The casing of the Trub telephone is machined from a solid piece of rosewood. The use of a traditional material to realise a modern form for a technological device may have been a nod to the fine practice of Scandinavian furniture design. It may also have been a conscious decision by the manufacturer to produce a telephone that would sit well with modern furnished interiors incorporating similar materials. The Trub became a collectors’ item, especially in Britain. When the company ceased manufacture and disappeared, reproductions began to be made. This example is from an early 1970s production run by Gfeller.

The metal call buttons are set to the right of the telephone face. This asymmetrical treatment may have been a practical consideration to accommodate internal components.

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