Useful Books

Many of the most useful books are now out of print, but there are some listed here that should be readily available and will be of use to many collectors.

Old Time Telephones! Technology Restoration and Repair

by Ralph O Meyer. Deals with United States telephones, history, circuits etc. Recently revised, it it essential not only for U.S. collectors but for those in any country where the U.S. phones were used. Currently $29.95 U.S, and available from Amazon, Phoneco, or Schiffer Publishing. Although it has now been considerably updated and expanded, even the old version is worth obtaining.

History of the Telephone in New South Wales

by Jim Bateman. This is essential for Australian and New Zealand collectors. It was originally released in 1980 and some of the information is becoming a bit dated in light of more recent research, but it manages to cover just about every phone used in Australia up to the Telecom era. Most phones are illustrated so it is an invaluable identification guide as well as a history reference. Recently reprinted and available from the Australasian Telephone Collectors Society, P.O. Box 396, Moorebank NSW 1875, Australia for $23 Australian in A4 size or $18 in pocket size. Price includes postage within Australia.

Old Telephones

by Andrew Emmerson. This little book is probably out of print now, but it is readily available from eBay for around $8 to $10 U.S. It is a brief but detailed history of the telephone in Britain. It includes many well-photographed illustrations and useful information like manufacturers' codes. Well worth tracking down.

The Telephone Book

by O. Boettinger. A history of the Bell / AT&T companies up to 1976. A little biassed perhaps but comprehensive, beautifully illustrated, and a good read by itself. It is also out of print but readily available on eBay and through secondhand bookshops for around $10 to $30.

Out of print books

There are many of these, and they still turn up on eBay occasionally. Some are particularly useful for reference.

Allsop F C "Telephones - Their Construction and Fitting"

Allsop was a British electrical engineer and manufacturer through the late 1800s and early 1900s. His books (they were regularly updated) are a good reference to the early telephone equipment used in Europe. U.S. collectors will also find the book useful as most editions contain a history of early telephone transmitters and receivers.

McMeen S and Miller K B

"Telephony- A comprehensive and detailed exposition of the Theory and Practice of the Telephone Art"

Well, that just about says it all. It covers a similar time period to Allsop, from the U.S. point of view. Well illustrated and explained, and later editions also include Automatic Electric's new automatic exchanges. It was published as a textbook for many years and is readily obtainable in good condition.

Herbert T E and Proctor W S "Telephony - A Detailed Exposition of the Telephone System of the British Post Office"

Herbert and Proctor were engineers of the BPO during the period when the BPO was coming to grips with automation and expansion, building the system that took telephony out of the experimental days and into a national telephone system. It is also relevant to collectors in countries that were previously British colonies, as the BPO practice was widely followed by countries that did not have their own expertise.

Poole J

"The Practical telephone Handbook and the Guide to the Telephonic Exchange"

Another British Post Office engineer. The books (also regularly updated) are well illustrated and thorough, and the history of the telephone's development is well covered. Not particularly easy to find in good condition, but they are out there and the price is usually quite reasonable.