THG-The Science Museum

THG AGM at The Science Museum 1999

The morning events were started by our host, Xerxes Mazda, who briefly described the remit of the Museum, the basis of the collections, storage, how visitors interact and the new Wellcome Wing which is due to open in June 2000.

This was followed by a tour of the Telecommunications Galleries which included a broad cross section of developments and histories of Telephony and Wireless communications. The displays had not been updated since the early 80's, so that grey Viscount phones could be found on almost every audio/visual stand. However, this tended to enhance the appeal for all telephone buffs. Notable exhibits were several racks of working 2000 type Strowger, static examples of crossbar, TXE2, TXE4 and System X, a K3 concrete telephone kiosk and a 'cut down' main route telegraph pole complete with crossarms, as well as a working prototype of the Speaking Clock.

Paying for the Call... public & private, past and present... click on the picture for a larger image.

Grey Viscounts were very much in evidence...
But without the press-puttons...

Please lift handset

"Please lift handset"

Xerxes Mazda adds... The Museum's current collecting policy is to focus on acquiring objects that were made after 1975. This does not mean that we are not sympathetic to objects made before that date which are offered to us. However, we have identified objects made between, say 1975 and 1985 as being particularly vulnerable to being lost to the nation - they are currently being thrown away as they are not considered 'old enough for a museum' or 'valuable enough to keep'.

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