Ron DeMarco, head of props at Emerson University, had these images on a CD he shared with me showing a visual history of the telephone. It’s great for research! Click on any of them for a larger view.
![Telephone History Bell System A visual history of telephones from 1876 to 1976](https://www.props.eric-hart.com/wp-content/uploads/2009/09/Telephone-History-Bell-System-247x300.jpg)
The next image is virtually identical to the previous, but it includes some additional models.
![Telephone History Western Electric Telephones from 1876 to 1965](https://www.props.eric-hart.com/wp-content/uploads/2009/09/Telephone-History-Western-Electric-252x300.jpg)
I can’t wait for that picture phone! Finally, here’s a quick history of public telephone styles:
![Public Telephone Chronology Public telephones from 1890 to 1985](https://www.props.eric-hart.com/wp-content/uploads/2009/09/Public-Telephone-Chronology-211x300.jpg)
If you have a play that requires a public telephone in a contemporary setting… what play are you doing? Just kidding; though rare, you can still find payphones in many cities these days.