Featured Rotary Club miniature telephone

Not sure what to make of this. As you’ll see, it’s a miniature candlestick telephone. From the engraved inscriptions, it was presented to a Rotary Club chapter president in 1917. I have no idea what a telephone signifies to Rotarians - any ideas? I’m also not sure what it’s made of, but suspect it’s solid silver. There are no hallmarks but its very heavy for its size, at 15.1 ounces, I don’t see any worn plating, it’s non-magnetic, and the tarnished areas have the beautiful purplish-blue colour of old silver. May have to take this to an assayer to find out for sure. Whatever the case, I think it’s wonderful!

 

Could be that simple!

 

According to the internet, George Brigden "was also a founder and the first president of the Rotary Club of Toronto." That was in 1912. But no rotary dials in Toronto until 1924.

Debora

 

But this would be a candlestick phone (with no ringer box) and it would pre-date a rotary dial phone.

 

Good point. So, it’s unlikely there’s a rotary phone / Rotary Club connection. It was a good thought, though!

Maybe Mr. Brigden, as the first president, simply spent a lot of time on the phone trying to get the Toronto chapter off the ground...

 

wow, an actual antique...on Antiquers !!
it's sooo cute !!!

 

Hi,
Me really like it!!!
greg

 

I could be wrong but I think I MAY have found the remains of a small hallmark:

It’s very worn, if it is in fact a hallmark at all, but doesn’t look like a dent or ding to me through the loupe.

 

We didn't have dial phones on the farm where I was raised until about 1950. You would Pick up the phone and be sure no other party was on it (we had a 7 party line), turn the handle to ring the bell and tell the operator who you wanted to speak with - or perhaps give her a number if they had one or you could remember it. Seemed to work well in our small community!