Kellogg
Candlestick Phone
These little phones were used in many countries and were especially popular
in the United States. They were lighter than the Western Electric model, and
that must have helped. A more significant reason is that Kellogg made phones
for the independent telephone companies that sprang up in competition with the
Bell network. Bell/Western Electric was reluctant to sell phones to these
growing competitive networks, so firms like Kellogg and Stromberg Carlson set
out to fill the need. The Kellogg phones look basic, but they were a rugged little phone and many
have survived. Collectors can purchase one easily on eBay, the Internet auction
site, for around fifty to sixty U.S. dollars. They were made in a range of styles
over the years, possibly reflecting the need for mass production. I have seen
what I presume is an early model with brass fittings on the swivel and a brownish
bakelite (called "Kellite" by the company) sleeve. These decorative
fittings seem to have given way to the more basic model like mine, with simple
steel construction and no decoration at all.
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