One of my latest telephone refurbish projects is this handsome North Electric “Galion” phone.  So called because it was manufactured by the North Electric Company of Galion, Ohio.  Early models of this phone were made with metal housings but were later made of Bakelite.

North Electric "Galion" Phone

Although North Electric (not to be confused with Northern Electric of Canada) did manufacture their own dials, they also released phones with dials from other manufacturers.  This particular telephone was made in 1953 with an Automatic Electric rotary dial. Read the rest of this post »

Elvis Talking on Red Model 500

In response to a previous posting showing Elvis Presley inside a phone booth, a reader (Erin) sent me a photo she had found of Elvis deep in conversation on a Vintage Rotary Phone.  I promised Erin that I would post  the picture.  Since today would have been Elvis’ 74th birthday, what better day to publish his photo?  It looks like a Western Electric Model 500. Happy Birthday Elvis, wherever you are celebrating.

Elvis gets his second featured posting in just the last four postings.  Looks like I need to get to work and get some more posts written!

By the way Erin, THANKYOUVURYMUCH!

January 27, 2009 – Updated Information

I received an e-mail from a fellow telephone collector, Jonathan Sowers after he read this posting.  Jonathan did some searching on the internet and found yet another photo of Elvis talking on a Vintage Rotary Phone.   In the photo Elvis is talking an a Mediterranean Blue Model 500.  The phone has a neutral gray coiled cord.  Also as Jonathan pointed out Elvis is wearing the same shirt in both the photo with the blue phone and also in the photo originally posted here with the red phone.  There is a portrait of Elvis on the desk and it actually appears that the photos make have been taken at Elvis’ home.

The Mediterranean Blue 500

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