Phones Throughout The Years

By marygracesoligo

  • First Basic Phone

    First Basic Phone
    Innovator Antonio Meucci is credited with inventing the first basic phone.

  • The Centennial Model

    The Centennial Model
    The Centennial Model is so labeled because it was first demonstrated on June 25, 1876 at the Centennial Exhibition in Philadelphia. Bell said to the public that he would show them “something which would speak”.

  • Top Box

    Top Box
    This 1879 top box wall set was made with mahogany wood and Viaduct Manufacturing Co. hardware.

  • Gower-Bell Telephone

    Gower-Bell Telephone
    The Gower-Bell telephone was the first type of phone that was used in countries like Spain, Japan and England.

  • Western Electric Folding Cabinet

    Western Electric Folding Cabinet
    The Western Electric folding cabinet was used in hotels, telephone booths and private homes.

  • Desk Stands

    Desk Stands
    Desk Stands, often called “candlestick” telephones, were the first desk telephones manufactured by Western Electric. The desk stands that were built before the turn of the 20th Century were extremely ornate and are today worth many thousands of dollars.

  • Magnavox anti-noise desk set

    Magnavox anti-noise desk set
    The Magnavox anti-noise desk set is an early example of noise-cancellation technology. The phone began to make gain popularity in the military in the 1920s.

  • Telephones

    Telephones
    The design of telephones went under a major overhaul to become sleek and stylish.

  • Princess phones

    Princess phones
    These princess phones were popular from the 1970s through the 1980s.

  • Cordless Motorala

    Cordless Motorala
    Martin Cooper made the first handheld cellular phone call in public. Walking down the streets of New York, Cooper , the General Manager of Motorola’s communication system division, talked on the phone. The phone is also known as the “Brick” cell phone.

  • AEG telecar CD

    AEG telecar CD
    AEG telecar CD - 1980s
    This is how mobile phones looked in the 1980s. It was backbreaking work to to utter the words "can you hear me now?"

  • Nokia 8210

    Nokia 8210
    Nokia dominated the wireless market with cell phones like this one.

  • BlackBerry 7210

    BlackBerry 7210
    The first BlackBerry with a color screen.

  • Iphone

    Iphone
    The smartphone that arguably changed our lives forever. The iPhone's operating system allowed users to browse full webpages, triangulate positioning with Google maps and easily download apps.

  • Iphone 11 pro

    Iphone 11 pro
    today's newest phone.