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TeleConcepts, Inc. Telephones

"Tomorrow's Phones Today"

©2009-15 paulf.  All rights reserved.
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Chromefone Rotary      Shellamar on Stand    Adam and Eve    Cube clear


TOPICS ON THIS PAGE:    GEOMETRIC    CHEST    ART    KEYSETS    PEDESTALS
LABELS    MODELS    CRADLE    BONUS PHOTOS
 
MODELS ON THIS PAGE:         24K   Adam & Eve   Aladdin   Americana   Apollo   Century   Chrome Nouveau 
 
Chromefone   ClearTalk    Cube   Cylinder   Diamente   Diamond   Disco   El Rondo   Eve   Executive 
 
La Belle   Lido   Mark I and II Wall   Pagoda   Periscope   Perkie   Petite   Pyramid   Regency   Satelite 
  
Shellamar   Star   Teledome   Tempo   Venus                
 
RELATED PAGES ON THIS SITE:     COLORS      Western Electric Design Line     TeleQuest    Lamps


 
Teleconcepts, Inc. Logo

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, discussions with former employees, 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.




GEOMETRIC PHONES
 

Chromefone
Chromefone
                Rotary    Chromefone
                Tone
 
Made in Rotary, Tone or Touch Outpulse
24K Plain Gold
24K Plain
                Gold
 
Made in Rotary, Tone or Touch Outpulse
Lido
Lido
                Abalone Tone   Lido Ivory
                Rotary
 
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
 
Disco Brown Rotary                                                                        Disco Clear Tone
 
Made in Rotary, Tone or Touch Outpulse
Petite and La Belle
Petite
                Clear Rotary   La Belle
                Rotary Clear
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
                Rotary Sparkle    El Rondo
                Tone Brown
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
Cube Clear Tone                                                                        Diamente Clear Rotary
 
Made in Rotary, Tone or Touch Outpulse
Tempo and Americana
Tempo Pearl
                Rotary    Americana
                Brown & Ivory Rotary
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
Star Abalone                                                                       Star Blossom
 
Made in Rotary, Tone or Touch Outpulse
Also in Clear
Apollo
Apollo
                Clear Tone    Apollo Nikko
                Tone
Apollo                                                                       Apollo Nikko
 
Made in Rotary and Tone
Also made in smoked lucite.
Teledome and Chrome Nouveau
Teledome
                Rotary    Chrome Nouveau
                Tone
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
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.

Pagoda
                  with Oriental decoration
Periscope and Century
 
Periscope     Box-shaped
                phone
Periscope                                                                       Century  (or Rectangle)
(Periscope looks like a stove pipe.)
Cylinder and Satelite

Cylinder
                phone      Satelite
                phone
                         Cylinder                                                                         Satelite (only one l - not Satellite)


Aladdin

Aladdin
Aladdin: Angled cylinder on a tapered base.
Diamond and Venus
 
Diamond-shaped phone     Venus -
                Cylindrical shape phone
Diamond                                                                                                             Venus
Perkie, Pyramid and ClearTalk
 
TeleConcepts Perkie
Perkie Desk Set, Ivory or Taupe
Perkie
                        Wall
Perkie Wall Set, Ivory or Taupe


Pyramid
Pyramid

ClearTalk
ClearTalk - Late production with dome-shaped gong

(Earlier production batches used bell-shaped gongs)

     
Mark I and Mark II Wall Sets
Mark I Wall
                Set Tone    Mark II Wall
                Tone
Mark I Clear                                                                      Mark II Abalone
 
Made in Rotary, Tone or Touch Outpulse
Colors: Abalone, Pearl, Green, Yellow.  Mark I also in clear.


CHEST PHONES

Shellamar
Shellamar
                Abalone Tone    Shellamar Camel    Shellamar
                Abalone
 
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
Regency
                  Black & Gold Tone    Regency
                  White & Chrome

Regency Black & Gold Tone
                  Open    Regency
                  White & Chrome Open
Regency Black & Gold                                                                        Regency White & Chrome
 
Made in Rotary or Tone.
Handset: ITT Trendline
Regency Japanese    Regency
                Japanese Open
Dynasty with Japanese design on case and painted on handset.
Textured plaster was applied to the inside of the cover and painted gold.


ART PHONES

Eve
Eve
                  Rotary    Eve Tone,
                  showing handset
Eve Walnut Rotary                                                            Eve Tone
 
Made in Rotary, Tone or Touch Outpulse
Adam & Eve
 Adam & Eve Rotary
Adam & Eve Mahogany Rotary
Adam is the Handset, Eve is stationary
 
Made in Rotary, Tone or Touch Outpulse


KEYSETS

Executive
Executive
                Brown & Gold Tone    Executive
                White & Chrome Rotary
Executive Brown & Gold Tone                                                                        Executive White & Chrome Rotary
 
Made in Rotary, Tone or Touch Outpulse
Also made in Ivory & Gold or Black & Chrome
Keysets are standard 6-button sets wired for 5 lines and hold.


PHONE PEDESTALS


Shellamar
                Pedistals           Chrome
                Nouveau Pedistal
Pedestals for Shellamar                                                 Pedestal for Chrome Nouveau

Table Stand
Table stand for TeleConcepts Phones.


PHONE LABELS

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.

Bell System Label (LaBelle Phone)     Label(Petite
                Phone)

Label (Lido
                Phone)     Label
                (Chromefone)


MODEL NUMBERS

  100 Periscope
  200 Satelite
  300 Teledome
  400 Cylinder
  500 Century
  700
Chromefone

1000 Aladdin
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

460041 ClearTalk (Bell-shaped Gong)

876042 Perkie Desk, Ivory
876046 Perkie Wall, Ivory
872142 Perkie Desk, Taupe
872146 Perkie Wall, Taupe
930042 ClearTalk (Dome-shaped Gong)
SUFFIX CODES:  
 
D1 Rotary Dial
T1 Touch (Tone)
01 Touch Outpulse

To Be Determined:
 
Diamond
Pyramid


HANDSET CRADLE

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!
 Handset Cradle (Box phone)

Handset
                Cradle - details (Box phone)

 
BONUS PHOTOS
 
Hanging and Mushroom Prototypes
 Hanging Telephone     Mushroom
                Phone
Hanging and Mushroom phones (Lamp switch was on power cord)




Please send comments or photos of your favorite phones to: 

Email address



©2009-15 paulf.  All rights reserved.