Bell telephone, mahogany case, 1878

Bell telephone receiver, mahogany case, made by the India Rubber, Gutta-Percha and Telegraph Works Company Limited, Silvertown, Newham, London, England, 1878. Handle stamped '7082' and the 'crossed telephones' trade mark. One of the earliest Bell telephones to be made in England.

Bell telephone receiver, mahogany case, made by the India Rubber, Gutta-Percha and Telegraph Works Company Limited, Silvertown, Newham, London, England, 1878. Handle stamped '7082' and the 'crossed telephones' trade mark. One of the earliest Bell telephones to be made in England.

This was one of the first Bell telephones to be made in the UK. It uses a permanent magnet, housed in the handle. At this time the Bell company could not use the carbon microphone so the Bell telephone was both a transmitter and a receiver. For convenience two such instruments were often used at each station.