Retro Phone Chic Is Down to Excellent Design
Posted on 03/06/09 under News, No CommentsTelephones were far more interesting back in the 20th century. They weren’t mobile and they didn’t have many features aside from the straightforward “you can talk to someone”. But in terms of looks they were the business! These triumphs of telephonic engineering are now considered to be unimpeachable design classics.
Perfect for lovers of retro-chic hardware , those searching for unusual gifts or those who simply want to recreate the look of the Technicolor heyday of the 50’s, Retro Telephones are guaranteed to re-ignite your love of design where form really does meet function and they still put today’s fragile, inelegant, handsets to shame. Most of these iconic retro telephones were inspired by individual designers. In the UK, even as late as the 1960s, the GPO “Modern Telephone” was still available alongside the Martyn Rowlands designed Trimphone. But the single most prolific telephone designer has to be the American Henry Dreyfuss, who virtually invented the science of anthropometrics and ergonomics when it came to industrial design.
Apprenticed to Norman Bel Geddes, Dreyfuss worked on various projects including stage and movie sets and the original Polaroid camera before turning his attention to telephones produced by Bell laboratories. In designing the iconic type 302 phone he used ear- to-mouth measurements from over 2,000 people to create the ergonomic handset that incorporated receiver and microphone within the same moulded plastic unit - an innovation for the time.
This was superceded by yet another Dreyfuss design, the 500 Desk phone. Available originally only in “Bell Black”, it was later produced in a variety of shades. The Princess, introduced in 1959 was another Dreyfuss creation. Compact and attractive with rounded edges, and the handset nestling across the top, it quickly became a favourite. Around this period too, no film noir was complete without Sam Spade calling the office from a diner or a bar using a classic 3-slot style payphone that remained virtually unchanged until 1965.
In the late 50s/early 60s the “Swedish Cobra” took up the mantle of great design. Smaller and lighter than anything available at the time, its unusual one piece design was a fine example of form and function in harmony. The push button version was introduced in 1967 and in 1973 the Phone was selected to be part of the New York Museum of Modern Art’s Collection in recognition of its significance as a piece of good design in the 20th Century.
Retro phones available today do incorporate all the latest technology and push-button features you’d expect of any 21st century telephone but it isn’t simply nostalgia that draws many people to these design icons. It’s the fact that they embody the very best of industrial design in a practical and effective package that looks great and is a delight to hold and use. Above all though, they just look cool!



