Ipsophone Type J1 Telephone Answering Machine

Ipsophone Type J1 telephone answering machine, c. 1952 serial number 179, without handset. Manufacturer's label reads: Werkzeugmaschinenfabrik [Machine tool factory] Oerlikon Buhrle & Co Ipsophone Typ J1 Nr179."

Introduced in 1951, the Swiss-made “Ipsophone” was the first automatic record and answer telephone answering machine introduced in the UK and was described as “the robot telephone device with a brain.” At this time, most domestic telephone equipment in the UK was provided by the General Post Office (GPO) but the Ipsophone was an “approved attachment” provided by the Ansafone Company. The GPO introduced their answering machine in 1958, the originally named “Answering Machine No. 1.”

The Ipsophone was made by Oerlikon Buhrle & Co and was introduced into the UK by Southern Instruments Ltd, London.