Western Electric 300 Series Phone, 1937

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Artifact Overview

The Bell 302 phone, designed by Henry Dreyfuss, was recognized in its day (like the iPhone now) as a design landmark. One of the earliest telephones to incorporate the handset, dial, and bells into a compact integrated unit, its understatement, ease of use, and reliability helped assert industrial design as a discipline rooted in practicality, accessibility, and problem-solving.

Artifact Details

Artifact

Telephone

Date Made

1937

Place of Creation

Location

Not on exhibit to the public.

Object ID

00.4.7058

Credit

From the Collections of The Henry Ford.

Material

Plastic
Metal
Cloth

Color

Black (Color)
Brown
White (Color)

Inscriptions

On handset: BELL SYSTEM / MANUFACTURED BY / Western Electric Company / F1
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Western Electric 300 Series Phone, 1937