Replicas of Alexander Graham Bell's 1879 'Patent Office' telephones, 1959

Replicas of Alexander Graham Bell's 1879 'Patent Office' telephones, 1959

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Science Museum Group Collection
© The Board of Trustees of the Science Museum

Replicas of Bell's 'Patent-office' telephones of 1876, made by Science Museum Workshops, South Kensington, 1959.

These telephones are based on drawings submitted with Alexander Graham Bell's (1847-1922) telegraph patent on 14 February 1876. At the time, the US Patent Office still required patent applications to be accompanied by a model as well as a drawing, but in Bell's case the model requirement was waived, despite it being completely new technology. Only a drawing was submitted with Bell's patent application, upon which these model telephones are based.

Details

Category:
Telecommunications
Object Number:
1959-8
Materials:
wood (unidentified), copper (alloy), metal (unknown), skin (untanned), plastic (unidentified) and textile
Measurements:
/1: 60 mm x 130 mm x 45 mm, .07 kg
/2: 85 mm x 115 mm x 85 mm, .06 kg
type:
telephone
credit:
Made in museum