Typewriter Talk / Desk favourites

**Posted by beak** 12-1-2016 11:23:43

Here's an excuse to practise your photography (among friends), and to show us what other things, apart from your TW of course, are among the favourites on your desk.
Here's my first item:

This vintage British magneto 'phone connects my quiet-room desk to the rest of the house.

Several of these may be linked with just a pair of wires and a little battery in each. You ring other extensions by turning the handle, and there's a code ring to let others know who you want to talk to. Works very well and costs nothing to run.

I have a small collection of old British 'phones, but this one has long been a favourite because of its strong, elegant lines.

OK - what's your fave?

**Posted by JanetLand** 13-1-2016 13:05:39

Wow. I now totally want a magneto phone system in my house. Even though I live alone . . . .

**Posted by retro** 17-2-2016 16:42:33

This is my 1960's telephone which I originally had installed in my parent's home and I still use it as the distinctive loud ringing sound saves confusion with the TV and my children's mobile 'phones. The number in the centre of the dial preceded by the telephone exchange Crescent was a lot easier to dial than now. Just dial CRE3236, three letters and four numbers and that was all. The telephone exchanges often had nice numbers like my girlfriend's, a rather apt VAL for the Valentine exchange. For long distance you dialled 100 and the operator would connect you.
The small school handbell on the right is for summoning the offspring to the feeding trough which they dislike intensely and always ensures a quick response. I am tempted to get a dinner gong but I guess there are limits.

**Posted by treefaller** 17-2-2016 17:34:14

That magneto phone looks great, Beak! And the photography is good, makes it look very sleek and sexy. Kind of deco, I guess.

**Posted by beak** 10-3-2016 07:04:33

Well - I wonder if you are all such a shy bunch that you won't share your desk treasures? Here's my latest - another 'phone (sorry). This one is very early, brown Bakelite, and was probably part of a ship's intercom, judging by the handset - but I'm not sure. Soon to be part of the house intercom if I can work out the selector wiring!

**Posted by BangoDeschain** 10-3-2016 15:18:08

Here's my recent addition to my desk family for classical listening: 1951 Philco Radio, Model #51-532. This little beauty has been a fun project. Waiting for some new tubes to arrive then she'll be back on her feet!

**Posted by Uwe** 11-3-2016 15:43:11

I like the phones and radios, and although I have a rather modest collection of both, none are on my desk at the moment. Instead, I can only offer my typing metronome, a vintage alarm clock that I wind up ritually when I first sit down to work. It's a more quiet ticker (Leisetick = quiet tick), but it's still loud enough that it provides a soothing sound track when the keys have stopped clacking and I'm mentally searching for word that happens to be eluding me. Coincidentally, it happens to be the exact same colour as the Olympia that I'm currently using.

**Posted by beak** 11-3-2016 17:17:21

I had heard of people training with a metronome in order to acquire a steady rhythm to their typing - do you still use it for that reason?
Nice pictures!

**Posted by beak** 28-3-2016 07:46:38

retro wrote:

Just noticed that your phone is rarer than many that seem to be the same and are very common. This particular model has a design fault in the handset cradle; the receiver could easily slip forward and 'unhook' the phone. The design was soon corrected in the replacement model which is superficially the same. A nice vintage piece.

**Posted by beak** 09-4-2016 10:15:09

It's so hard to get a look round other people's desks! I'll keep trying...
Here's another of the things that has been so useful; a writing slope. I write and sketch by hand as much as I type, if not more, and this generous slope makes all that a breeze. Made of Australian Cedar with a leather skiver - but that will have to be replaced soon; getting too hard.