Caller ID
In the mid-1990s, external number presenters – or “Caller IDs” – became popular. They showed you who had called if you didn’t answer. Advanced models also let you save the name of the caller. (From the catalogue 1998.)
Connecting to each other
Inter-office phone
This beautiful inter-office phone from the 1950s could of course be used in a large home as well. (From catalogue 1949.)
House phone
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.)
Telegraphy key
The manual key allowed the user to send dot-and-dash telegraphic signals in Morse code. (From the catalogue 1948.)
Pager set
The pager allowed middle management across the country to call up to six people at the office with just one push of a button. (From catalogue 1984.)
Type writer
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.)
Mobile phones
Mobile phones came into usage in Sweden in the early 1980s but by 1987, only two percent of the population had their own phone because they were expensive. Thirteen years later that number had risen to 71 percent and, by 2004, 100 percent had a mobile phone (and many had one for work and one for private use). (From the catalogue 2008.)
Phone plug and phone jack
The phone jacks are disappearing from more and more homes. By 31 December 2015, the number had shrunken by half in Sweden, which by then had 3,5 fixed line subscribers. (From catalogue 1987.)
Intercom
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.)
