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Various telephone museums and telephone exhibits exist around the world. On this page you will find links to various telephone museums and some personal photos from the telephone museum in Atlanta near where I live.
First, here is a contribution from Emily Purchase, Administrative Assistant to the Mayor's Office of the City of Brantford (a.k.a. "The Telephone City"), Ontario, Canada, . She sent a scan of the Bell Telephone Memorial and Bell Homestead souvenir booklet which you can view by clicking HERE (PDF format). You can find out more by visiting the web site. The home page for the City of Brantford is HERE.
Emily also sent some photos from the memorial and you can view the full-size images by clicking on the thumb-nail images below:
SKETCH-MODEL No.8
Read about the monumental sculptor, Walter S. Allward, that created the Alexander Graham Bell monument by clicking HERE. Here is his description of his creation:
Description to Accompany Sketch Model of Proposed Bell Telephone Memorial
In making this model I have tried to cover as much space as possible, owing to the large area of the proposed site, and to create a design which would be interesting and expressive in outline from any point of view. The design has been purposely made as wide as possible so as to express the idea of great space between the two allegorical figures representing the speaker and the listener.
I have treated the subject in a simple, broad way in order that it might be expressive and easily understood by the average observer.
To the left of the large panel it is intended that there shall be a large portrait in relief of Bell, modeled from life. The head is only suggested in the model as I did not have a satisfactory photograph.
The dominant notes I have tried to express are:
First, man discovering his power to transmit sound through space. This is shown in the large sculptured panel, the three figures representing three messengers, �Knowledge. Joy and Sorrow.�
Secondly, the two Heroic figures at either side represent Humanity, sending and receiving messages. On the back of the design are four pilasters and at the top of each might be placed emblems of the most important nations in the world. Between these run the line of telephone and binding the whole is the line of the earth's curvature, expressing the world-wide use of the telephone. The figure of "man" could be draped should there be any objection to the nude. Inscriptions would be placed on the monument according to the wishes of your committee.
MATERIAL AND COST
Granite Work -The pedestal to be built of granite cut and erected in the best possible manner, free from all defects in material, workmanship or construction.
Sculpture- The two figures of "Humanity" at the extremes of the design (left and right) also the relief of "Bell", and that of his invention to be cast in standard bronze.
The large panel in relief containing five figures to be carved in fine granite.
The whole to cost twenty-five thousand dollars ($25,000.00).
Here is a list of telephone museums around the world:
LARGE OR SMALL EXHIBITS AVAILABLE FOR LEASE suitable for MUSEUMS, *TRADE SHOWS*, PUBLIC EVENTS
The North American Data Communications Museum (NADCOMM) - Thanks to Don Robert House [drhouse@abac.com]
The New England Museum of Telephony. Thanks to Jeff Birkner for this info!
BellSouth Pioneers Museums in Atlanta and Macon Georgia, USA. Thanks to Greg Crisp for these links! Click here for photos from my visit.
Frank H. Woods Telephone Pioneer Association Telephone Museum
Lincoln, Nebraska - Wally Tubbs posted some photos he took at the museum. Click here to view his photos.The Dutch Online Telephone Museum by Remco Enthoven
The Hague - Museum voor Communicatie (thanks Coen Meeder and Marleen Broekman!)
Ove's homepage (thanks Coen Meeder!)
Museum of Independent Telephony - see also Museum of Independent Telephony
The Public Telephone Museum - An internet web site museum
- Smithsonian Science Service web page on telephones - Since 1926 Science News has featured photographs highlighting scientific and technological advances. A selection of these images, including those of telephonic devices, is available from the Smithsonian’s archives at http://americanhistory.si.edu/scienceservice
Here are the photos from my visit to the Southern Bell (now called BellSouth) Telephone Museum in Atlanta, Georgia, USA. I wish I had more film in the camera when I there! It has been several years since I took these photos so I don't remember the details of each phone shown in the photos. For scanned images from the museum pamphlet, click here and here.
The Bellsouth Telephone Museum is located on the Plaza Level of the:
BellSouth Center
675 W. Peachtree Street, N.E.
Atlanta, Georgia, USA 30375If you're interested in a school or group tour, please leave a voice mail message on (404) 529-0971
Individuals or small groups of six or less may tour the facilities at their own pace. Larger groups are requested to make reservations to avoid scheduling conflicts.
This museum tells the history of the telephone, from Alexander Graham Bell and the earliest telephones through the latest innovations in communications. Open Monday - Friday, 11 a.m. - 1 p.m. Call for information on tours for large groups. Free.
In my most recent tour (year 2000) the tour guide gave me copies of the description of the switching demo. You can read these text files by clicking on the following four links: PAGE 1, PAGE 2, PAGE 3, PAGE 4. Basically, this is the script used by the tour guide to describe the museums various switch demos or displays.
NOTE: This page will take a while to download due to the amount of graphics. You can click on the text of the Photo # to immediately go to the full-size image file without waiting for this page to finish downloading.
