Black Bakelite antique telephone.

We present this old and original black telephone model 5523F, better known in Spain as bakelite telephone. Typical of the mid 20th century. This model is a different version as it has a red button to make the call transfers. It still has the original CTNE (Compañía Telefónica Nacional de España) labels. Tested, the handset works but the ring signal is a bit low. The dialer rolls but gets stuck. It has a small notch in the handset. It shows signs of age. NOTICE: Decorative product. No guarantee of function.

Things got even more interesting when a new material was introduced into telephony: Bakelite, the first 100% synthetic plastic. Created by Leo Baekeland (hence its name) in the early years of the last century, Bakelite has become an iconic material, much loved by retro lovers. With its appearance, the process of creating telephones became industrialised: its manufacturing time was reduced to around 7 minutes, its price dropped and demand increased.