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Candlestick Telephone Collection

The candlestick telephone, also known as the desk stand phone, was a popular communication device in the early 20th century

Background imageCandlestick Telephone Collection: Edward Bannick, between c1910 and c1915. Creator: Bain News Service

Edward Bannick, between c1910 and c1915. Creator: Bain News Service
Edward Bannick, between c1910 and c1915.

Background imageCandlestick Telephone Collection: Sue Dorsey, 1918. Creator: Harris & Ewing. Sue Dorsey, 1918. Creator: Harris & Ewing

Sue Dorsey, 1918. Creator: Harris & Ewing. Sue Dorsey, 1918. Creator: Harris & Ewing
Sue Dorsey, 1918

Background imageCandlestick Telephone Collection: Sue Dorsey, 1918. Creator: Harris & Ewing. Sue Dorsey, 1918. Creator: Harris & Ewing

Sue Dorsey, 1918. Creator: Harris & Ewing. Sue Dorsey, 1918. Creator: Harris & Ewing
Sue Dorsey, 1918

Background imageCandlestick Telephone Collection: Edgar Rickard, Executive Asst. U.S. Food Administration, 1917. Creator: Harris & Ewing

Edgar Rickard, Executive Asst. U.S. Food Administration, 1917. Creator: Harris & Ewing. Edgar Rickard, Executive Asst
Edgar Rickard, Executive Assistant, U.S. Food Administration, 1917. Mining engineer

Background imageCandlestick Telephone Collection: Fred C. Wolcott, 1917 or 1918. Creator: Unknown

Fred C. Wolcott, 1917 or 1918. Creator: Unknown
Fred C. Wolcott, 1917 or 1918

Background imageCandlestick Telephone Collection: Antoinette Funk, Co-Chairman N.A.W.S.A. 1914. Creator: Harris & Ewing

Antoinette Funk, Co-Chairman N.A.W.S.A. 1914. Creator: Harris & Ewing. Antoinette Funk, Co-Chairman N.A.W.S.A. 1914
Antoinette Funk, Co-Chairman N.A.W.S.A. 1914. Lawyer and women's rights advocate, executive secretary of the Congressional Committee of the National American Woman Suffrage Association

Background imageCandlestick Telephone Collection: Antoinette Funk, Co-Chairman N.A.W.S.A. 1914. Creator: Harris & Ewing

Antoinette Funk, Co-Chairman N.A.W.S.A. 1914. Creator: Harris & Ewing. Antoinette Funk, Co-Chairman N.A.W.S.A. 1914
Antoinette Funk, Co-Chairman N.A.W.S.A. 1914. Lawyer and women's rights advocate, executive secretary of the Congressional Committee of the National American Woman Suffrage Association

Background imageCandlestick Telephone Collection: John B. May Jr. Conf. Clerk To Sec. Daniels, 1915. Creator: Harris & Ewing. John B. May Jr. Conf

John B. May Jr. Conf. Clerk To Sec. Daniels, 1915. Creator: Harris & Ewing. John B. May Jr. Conf. Clerk To Sec
John B. May Jr. Conf. Clerk To Sec. Daniels, 1915

Background imageCandlestick Telephone Collection: Dr. Franklin H. Martin of Chicago, Regent And Secretary General, American College of Surgeons, 1913

Dr. Franklin H. Martin of Chicago, Regent And Secretary General, American College of Surgeons, 1913
Dr. Franklin Henry Martin of Chicago, Regent And Secretary General, American College of Surgeons, 1913. Founder of the Journal of the American College of Surgeons

Background imageCandlestick Telephone Collection: Rep. Royal Johnson, between 1910 and 1920. Creator: Harris & Ewing. Rep

Rep. Royal Johnson, between 1910 and 1920. Creator: Harris & Ewing. Rep. Royal Johnson, between 1910 and 1920
Rep. Royal [C.] Johnson, between 1910 and 1920. [US politician and lawyer Royal Cleaves Johnson: Attorney General of South Dakota; veteran of World War I]

Background imageCandlestick Telephone Collection: Henry P. Davison, between 1910 and 1920. Creator: Harris & Ewing. Henry P

Henry P. Davison, between 1910 and 1920. Creator: Harris & Ewing. Henry P. Davison, between 1910 and 1920
Henry P. Davison, between 1910 and 1920. American banker and philanthropist

Background imageCandlestick Telephone Collection: William Jennings Bryan with group at desk, between 1910 and 1920. Creator: Harris & Ewing

William Jennings Bryan with group at desk, between 1910 and 1920. Creator: Harris & Ewing
William Jennings Bryan with group at desk, between 1910 and 1920. Bryan was a lawyer and Secretary of State. Note electric lamp, framed photograph, and candlestick telephones on desk

Background imageCandlestick Telephone Collection: Laboratory, between 1909 and 1914. Creator: Harris & Ewing. Laboratory, between 1909 and 1914

Laboratory, between 1909 and 1914. Creator: Harris & Ewing. Laboratory, between 1909 and 1914. Creator: Harris & Ewing
Laboratory, between 1909 and 1914. USA. Man on left using a telephone, man on right wearing headphones and operating scientific apparatus

Background imageCandlestick Telephone Collection: B. Clarkson & grp, between 1910 and 1920. Creator: Harris & Ewing. B

B. Clarkson & grp, between 1910 and 1920. Creator: Harris & Ewing. B. Clarkson & grp, between 1910 and 1920
B. Clarkson & group, between 1910 and 1920. Woman and group of men looking at architectural plans. US author and publicist Grosvenor B

Background imageCandlestick Telephone Collection: Ben S. Allen, Chf. Pub. Inf. Div. Food Admin. 1917. Creator: Harris & Ewing. Ben S. Allen, Chf

Ben S. Allen, Chf. Pub. Inf. Div. Food Admin. 1917. Creator: Harris & Ewing. Ben S. Allen, Chf. Pub. Inf. Div
Ben S. Allen, Chief of the Public Information (?) Division, Food Administration, USA, 1917

Background imageCandlestick Telephone Collection: Clyde Bruce Atchison, Comm, I.C.C. 1917. Creator: Harris & Ewing

Clyde Bruce Atchison, Comm, I.C.C. 1917. Creator: Harris & Ewing. Clyde Bruce Atchison, Comm, I.C.C. 1917
Clyde Bruce Atchison, Interstate Commerce Commissioner, 1917

Background imageCandlestick Telephone Collection: Clyde Bruce Atchison, Comm, I.C.C. 1917. Creator: Harris & Ewing

Clyde Bruce Atchison, Comm, I.C.C. 1917. Creator: Harris & Ewing. Clyde Bruce Atchison, Comm, I.C.C. 1917
Clyde Bruce Atchison, Interstate Commerce Commissioner, 1917

Background imageCandlestick Telephone Collection: Josephus Daniels and group, between 1910 and 1920. Creator: Harris & Ewing

Josephus Daniels and group, between 1910 and 1920. Creator: Harris & Ewing
Josephus Daniels and group, between 1910 and 1920. American politician, newspaper editor and publisher: Secretary of the Navy during World War I. Note candlestick telephone on desk

Background imageCandlestick Telephone Collection: Josephus Daniels and group, between 1910 and 1920. Creator: Harris & Ewing

Josephus Daniels and group, between 1910 and 1920. Creator: Harris & Ewing
Josephus Daniels and group, between 1910 and 1920. American politician, newspaper editor and publisher: Secretary of the Navy during World War I. Note candlestick telephone on desk

Background imageCandlestick Telephone Collection: Group: includes William Jennings Bryan (at desk, 2nd from right)... between 1910 and 1920

Group: includes William Jennings Bryan (at desk, 2nd from right)... between 1910 and 1920. Creator: Harris & Ewing
Group: includes William Jennings Bryan (at desk, 2nd from right); and Josephus Daniels, middle of 2nd row, between 1910 and 1920. American politicians. Bryan was a lawyer and Secretary of State

Background imageCandlestick Telephone Collection: Josephus Daniels and group, between 1910 and 1920. Creator: Harris & Ewing

Josephus Daniels and group, between 1910 and 1920. Creator: Harris & Ewing
Josephus Daniels and group, between 1910 and 1920. American politician, newspaper editor and publisher: Secretary of the Navy during World War I

Background imageCandlestick Telephone Collection: War Council, 1917. Creator: Harris & Ewing. War Council, 1917. Creator: Harris & Ewing

War Council, 1917. Creator: Harris & Ewing. War Council, 1917. Creator: Harris & Ewing
War Council, 1917. Maj. Gen. George Barnett, Commandant, U.S.M.C; Blue, Victor, Rear Admiral, U.S.N.; Chief Bur. Nav.; Josephus Daniels, Secretary of The Navy, 1913-1921; Captain A.F

Background imageCandlestick Telephone Collection: War Council, 1917. Creator: Harris & Ewing. War Council, 1917. Creator: Harris & Ewing

War Council, 1917. Creator: Harris & Ewing. War Council, 1917. Creator: Harris & Ewing
War Council, 1917. Maj. Gen. George Barnett, Commandant, U.S.M.C; Blue, Victor, Rear Admiral, U.S.N.; Chief Bur. Nav.; Josephus Daniels, Secretary of The Navy, 1913-1921; Captain A.F

Background imageCandlestick Telephone Collection: War Council, 1917. Creator: Harris & Ewing. War Council, 1917. Creator: Harris & Ewing

War Council, 1917. Creator: Harris & Ewing. War Council, 1917. Creator: Harris & Ewing
War Council, 1917. Maj. Gen. George Barnett, Commandant, U.S.M.C; Blue, Victor, Rear Admiral, U.S.N.; Chief Bur. Nav.; Josephus Daniels, Secretary of The Navy, 1913-1921; Captain A.F

Background imageCandlestick Telephone Collection: Champ Clark, between 1910 and 1920. Creator: Harris & Ewing. Champ Clark, between 1910 and 1920

Champ Clark, between 1910 and 1920. Creator: Harris & Ewing. Champ Clark, between 1910 and 1920
Champ Clark, between 1910 and 1920. American politician and attorney James Beauchamp Clark, Speaker of the House of Representatives, speaking on a candlestick telephone

Background imageCandlestick Telephone Collection: Edward B. Moore, Commissioner of Patents - At Desk, 1912. Creator: Harris & Ewing. Edward B

Edward B. Moore, Commissioner of Patents - At Desk, 1912. Creator: Harris & Ewing. Edward B
Edward B. Moore, Commissioner of Patents - At Desk, 1912. [Edward Bruce Moore, US Patent Office]

Background imageCandlestick Telephone Collection: Edward B. Moore, Commissioner of Patents - At Desk, 1912. Creator: Harris & Ewing. Edward B

Edward B. Moore, Commissioner of Patents - At Desk, 1912. Creator: Harris & Ewing. Edward B
Edward B. Moore, Commissioner of Patents - At Desk, 1912. [Edward Bruce Moore, US Patent Office]

Background imageCandlestick Telephone Collection: Edward B. Moore, Commissioner of Patents - At Desk, 1912. Creator: Harris & Ewing. Edward B

Edward B. Moore, Commissioner of Patents - At Desk, 1912. Creator: Harris & Ewing. Edward B
Edward B. Moore, Commissioner of Patents - At Desk, 1912. [Edward Bruce Moore, US Patent Office]

Background imageCandlestick Telephone Collection: Marshall P. Wilder on the telephone in his office, 1898-99 (silver gelatin print)

Marshall P. Wilder on the telephone in his office, 1898-99 (silver gelatin print)
MNY381600 Marshall P. Wilder on the telephone in his office, 1898-99 (silver gelatin print) by Byron Company (fl.1890-1942); 20.3x25.4 cm; Museum of the City of New York, USA; (add.info.: Marshall P)

Background imageCandlestick Telephone Collection: 'Chief Blanchard'played by J. K. Hutchurson in the stage play 3 Spoonfuls at

"Chief Blanchard"played by J. K. Hutchurson in the stage play 3 Spoonfuls at
" Chief Blanchard" played by J.K. Hutchurson in the stage play 3 Spoonfuls at the Criterion. April 1915 P000269

Background imageCandlestick Telephone Collection: CARRIE CHAPMAN CATT (1859-1947). Carrie Clinton Chapman Catt. American reformer

CARRIE CHAPMAN CATT (1859-1947). Carrie Clinton Chapman Catt. American reformer and womens rights advocate. Photograph, early 20th century

Background imageCandlestick Telephone Collection: Collection of early telephones and telephone cables, including 19th century telephones by

Collection of early telephones and telephone cables, including 19th century telephones by Alexander Graham Bell and Thomas Edison



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The candlestick telephone, also known as the desk stand phone, was a popular communication device in the early 20th century. Its elegant design featured a long, slender neck supporting a receiver and transmitter that resembled a candlestick holder. This vintage telephone was not only functional but also served as a stylish decor piece in many homes and offices. With its rotary dial or push-button keypad, users could easily make calls to friends and family members. The nostalgic ring of the bell signaled an incoming call, adding charm to any conversation. Despite its simplicity compared to modern smartphones, the candlestick telephone represented an era when communication was more deliberate and personal. Today, these antique telephones are sought after by collectors who appreciate their historical significance and craftsmanship. Whether displayed on a shelf or used for making occasional calls, the candlestick telephone continues to evoke feelings of nostalgia and admiration for simpler times gone by. Its timeless design serves as a reminder of how far technology has come while honoring the legacy of this iconic communication device.