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. Just about every phone is 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