Retro phones
are one of the coolest retro accessories you can purchase for your home. They’re fun to use, make wonderful conversation pieces, and are often available in a rainbow of cheerful colors – there’s sure to be one perfectly suited to your decorating color scheme. Best of all, retro phonesare affordable for most any budget.
In the 1950′s, famed industrial designed Henry Dreyfuss worked with the Bell Telephone Company to design phones with streamlined looks, suited to increasingly snazzy home environments. Dreyfuss also broke the portability barrier by making phones which could be cradled on the shoulder and carried about – by measuring no less than 2000 faces to determine the average distance from the mouth to the ear. The Crosley series of desktop and wall-mount phones were the result of Dreyfuss’s efforts, and became the standard for phones well into the 1960′s.
Retro phonesmodeled after Dreyfuss’s Crosley series are sold in specialty shops and online, but the best prices and selection can be found on Amazon.com. Here are just a few of Amazon’s super-swell retro phonesfrom the Crosley series:
The Crosley 302 Wall Phone
was one of Dreyfuss’s most popular designs. It was attractive,
comfortable to use, and best of all, allowed folks to wander around while chatting on the phone. It immediately set the standard for wall-mount phones, and became a household fixture in most kitchens of the day. The Crosley 302can be largely credited with making possible the casual phone chats we now take for granted as a popular pastime.
Amazon sells the Crosley 302retro phone in three classic retro phone colors: slick black, bright red, and space-age brushed chrome. Click here for more information on the Crosley 302 Wall Phone on Amazon.com.
In 1959, Crosley introduced the Princess Phone,which quickly became a hit with gals across the country. It was compact, deliciously cute, and had a great deal more feminine charm than any phone which proceeded it. It was designed to look lovely and graceful on a bedside stand, a ladies’ desk, or practically anywhere it was placed. The Princess Phonetook the nation by such storm that even Patty Duke had one in TV land.
Amazon sells the Crosley Princessretro phone in classic retro pink. Click here for more information on the Crosley Princess Phone on Amazon.com.
In the ’50′s, Crosley introduced the CR56 Pay Phone,a three-coin-slot affair which remained virtually unchanged until 1965. It was the first pay phone which required money up-front before a call was placed. The front of the phone stated plainly that a local call was ten cents – and so the phrase “dropping a dime” was born.
The reproduction retro phone version has been cleverly designed with working coin slots which deposit the change into a bank. What a swell way to save up a few nickels! Amazon sells the Crosley CR56retro phone in classic black, stylin’ brushed chrome, and hot-cha-cha pink. Click here for more information on the Crosley CR56 Pay Phone on Amazon.com.
For sheer retro phone swankitude, nothing beats Crosley’s Classic Desk Phone.It was the desk phone throughout World War II, and thanks to its comfortable construction and no-nonsense appearance, remained popular throughout the 1960′s. It’s the quintessential retro phone, and its heft and style will take you back to the 50′s every time you pick up the receiver.
Amazon sells the Crosley Classic Desk Phonein bold black, royal red, and a variety of fun, vivid colors like blue, pink, and purple brushed chrome. Click here for more information on the Crosley Classic Desk Phone on Amazon.com.
