The Candlestick Telephone is a style of telephone that was common from the late 1890’s to the 1940’s. It is also often referred to as a desk stand, an upright, or a stick phone. Candlestick Telephones featured a mouthpiece (transmitter) mounted at the top of the stand, and a receiver (ear phone) that was held by the user to the ear during a call. When the telephone was not in use, the receiver rested in the fork of the switch hook protruding to the side of the stand, thereby disconnecting the audio circuit from the telephone network when not in use.
The idea to produce a model of a Candlestick Telephone in wood came from a Veteran, called William, who is sadly no longer with us. I was invited to his workshop where he had an old model of the Candlestick Telephone, and he said he intended someday to ‘get round to turning one’. I took some photos, did a trial run and finally came up with the item you can now see on Veterans Woodcraft’s website. It is basically four turned parts; the base, the stem, the mouth, and earpiece. The hook to hang the earpiece on is also carved from a piece of wood. Finally, a length of cotton covered cable completes the construction.
All original Candlestick Telephones were in black, so the finished model is sprayed in black ebony paint.
By Chris Morgan, Veteran and Woodworker
The cost is £25.00 plus £5.00 P+P and insurance for UK deliveries
Note: This item is a model, not a working telephone.