Phonetique.com - Mid-Century Modern Desk Phones (Model 500)
Originals and Replicas

The Model 500 desk telephone was one of the first modern devices to recognize the changing nature of post-World War II life in America. Due to the clear movement of people to the outskirts of the older American cities - "suburbs" - Western Electric's older phone designs would not allow people to take the phone service with them due to technical problems.

The Henry Dreyfuss industrial design team came up with the Model 500 which could reach ten times as far before needing to hit a Ma Bell junction box. Just as important was the fact that for the first time a telephone was mass produced in a variety of colors to match a home's decor.

The Model 500 rotary dial desk phone was so popular that it was produced globally until the early 1980's. The replicas available today cleverly place the touch tone keys into a rotary ring to simulate the rotary dial appearance of the originals.
Today's replicas are available in Black and Ivory from a variety of online sellers while original Model 500 phones in a much wider variety of colors can be found at BoldOldPhones.com, CustomPhones.com, and on eBay.


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