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TeleConcepts,
Inc. Telephones "Tomorrow's Phones Today" ©2009-10 paulf. All rights
reserved.
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 During the 1970s phone subscribers were permitted to own decorative housings for their phones for the first time. Teleconcepts was one of the pioneers that provided innovative decorative phones. Phones
included internals made by ITT, Stromberg Carlson or
Automatic Electric that were compatible with and acceptable for
connection
to the Bell System or independent phone networks.
Clear cases on many models made the internal components part of the artistic display. Poor product labeling (see below) plus the frequent appearance of the ITT, Stromberg Carlson or GTE/AE names on the handsets often cause these sets to be incorrectly identified or assumed to have been individually created by artists. Although often described today as "unique" or "one-of-a-kind," these were standard production products. Phones were sold through distributors such as North Supply to many retailers and catalog sales organizations. They were also distributed by some of the Bell Operating Companies. (Northwestern Bell Label) Teleconcepts also marketed more traditional complete phones under the banners: "Today's Phones Today" - AE, ITT, SC, and North (Ericofon) sets, plus Northern Telecom Imagination sets (Kangaroo, Alexander Graham Plane, Doodle, Dawn and Contempra) "Yesterday's Phones Today" - Cradle, Candlestick and Wood Wall phone reproductions TeleConcepts was located in West Hartford, CT, and has been out of the telephone business for many years. This page contains photos from the TeleConcepts flyer titled "Tomorow's Phones Today," with a few additions from my collection and photos from site visitors. It is presented as a reference of some of the models available in the 1970s. Please send additions and corrections. |
Chromefone  Made in Rotary, Tone or Touch Outpulse |
24K Plain Gold Made in Rotary, Tone or Touch Outpulse |
Lido  Lido Abalone Tone Lido Ivory Rotary Made in Rotary, Tone or Touch Outpulse Colors: Abalone, Pearl, Brown, Black, Ivory |
Disco  Disco Brown Rotary Disco Clear Tone Made in Rotary, Tone or Touch Outpulse |
Petite
and La Belle  Petite La Belle Petite in Rotary only. LaBelle in Rotary or Tone. Colors: Clear and Pearl. La Belle also in Brown. |
El Rondo
 El Rondo Silver Sparkle Rotary El Rondo Brown Tone Made in Rotary, Tone or Touch Outpulse Colors: Silver Sparkle, Brown, Abalone |
Cube and Diamente  Cube Clear Tone Diamente Clear Rotary Made in Rotary, Tone or Touch Outpulse |
Tempo and Americana  Tempo Pearl Rotary Americana Brown & Ivory Rotary Made in Rotary, Tone or Touch Outpulse Tempo in Pearl or Clear Americana in Brown & Ivory, Yellow & White or Red, White and Blue |
Star  Star Abalone Star Blossom Made in Rotary, Tone or Touch Outpulse Also in Clear |
Apollo  Apollo Apollo Nikko Made in Rotary and Tone Also made in smoked lucite. |
Teledome and Chrome
Nouveau  Teledome Chrome Nouveau Made in Rotary, Tone or Touch Outpulse Click here to see the Chrome Nouveau on its matching pedestal. |
Pagoda  Pagoda Clear Rotary Pagoda Chrome & Gold Tone Made in Rotary, Tone or Touch Outpulse Colors: Clear, Chrome & Gold, Silver Sparkle, Chrome, Gold. Also available with Oriental decoration.  |
Periscope and Century  Periscope Century (or Rectangle) (Periscope looks like a stove pipe.) |
Cylinder and Satelite  Cylinder Satelite (only one l) |
Diamond and Venus
 Diamond Venus |
Perkie and Pyramid
 Perkie (Tone/Pulse) in ivory or taupe Pyramid |
Mark I and Mark II Wall Sets  Mark I Clear Mark II Abalone Made in Rotary, Tone or Touch Outpulse Colors: Abalone, Pearl, Green, Yellow. Mark I also in clear. |
Shellamar   Made in Rotary or Tone. Colors: Abalone or Camel Handset: Northern Telephone Contempra (shown) or SC Slenderet with cord retractor. Click here to see the Shellamar on its matching pedestal. |
 Regency Black & Gold
Regency White & Chrome
Made in Rotary or Tone. Handset: ITT Trendline |
  Dynasty with Japanese design on case and painted on handset. Textured plaster was applied to the inside of the cover and painted gold. |
Eve  Eve Walnut Rotary Eve Tone Made in Rotary, Tone or Touch Outpulse |
| Adam
& Eve Adam & Eve Mahogany Rotary Adam is the Handset, Eve is stationary Made in Rotary, Tone or Touch Outpulse |
 Pedestals for Shellamar Pedestal for Chrome Nouveau |
 Table stand for TeleConcepts Phones. |
| TeleConcepts had the annoying habit
of putting their model information on clear or matte labels on the
bottom of the sets. Model information was typically hand written in ink, along with the completion date. This probably looked great when the phones were new, but now - 30 years or more later - the printing has often faded. Some have faded to almost completely clear, and it's difficult to find even the label on the phone! Occasionally, by looking at a faded label at an angle, we can just make out the desired information. |
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| 100 Periscope 200 Satelite 300 Teledome 400 Cylinder 500 Century 700 Chromefone 1000 Periscope 1100 Apollo 1200 Venus 1320 Americana, Brown & Ivory 1325 Americana, Red, White & Blue 1335 Americana, Yellow & White 1400 Diamente 1575 24K Plain Gold 1686 Adam & Eve 1800 Cube 1910 Chrome Nouveau |
2000 Petite,
Clear 2050 Petite, Pearl 2100 Tempo, Clear 2150 Tempo, Pearl 2200 LaBelle, Clear 2220 LaBelle, Brown 2250 LaBelle, Pearl 2300 Star, Clear 2355 Star, Abalone 2405 Lido, Black & Chrome 2420 Lido, Brown & Gold 2450 Lido, Pearl & Chrome 2455 Lido, Abalone & Chrome 2460 Lido, Ivory & Gold 2500 Mark I Wall, Clear 2535 Mark I Wall, Yellow 2545 Mark I Wall, Green 2550 Mark I Wall, Pearl 2555 Mark I Wall, Abalone 2635 Mark II Wall, Yellow 2645 Mark II Wall, Green 2650 Mark II Wall, Pearl 2655 Mark II Wall, Abalone 2784 Eve Walnut 2810 Chromefone 2910 Chrome Nouveau Pedestal |
3005 Teledome 3110 El Rondo, Silver Sparkle 3120 El Rondo, Brown & Gold 3155 El Rondo, Abalone 3255 Shellamar Chest, Abalone 3265 Shellamar Chest, Camel Twirl 3355 Shellamar Chest, Pedestal, Abalone 3365 Shellamar Chest, Pedestal, Camel Twirl 3400 Disco, Clear 3420 Disco, Ivory & Brown 3500 Pagoda, Clear 3510 Pagoda, Chrome & Gold 3515 Pagoda, Silver Sparkle 3575 Pagoda, Gold 3630 Apollo Nikko 3730 Star Blossom 3805 Regency, Black & Gold 3815 Regency, White & Chrome 3905 Executive, Black & Chrome 3915 Executive, White & Chrome 3920 Executive, Brown & Gold 3960 Executive, Ivory & Gold |
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SUFFIX CODES:
D1 Rotary Dial T1 Touch (Tone) 01 Touch Outpulse |
To Be
Determined: Diamond Perkie Pyramid |
| The handset cradle arms are the weak
link on the plastic models. They stick out of the main body of the phone and are subject to damage when someone slams the handset down with too much force. They must be carefully protected when packing to avoid shipping damage. They are very difficult to repair. If you're planning to buy a set, check this part carefully! |
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| Hanging, Mushroom and Aladdin Prototypes |
  Hanging and Mushroom phones (Lamp switch was on power cord)  Aladdin: Angled cylinder on a tapered base. |
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©2009-10 paulf. All rights reserved.
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