Post Office 706 telephone, 1958-1960

Made:
1958-1960 in United Kingdom
manufacturer:
General Electric Company Limited
Post Office 706 telephone, ivory, c. 1959 Ivory 706 telephone Ivory 706 telephone

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Post Office 706 telephone, ivory, c. 1959
Science Museum Group Collection
© The Board of Trustees of the Science Museum

Ivory 706 telephone
Science Museum Group Collection
© The Board of Trustees of the Science Museum

Ivory 706 telephone
Science Museum Group Collection
© The Board of Trustees of the Science Museum

Ivory 706 telephone, made by the General Electric Company for the General Post Office, British, 1958-1960

The GPO 700 series were the standard telephones offered by the General Post Office from 1959 until into the 1980s. It was much lighter than previous designs with lightweight components and a new easily cleaned plastic material, available in a range of six attractive colours, marking the demise of black as the standard telephone colour. The familiar 'curly cord' connecting the handset to the telephone now also made its first appearance. The 700 series was designed for the Post Office by W.J. Avery of Ericsson, but owed a distinct debt to the Bell 500.

The 706, introduced in 1959, was designed jointly by Ericsson Telephones Ltd, The GPO Engineering Department and the Council of Industrial Design. It had a rocking armature receiver, with an automatic sensitivity regulator controlled by the line current, after subscribers with short lines found the 700 receiver too loud. Several manufacturers made the 706 on behalf of the GPO, and some called it by different names, for example, GEC called it the 'New Gecophone', while AEI called it the 'Type 800'.

Details

Category:
Telecommunications
Object Number:
1971-270
Materials:
plastic (unidentified), electrical components and metal (unknown)
Measurements:
overall: 120 mm x 260 mm x 250 mm, 1.48 kg
type:
telephone
credit:
Donated by the General Electric Company Limited