The first typewriters arrived in the mid-1800s. The first big seller was the Remington number 3, which came to market 1878. The typewriter was an instant hit and growing paperwork demanded more typists which helped more women join the workforce. The typewriter remains an icon for authors. The first author to buy a typewriter was allegedly Mark Twain in 1874. (From the catalogue 1957.)
A predecessor to today’s headset was the chest microphone. It was very comfortable for anyone who spent a lot of time on the phone. (From the catalogue 1969.)
For short-range calls, local phones were often installed. They worked within a building and sometimes between nearby houses. The microphone was made from Bakelite. (From the catalogue 1933.)
This beautiful inter-office phone from the 1950s could of course be used in a large home as well. (From catalogue 1949.)
Bluetooth technology has been around since 1999. It enables wireless communication between a sender and receiver (for instance, a mobile phone and a headset, or a mobile phone and a car stereo). The technology is a joint venture between Ericsson, IBM, Toshiba, Nokia and Intel. The name came from Harald Bluetooth, a Danish Viking king who united Denmark and Norway and was a good speaker. The project group took the name as they worked across countries and in harmony. (From the catalogue 2004.)
The telephone timer helped you keep track of how long you had talked – and how much it would cost. (From catalogue 1944.)
Open and shared office spaces are a relatively new solution. In Sweden in the 1960s, most executives had their own office. The intercom made sure that your office neighbours were never further away than the push of a button. (From the catalogue 1965.)
Two tin cups and some string was all that was needed if you wanted to talk to someone far away – so long as “far away” was no more than 300-400 metres, of course. (From the catalogue 1931.)
A dream for kids who grew up in the 1970s and 1980s was to have a personal phone in your own room. This created a market for slightly more “flipped out” models like the Banana Phone. (From the catalogue 2008.)
