During the 1970s phone subscribers were permitted to own decorative housings for their phones for the first time.
Contempra sets, introduced in 1969, were Northern Electric's line of "modern" decorative phones.
They formed the nucleus of the later "Imagination" line that was sold beginning in 1977.

Northern Electric was renamed Northern Telecom in 1976.

The Contempra and Imagination lines were distributed in the US through NE/NT's country headquarters in Nashville, TN and using distributors, such as TeleConcepts, North Supply and Centel.

This page contains photos and info from NT and distributor catalogs
with a few additions from my collection and photos from site visitors.
It is presented as a reference to help identify some of the models sold in the 1970s and early 80s.

You can click on the following link to open a list of NT Color Codes in a separate window to use as a reference while viewing color references on this page.  The window may be manually resized and positioned on the desktop to be visible with this window.
Open Color Code List in new window for reference.

If you prefer to stay in one window, the list may be viewed by clicking on links like this Color codes: which will jump to a copy of the list on this page.  You may then return to the chart by using your browser "back" or back arrow functions.

Notes:
The color palette changed frequently.  Any single list is unlikely to show all colors produced.
Colors shown are added from multiple lists found to date.  More will likely be found in the future.
Please report any other colors found in documentation or on sets in your collection.

Early sets were hardwired.  Later sets had modular connectors on handset and line cords.
The "A" model number suffix in the table below was changed to "F" after adoption of the eTechnology electronic dial in 1980.
eDigitone 2500 and eDigipulse 3500 sets were added to all tone styles in 1981.

Sources include:
Northern Electric T9 Catalog, 9/71 (Early Contempra)
TeleConcepts catalog "Today's Phones Today" effective January 5, 1979
NT Product Handbook, 6/81
North Supply Catalog , Fall 1982
Centel Catalog dated 1/83
NT loose-leaf catalog effective January 1, 1985 (Most sets in retired section.)
Info on found sets and from site visitors.

Please send additions and corrections.

The American Club Ltd. provided upscale versions of the Contempra sets made in Nashville, TN for the American market.

Handsets were covered with leather and housings and handset faces were painted in patterns to simulate wood or marble.

Sets were finished with engraved brass "Limited Edition" plaques on the bottom and packaged in fancy boxes.

The paint typically shows wear on the handset and cradle from use, often revealing the color of the plastic underneath.