Photos of the main building at The Ellsworth, Maine Telephone Museum taken in October 2024
Welcome to the Ellsworth, Maine Telephone Museum!
Outside of the main building
Outside of the main building
Volunteer David Thompson is using a chronograph to stamp my "toll ticket"
An overhead view of the chronograph
Volunteer David Thompson teaches me about the old magneto cord board.
Volunteer David Thompson teaches me how to use the old magneto cord board.
Hello Central?
Volunteer David Thompson talks about how the first Step by Step switches were developed
Volunteer David Thompson explains how the first Strowger switches used push buttons before the dial was invented.
Most of the phones in the museum can call other phones or be called by other phones
Most of the phones in the museum can call other phones or be called by other phones
An old Teletype machine
An old manual cord board. This one had common battery and used lights to signal the operator
Imagine all those telephone operators!
A Step by Step selector
History of the Step by Step telephone switch.
How Almon Strowger invented the first automatic telephone switch.
A demonstration system on how digit absorbing selectors work.
Small Step by Step switch
Small Step by Step switch
Demonstration switch to show how calls progress through Step by Step switches
Small Step by Step switch
Power supplies and ringing generators
Ring and Tone Plant, this was a retrofit made by Lorain for Western Electric
Power supplies
Power supplies
Number 5 Crossbar switch
This number 5 Crossbar switch serves the Belfast area
Number 5 Crossbar switch
Number 5 Crossbar switch
Number 5 Crossbar switch
Number 5 Crossbar switch
Number 5 Crossbar switch
Number 5 Crossbar switch
Number 5 Crossbar switch
Number 5 Crossbar switch
Phones that are served by the Number 5 Crossbar switch
Coin First pay phone served by the Number 5 Crossbar
1A2 key system phone
Old NYNEX sign
Number 5 Crossbar switch
All relay PBX
All relay PBX
Announcement machines connected to the Number 5 crossbar
Announcement machines connected to the Number 5 crossbar
This sign used to hang in a central office. It was the Bell System motto.
This sign used to hang in a central office. It was the Bell System motto.
Ellsworth, ME Telephone Museum Pages
My Visit to the Ellsworth, ME Telephone Museum
A write up of my visit to the Telephone Museum in October 2024
Photos of the Main Building
Photos of the main building that shows the history of telephony through the years
Photos of the Maine Telephone History Building
Photos of how independent telephone companies implemented technology through the early years
Photos of the Frenchboro, ME Central Office Building
Photos of the Frenchboro, ME CX-100 switch
Other Pictures
Other photos taken at the museum
Videos of the Telephone Museum
A series of YouTube videos of the Ellsworth, ME Telephone Museum