Description

Summary: This is the earliest commercial telephone in Britain, made by Alfred Cunnington in 1877 to connect his wine merchant business at the Old Town Hall with his home at Southgate House, Devizes. Cunnington had read about Alexander Graham Bell’s invention published in Scientific American in 1876 and using the diagrams in the article set about making his own version.

Identification note: In June 2024, an electro-magnetic wooden telephone handset from Southgate House, Devizes, was donated to the museum by local historian, John Girvan. He acquired it from the house clearance of Southgate House, Devizes. Southgate House was the home of Alfred Cunnington, who assembled the first commercial telephone in the UK, in 1877, based on the Alexander Bell invention. It was used at Cunnington's wine business in St John's St, with an over the roof top wire to his home at Southgate House. The wooden unit, donated byJohn Girvan in 2024, is thought to be the receiving end of the tellephone connection from the wine business on St John's St. All parts of the telephone unit are now on display in the Story of Devizes Gallery (as at 12 June 2024). DZSWS:2024.43

Notes: loan via SCM