The Zimphone

When telephones were the cutting-edge of technology, cheap knockoffs arose. This Radio-Shack-style wired intercom sought to cash in on Ma Bell's high standards. Imagine stringing one mile of wire from your house to your friend's home through the neighborhood.

There are several sets for sale on eBay as I post.

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Posted By: Paul - Fri May 16, 2014
Category: Communications | Imitations, Forgeries, Rip-offs and Faux | Technology | 1950s

Comments

Imagine stringing one mile of wire from your house to your friend's home through the neighborhood.

Well, not quite a mile but next door and it beat the hell out of tin cans and buttons.

Posted by Expat47 in Athens, Greece on 05/16/14 at 10:06 AM

Then wireless came along.

Posted by Patty in Ohio, USA on 05/17/14 at 12:09 PM

Despite their protests that "it is NOT a toy", for any child with an interest in electrics, it would have made a pretty good one, I'd have thought. Although a build-your-own kit would've been even better.

Posted by Richard Bos on 05/18/14 at 06:30 AM

This is not a telephone knock off at all. It is a toy telephone. As a matter of fact this two receiver set was sold to be used with a switchboard set Zimphone also offered. One kid could be the operator and three of his friends could be hooked in to the thing elsewhere in the house. The switchboard even worked so as the operator you could plug in or out any of the three "users" A clever toy and actually still pretty cool.

Posted by Richard Weiss on 07/09/14 at 03:11 PM

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