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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