Photo Exhibit: One Bell System. It works. “One hundred Years of Telephony in America” 1876 – 1976

Photo Exhibit: One Bell System. It works. “One hundred Years of Telephony in America” 1876 – 1976.

We recently acquired a set of 81 AT&T Photo Center photos. We hope you will enjoy this Photo Exhibit

Trailer Removal

Last Friday, January 15, 2016 was the day of the trailer removal:

The JKL Museum’s step-by-step emergency switching trailer was damaged beyond repair during the Butte forest fire on September 11 2015.

It was the first, and to this date only, item of ‘debris’ that has been removed from the museum site.
It took almost all day to remove the trailer from its location on to the main road. First it needed to be fitted with ‘new’ tires because one of them was burned away completely during the fire and the other one was exposed to extreme heat. It took a lot of maneuvering to get the trailer on the main road because there is no room to turn around on or near the museum grounds.

The following photos give an impression of the whole operation.

The trailer before the removal started.
The trailer before the removal started.
Putting on 'new' tires.
Putting on ‘new’ tires.
The trailer moved on to the driveway.
The trailer moved on to the driveway.
This truck turned out to be too big to move the trailer.
This truck turned out to be too big to move the trailer.
Hooking on the chains.
Hooking on the chains.
Moving the trailer up on the asphalt road.
Moving the trailer up on the asphalt road.
Hoping it doesn't tumble...
Hoping it doesn’t tumble…
Stay on the road!
Stay on the road!
Keep it coming...
Keep it coming…
Leaving the museum site.
Leaving the museum site.
Left the museum site.
Left the museum site.
Down the hill.
Down the hill.
Halfway down.
Halfway down.
Tight curve.
Tight curve.
Gone...
Gone…
Does it fit?
Does it fit?
Back on the main road.
Back on the main road.
The trailer in better days.
The trailer in better days.
The inside of the trailer before the fire.
The inside of the trailer before the fire.

 

Western Electric 1964, Model I, Picturephone

Last week Jerry & Chris managed to get one of our Western Electric 1964, Model I, Picturephones working. There is still work to be done but we hope to be able to put this on display at the JKL Museum.

we-picphone-1966-mod-I

 

 

 

 

 
For more information about the Western Electric Picturephones:

  • http://www.paul-f.com/wepic.html
  • http://www.beatriceco.com/bti/porticus/bell/telephones-picturephone.html

 

17 May – ITU’s 150th Anniversary

17 May – ITU’s 150th Anniversary

17 May 2015, World Telecommunication and Information Society Day (WTISD 2015)

17 May - ITU’s 150th Anniversary

17 May marks the anniversary of the signing of the first International Telegraph Convention and the creation of the International Telecommunication Union. This year, 2015, marks the 150th anniversary of the International Telecommunication Union
Established in 1865, ITU has reaffirmed its reputation worldwide as one of the most resilient and relevant organizations and continues its work as the specialized agency of the United Nations, and its oldest member, dealing with state-of-the-art telecommunications and information and communication technologies.

 

 

 


from the ITU 150 website: “2015 marks ITU’s 150th anniversary

On 17 May 2015 ITU will be celebrating 150 years since the signing of the first International Telegraph Convention and the creation of the International Telegraph Union. For a century and a half since 1865, the International Telecommunication Union (ITU) has been at the center of advances in communications – from telegraphy through to the modern world of satellites, mobile phones and the Internet.

150 years is only a brief interval in the recorded history of mankind. Yet those 150 years have been extraordinarily significant in terms of human progress and discovery. One of the most remarkable advances of the past 150 years has been the incredible increase in both the speed and variety of human communications.

First we saw the telegraph and the telephone, then radio and television, followed by satellite communications and the internet – heralding a new era of ubiquitous connectivity over the past twenty years. It is difficult to imagine how we communicated in 1865 – with no phones, no email, no instant messaging or SMS. Even the telegraph wasn’t available for personal use, so the most common method of long-distance communication back then was to send letters carried on horseback or by ship. The exponential growth of science and technology over the past 150 years is fascinating – and it is part of ITU’s story.

The story of ITU is one of international cooperation, among governments, private companies and other stakeholders. The continuing mission is to achieve the best practical solutions for integrating new technologies as they develop, and to spread their benefits to all.

2015 will be a commemoration year that we wish to celebrate with all our members – including governments, private companies, and other stakeholders.”