Old telephones as witnesses of stories

It has been 147 years since the first telephone call was made in the world.
This collection of antique rotary dial telephones has witnessed love and heartbreak, fidelity and betrayal, travel and life events.

After a weekend of great family enjoyment, now, in the quiet of the night, is a good time to write this post and tell you about my collection of analog phones.
They are like living dinosaurs, black in color, that have managed to stay alive and bear witness to different stories.

Three Kellogg's brand telephones

Of my three copies of this American brand, one is for use hanging on the wall. The rest are for a horizontal surface.

I present to you the telephone that was used in my house, at a time when cordless phones did not exist, and which later gave way to cellular telephony.

The classic telephone, frequently used in the homes of many Cuban families.
This beloved piece of equipment listened for years to the stories my mother told in Polish to other friends in her native country. If there was one thing she enjoyed, it was spending a long time talking on the phone.

I was not far behind; in the 80's, it was the ideal way to seduce, to bewitch the moment, and to give free rein to passion, with the girls I met at parties or in the schools where I went.

The wall model was widely used in state establishments; although there were some houses that even had it in the kitchen.

This other model, imported from Canada. I bought it from a mature and elegant woman. She cared for it as one of her most precious treasures.

Seeing her apartment with a variety of antique objects, I was surprised that she wanted to get rid of her rotary phone, which she used in her bedroom.

In the midst of a pleasant chat, she told me that she fell in love with her husband spending hours talking on this phone every night. At a time when you could talk for a long time and the cost was minimal.

The lady married the man and they lived in harmony for many years. From that love their only daughter was born.

Many years passed in which happiness embraced their home.
One day, after leaving work early, she arrived home, and as soon as she opened the door, she noticed that her room was closed, something unusual at that time of day.

As she approached, she heard her husband's voice in a low tone, unable to make out the words. She immediately reached for her living room phone and, within minutes of listening, a beautiful story of love and marriage was transmuted into a wound with deep pain.

That same phone, which years before was part of a romantic story, was now being used in her own bedroom for a passionate chat with a younger woman in the neighborhood.

Esther divorced her husband. She also didn't want to see the phone that for years, warmed the bedside table next to her bedroom.

So she put it up for sale on Revolico, an online shopping channel. There I found it and, as it was close to where I live, I went to buy it.

Ericcson LM Rotary Telephone

This beautiful equipment made in Sweden in 1930, I love it for its design. It has those curves that give it distinction, and enhances its style, with that earpiece that extends at an angle. This allows a more intimate contact with the mouth when speaking.

It comes with a uniform bakelite body; a material that does not absorb humidity, is moldable and clean.
The rotating disc has bone-colored numbers in its central circle. Not under each hole, as it is usually seen in general.

This equipment belonged to a doctor who before 1959, had a private medical practice in Havana. It was the telephone that he used in the mahogany bureau of his office, where he used to collegiate among colleagues and to plan the medical consultations with his patients.

His daughter, after the death of her father, kept it with great affection. His large two-story house, located in a residential area, was showing many signs of physical deterioration. She needed to raise money for general repairs and decided to put his phone up for sale.

She was happy to learn that his father's phone was now in the hands of another doctor who would take care of it as well as she did.

Western Electric Phone

This jewel was created in New York, USA, in 1924. My father was 4 years old when it was released.

It is another of my favorites. That combination of the matte black, matte black earphone, in contrast with a metal body that has lost the dark paint and now looks silver, makes it very attractive with a design that gives away its antiquity.

I bought this one on a Sunday at the Grand Bazaar NYC, located in Manhattan. A Flea Market where many people who like Vintage gather. Right in New York, where this phone was born.

It still works and can be dialed to other numbers. To receive calls, I must be guided by the sound of another extension. This equipment, was attached to another module where the ringers were located. Something that was not attached on the day of my purchase.

Other Western Electric Phone

The American brand, after 1937, brought out this telephone with a Bakelite body and handset. It was a gift I received from friends who emigrated to Europe a few years ago.

Looking at my collection of antique telephones, they make me remember the details mentioned above, and imagine the immense history they have shuttered over more than a century of life.

Thanks to those who read this post. Have a good start of the week.