This was one of the first telephones to incorporate microphone and receiver elements into a single handset and one of the first free-standing telephones designed for a table top. Prior to this nearly all telephones were wall mounted.

A wall-mounted telephone was a convenient solution to concealing the circuit lines, which were safely contained in the wall cavity. However, it required the user to stand by the wall and speak into a fixed microphone while holding a receiver to their ear. The ability to sit down at a desk to take or make a call must have appealed to many established and new telephone users.

This telephone, known as the ‘Eiffel Tower’, presents a unique design with all the elements of the phone visible. The magneto (electrical generator that provided the ringing current), bells, wiring and handset are all mounted off the forged iron frame. It was popular and remained in production from 1892-1929, with sales of a million units over that period. The design was copied by several manufacturers.

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