The invention of the telephone, has been controversially attributed to Alexander Graham Bell in the 1870's.  Bell demonstrated his early telephone to Queen Victoria in 1877.  Initially the telephone was seen as a business tool.  It was not until the 1900's that the telephone was even considered as a private possession, and even then it took several decades before they became a common household phenomenon.  Only the wealthiest of households would have owned a telephone like this, more likely it would have been seen in offices or business premises.  This wall-mounted telephone was made by Swedish manufacturer Ericsson, who continues to make phones today.  At the time, Ericsson were at the height of innovation, and after beginning life as a telegraph repair business, quickly capitalised on the invention of the telephone to become an esteemed household name.   In good aesthetic condition, but not in working order as the wiring of the telephone would not conform to today’s  standards. Dimensions: top to bottom of handset 60cm, board 39cm x 16cm