Cardboard box with colour samples in moulded plastic, made by the British General Post Office, ca.1960s, England.

Cardboard box with plastic container holding nine coloured plastic disks.

Given by British Telecom Ltd.

In 2001, BT began the dispersal of its collection of historic telecommunications artefacts and documentation, through the Connected Earth Project. This project was established to dispose of BT's collections to the professional museums sector, and to make available the history of British telecommunications via a 'virtual museum' (www.connected-earth.com). The majority of specialist collections was dispersed to 9 partner museums (including the Science Museum and the Museum of London). The rest of the material was offered to the museums sector (including the V&A) on a first come, first served basis. This box of samples was those given to the V&A along with a number of telephones [2003/167].

Reason For Production: Retail

This packet of plastic discs shows the colours available for the GPO standard issue 700 series phone in the 1960s. Black and ivory were the two basic colours from previous ranges, but green and red had also been available. New colours were deep blue, mustard yellow and a two-tone grey colourway. The grey combination became the effective standard colour, replacing black.

W.8:1 to 11-2003