1881 and 1882 - Magneto wall telephones

The earliest telephones where placed on the wall. You had to speak in the microphone placed on the set. And you had to speak loud and clear. The receiver was connected with a wire and you had to keep it close to the ear. At the start there was a glass battery in the box, later it was a dry battery that supplied current for the microphone. In order to call the exchange you had to turn the generator crank a few times. To finish the call you had to repeat this manoeuvre.

The telephone sets in the picture are - in spite of their different exteriors - both from the earliest infancy of the telephone.

The set to the left is a so-called American Bell set from 1881. This model was used by The International Bell Telephone Company in Copenhagen - the company that later at the request of titular councillor of state C. F. Tietgen was known as Copenhagen Telephone Company Ltd. (Kjøbenhavns Telefon Aktieselskab, KTAS)

The ingenious made set to the right is manufactured in Stockholm by L. M. Ericsson. This type of set was very popular in Denmark at several smaller telephone companies, that sprouted up at the end of the last century.

Post & Tele Museum - Koebmagergade 37 - Postbox 2053 - DK 1012 Copenhagen
Tel. (+45) 33 41 09 00 - email:museum@ptt-museum.dk