Telephone and packaging, Digitel 2000, made by Kirks for British Telecom, Denmark, ca. 1980s.

Green telephone with black push button dial. Handset rests on left side of telephone bosy. Black plastic coil links receiver and body. Original cardboard packaging with illustration of telephone in blue ink.

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 telephone is one of those given to the V&A [2003/167].

The Post Office (GPO) Special Range telephones were products of a distinctive design and appearance which, in general, incurred higher tariff charges than the standard issue phones. They were introduced in two phases in the 1970s and 1980s as means of offering greater consumer choice to users, whilst maintaining the Post Office policy that all telephone instruments having access to the public network must be owned, installed and maintained by the Post Office. Although distinctive in their external design, they were compatible with all other PO issue phones and could be used on all exchange lines. The second phase of Specials in the 1980s offered plug and socket phones which could be installed without the need for a specialist fitter, which brought the cost down somewhat.

The Special Range included the novelty phones based on the figures of Mickey Mouse (introduced in 1978) and Snoopy. Generally, the PO and later BT purchased existing models from overseas manufacturers and put them into production themselves. In only rare cases (like the Trimphone which, as the Deltaphone, became a 'special') did they commission new design themselves

Reason For Production: Retail

The Digitel telephone was made by Kristian Kirks Telefonfabrikker of Horsens, Denmark. The curvaceaous shape and bright colour places it among several models of the period intended to appeal to a fashion-conscious market. Before the 1980s the selection of available models was severely restricted, but deregulation of the telecommunications market in that decade led to more competition and the introduction of more varied models.

W.16:1, 2-2003