Who Invented the Bakelite Telephone

An article by Peter Pierce    Comments Off on Who Invented the Bakelite Telephone

Bakelite telephone was invented by Leo Baekeland. Bakelite is an expensive non flammable plastic material used for telephones and radios. These phones were manufactured during the period 1930 – 1960. These phones were always too expensive as they were made out of first plastics. Even though Bakelite is not a perfect plastic, the attractive feature of this phone is that it does not melt easily.

Bakelite phones were manufactured only in black colour in earlier period of their invention. Coloured Bakelite phones were developed later by using a different plastic called “Cellulose acetate”. Some rare British Bakelite phones that are today pieces of art deco were found in rare ivory, a very rare red and jade green and of course, standard black.

Today these phones are highly desired as collectibles and the auctioning of these phones brings hundreds of dollars. People love to have a Bakelite phone to decorate in their homes in spite of having many cordless phones and mobile phones. This is a phone that best represents their love for antiques and their admiration for the genius who created a plastic that kept its shape even when heated. Collectors of these Bakelite telephones help towards taking a step towards appreciation of innovations of our forgotten history.