunk program for schools, libraries and community venues that don’t have the means to visit itself; this unique program includes artifacts and books designed specifically for use with recorded narrations and hands-on activities taught by museum volunteers.
Gift Shop
The Telephone Historical Centre offers visitors a tangible history of telecom that they can explore both guided or self-guided tours. Featuring antique phones, switchboards and other equipment from Alexander Graham Bell’s original gallows frame phone to classic rotary phones and antique line insulators. Furthermore, there is working Panel and Crossbar electromechanical central office switches and an extensive library with telecom books and catalogs.
The telephone industry boasts a rich heritage that the museum seeks to honor. By honoring their contributions and engaging the public with efforts to preserve it, this museum hopes to ensure their heritage lives on.
Visitors can interact with the exhibits by using a manual switchboard and operating a candlestick wall phone, respectively. Furthermore, visitors have an opportunity to handle vintage phones from wooden box phones through to sleek cell phones we carry today.
Events
Telephone Historical Centre, a non-profit museum, honors generations of men and women who worked to construct and manage America’s network of phone wires. Their collection features antique wooden box phones and candlestick wall telephones; classic rotary telephones; working Panel and Crossbar electromechanical central office switches; outdoor plant displays featuring poles, cables and splicing equipment; as well as National Kiosk collections and Strowger Telephone Exchanges (manual system phones).
This unique museum showcases a tangible history of telecom, while providing current and retired telecom professionals an avenue to interact with the community directly. Group tours for students or the general public are also offered.
This Edmonton museum opened on December 3, 1987 and is the only one of its kind in Canada. Dedicated to preserving the rich legacy of telecommunications by collecting, researching, displaying, documenting and archiving historic telephone-related items; such as its working operator switchboard; outside plant display with poles cables and splicing tools; as well as an extensive cataloged reference library dedicated exclusively to telecom literature as well as antique line insulators – its collection features these items all.
