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Commemorative and Presentation Telephones

Sets and other items that were customized or marked for presentations or events.

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Telephones and telephone-related items have long been used as promotional give-aways
or to garner free public relations coverage in the local or national press.

Here are some random examples of items with attached plaques
or dated or event-specific messages.

Highlights on this page: 50 Millionth US Phone Mini Princess Phones 100 Millionth US Phone Trimline 30th Anniv.

[photo wanted]	1917 - Duke of Devonshire Silver telephone presented to the Governor General of Canada during the opening of the Bell Telephone Memorial in Brantford, Ontario, Canada on October 24, 1917.
	1940 - Chicago's Millionth Telephone. A Western Electric 3-Slot Paystation with oxidized silver finish and lucite F-type handset. Phone number MIDway 1940. Installed on the first floor of the west wing of the Museum of Science and Industry.
Custom booth and telephone display in the Museum of Science and Industry in 1940. The booth's chair is painted oxidized silver to match the phone! More details are in the August 1993 issue of TCI's Singing Wires. From Illinois Bell's Bell Telephone News, February 1940.
	1947 - Western Electric 304 Plaque reads: Presented to His Excellency The Viscount Alexander of Tunis Governor General of Canada -By- The People of the City of Brantford "THE TELEPHONE CITY" May 20th 1947
	1949 - Pacific Telephone - 4 Millionth Telephone Certificate reads: Commemorating Another Milestone in Telephone Development - The Pacific Telephone and Telegraph Company honors the United States Bureau of the Census, Area XIII, Los Angeles District Office, Los Angeles, California, recipient of the 4,000,000th telephone served by the Company. December 19, 1949.
(auction photos)	1951 - Western Electric 302 Plaque reads: Presented to Thomas B. Costain -By- City of Brantford "THE TELEPHONE CITY" March 12th 1951
(auction photo)	1952 - 750,000th Telephone installed by Wisconsin Telephone Plaque reads: 750,000th TELEPHONE INSTALLED SEPTEMBER 1952 WISCONSIN TELEPHONE COMPANY
From Singing Wires, January 2011.	1953 - 50 Millionth Telephone in service in the US. Presented to President Eisenhower on November 18, 1953. THE FIFTY MILLIONTH TELEPHONE IN SERVICE IN THE NATION PRESENTED TO THE PRESIDENT OF THE UNTIED STATES DWIGHT D. EISENHOWER - NOVEMBER 18, 1953 Sources: "Telephones in the White House," Singing Wires, TCI, Jan. 2011, p4; "A Proud Symbol," Pacific Telephone Magazine, Dec. 1953, p3; "Ike Presented Phone...," Indianapolis Recorder, Nov. 21, 1953, p1.
	1953 - Mini 500 set in gold colored metal, November 1953. (non-working.) Many were distributed to commemorate the 50 Millionth phone installed in the U.S. Plaque reads: COMMEMORATING THE FIFTY MILLIONTH TELEPHONE IN SERVICE IN THE UNITED STATES NOVEMBER 1953
(auction photos)	1954 - Western Electric 302 Presentation Set Plaque reads: INSTALLED ON BEHALF OF THE DIRECTORS AND OFFICERS OF THE NEW YORK TELEPHONE CO. FOR THEIR VALUED FRIEND AND ASSOCIATE CHESTER B. LORD DIRECTOR, APRIL 22, 1931 - DECEMBER 22, 1954
	1956 - New York Telephone - Mini 500 Reads: New York Telephone Company Ground Breaking Ceremonies ROSLYN NEW YORK APRIL 19,1956
(auction photos)	1956 - Flint Michigan, 100,000th Telephone Reads: Installed June 20, 1956 Michigan Bell Telephone Company
	1958 - Kellogg Sales Award Plaque reads: Presented to R. C. Ellis In Recognition of His Outstanding Record of Plant Department Sales April 1958
	1959 - General Telephone of California - 1 Millionth Telephone Plaque reads: The Millionth Telephone General Telephone Company Of California May 7, 1959 Reportedly presented to Shirley Temple.
	1961 - Commemorative mini Princess Sets. (non-working.) Found in all five original Princess colors: pink, white, aqua, beige and turquoise. About four inches long. Found with hot-stamped legends for events such as: - 3/3/61 - Science Recognition Day, Southwest Bell Telephone Co. - 1962 - Bell System Exhibit, Seattle World's Fair - 3/18/62 - Dial Conversion, Abilene, KS. - 12/16/62 - Dial Conversion, Concordia, KS. - 7/21/63 - Dial Conversion, Belleville, KS. - 7 Years Perfect Attendance, SWBT. - "Long Distance Pays Off"
	1963 - Bell System Employee Award
	1964 - Ohio Bell - 3 Millionth Telephone Plaque reads: Commemorating the Three Millionth Telephone In Ohio Bell Service Middletown, Ohio February 1964
	1966 - Southern Bell - 10 Millionth Telephone
(Photo from Paul I.)	1966 (ca) - West Coast Tel. - 250,000th Telephone Plaque reads: COMMEMORATING THE INSTALLATION OF THE 250,000th TELEPHONE OF WEST COAST TELEPHONE COMPANY A MEMBER OF G.T.&E. FAMILY OF COMPANIES
(display in the Georgia State House) (auction photo)	1967 - 100 Millionth US Telephone A gold Western Electric Rotary Trimline Reads: 100 MILLIONTH UNITED STATES TELEPHONE GOVERNOR CHARLES L. TERRY, JR. OF DELAWARE MAY 1967 Similar phones were given to President Johnson and governors of the 50 states and several territories. The President's phone was Touch-Tone. A conference call among recipients was held on May 11, 1967 to commemorate the placing of the 100 Millionth telephone in the US - including Bell System and independent phone company telephones. The actual 100 Millionth telephone was never identified. For more, see: "The Rare Gold Trimline Telephones," TCI's Singing Wires, October 2024 (and following issues). Sources: Events in Telephone History, AT&T; The Townsman, Wellesley, MA, Thursday, May 18, 1967; The Dispatch, Lexington, NC, May 11, 1967; Milwaukee Journal, May 12, 1967.
	1968 - Western Electric Montgomery Plant mini Data Set Paperweight Plaque reads: Al Wentworth Montgomery Plant 1965-1968
	1969 - GTE Southeast - 500,000th Telephone Plaque reads: 500,000 Station Commemoration May 20, 1969 General Telephone - Southeast Companies
	1973 - Western Electric Indianapolis Plant -- 25 Years of Telephone Production Also: 141 Millionth Telephone
	1976 - Western Electric Design Line Commemorative Elite A special Bicentennial version with metal housing and four applied medals with a U.S. Bicentennial theme. The set also commemorated the anniversary of the 100th year of the telephone. More info on the Design Line page: weDesignLine.html#Elite
	1977 - Queen's Silver Jubilee Compact Phone Based on the Compact phone, introduced in 1974. With a commemorative dial center. Dial center for the England version. Phones for Scotland had a different shaped crown.
	1982 - Western Electric Kearny Works Bookends Plaques read: Kearny Works 1925 Modernized Kearny 1982
	1984 - Olympics Commemorative telephones A single line set using a Touch-a-matic housing was made for use at the Olympics and as a souvenir. More info on the Design Line page here: weDesignLine.html#TAM16 The Showcase Olympic Commemorative Telephone has a rectangular space on top for one of several Olympic theme plaques or one of seven sculptures depicting Olympic events. More info on the Design Line page here: weDesignLine.html#Olympic84
	1986 - Indianapolis Plant, Design Line Showcase Telephone Western Electric 1948 INDIANAPOLIS 1986 See also the Design Line Olympics '84 Showcase Sets
	1993 - 30th Anniversary Trimline - AT&T Model 210 Plaque reads: 30th ANNIVERSARY AT&T Trimline TELEPHONE COLLECTOR'S EDITION
(auction photos)	1997 (ca) - 150th Aniversary of the birth of Alexander Graham Bell, Franklin Mint
	2001 - 25th Anniversary of first Direct Distance Dialing Call Reads: 25th Anniversary of first Direct Distance Dialing Call Englewood, New Jersey to Alameda, California November 16, 1976

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