Mr Datamancer, creator of the Opti-Transcipticon, wrote to tell me about where he got his very old looking phone – as some people had enquired about it.  Well, it seems that he went to a place called Crosley Radio – a company that seems to specialise in recreating radios, turntables, telephones and jukeboxes.  It dances just on the edge of Steampunk – and for the most part is soundly into the 1930’s and so – but a few of the items, such as this candlestick style phone, belong happily alongside the most cutting edge of Steampunk technology!  They also do some quite ornate looking moving music boxes featuring ballroom dances and such.

It’s funny though – as a child I had an old black candlestick telephone to play with that was obviously of no interest to my parents.  It was heavy, had a rotary dial, and had that lovely old thick woven cord that you just don’t see much in the UK any more.  I’m sure if I still had it, it would be quite the handsome ornament now.