Explore Edmonton and Alberta’s telephone history through this unparalleled collection, which features working models of their early phones as well as an interactive switchboard.
From buried cables to rotary dial phones, this unique museum commemorates generations of individuals who built and maintained our phone network. Perfect for family trips!
Telephones
The Telephone Historical Centre Collections comprise an impressive range of items relating to telephones and their history, dating back to some of the earliest phones ever manufactured. A diverse array of styles is also represented here ranging from candlestick and box phones, through rotary dial and push button models.
One of the more intriguing phones was an original coffin-style wall phone, featuring three separate boxes: at its center was the transmitter; on top was housed a magneto or electric generator and switch hook for hanging up handset and bells; while below contained glass wet cell batteries.
These eclectic collections boast a working switching station, an archive of Guernsey’s telephone history and documents such as early local Telephone Directories. Furthermore, there is even a switchboard from Plains, home of President Jimmy Carter.
Telephone Kiosks
Avoncroft Museum of Historic Buildings in Bromsgrove houses a collection of 32 telephone kiosks used by British Telecom between 1920 and the 1990s – from every design used from their launch to their current use as part of our telephone heritage and in telling their incredible tale of revolutionizing lives worldwide.
GPO was eager to create a standardised kiosk and held a competition in 1924 to design it. Giles Gilbert Scott won, with his design becoming one of the first iconic kiosks with large windows and domed roof.
Today, kiosks remain an iconic and familiar sight. Protected as buildings of special interest by Historic England, changes may only be approved with their consent; however it can often be put to new uses such as housing community defibrillators or becoming mini museums; an initiative supported by BT under their Adopt a Kiosk scheme.
Telephone Exchanges
This collection details the evolution of telephone exchanges from their early manual operations to automated systems. Telephones were an important milestone in communications technology that revolutionized how people conducted business or kept in touch across great distances with friends and family members.
Today we take for granted being able to contact anyone around the globe by simply dialing a number; yet this success was only made possible thanks to Alexander Graham Bell.
The Telephone Historical Centre features an expansive and rare collection of telephone equipment including specialty phones such as the gourd phone used to report President McKinley’s assassination or fancy “flip-top” phones. Also featured is a switchboard featuring manikins of typical operators as well as hundreds of glass insulators, manuals, tools, photographs detailing telephone history in Alberta as well as photographs that capture its rich heritage – making this museum truly enjoyable to explore! It makes a wonderful family outing!
Telecommunications Equipment
This museum presents not only working telephone switchboards and related telecommunication equipment, but also features many items related to the history of telephone industry such as motor-generators that convert battery backup power to AC current to power ring city telephones; linemen’s pole climbing stirrups; as well as displays of office telephone computer machines.
This collection allows visitors to stretch their imaginations and imagine what it must have been like using one of the earliest forms of telephone communication – fun, educational and enjoyable for people of all ages!
At a time when people have become accustomed to instant, multimedia communication with mobile phones in their pockets, it’s important to recall the technology that made long-distance connections possible. This exhibition honors and recognizes those who built and maintained physical phone networks across America – celebrating their craftsmanship, ingenuity, and industry in doing so.
