Bell Telephone System
In 1876, Alexander Graham Bell was awarded a gold medal at the U.S. Centennial Exposition for his new invention, the telephone. Nearly a century later, the Bell Telephone System dominated telecommunications in the United States. It had amazed visitors at the 1962 Century 21 Exposition in Seattle and the 1964-1965 New York World’s Fair. Bell arrived at Expo ‘74 with the pavilion theme of “Helping to Plan the Right Move for a Better Environment.” Based on the materials I have found so far, I am not sure what specific environmental messages were promoted by Bell. Their pavilion map does include a section labeled “Environmental Protection.”
Expo ‘74 was Ma Bell’s last World’s Fair. A few weeks after the fair closed in early November, the federal government filed United States v. AT&T. This case, alleging monopolistic and anti-trust practices, would eventually lead to the breakup of the Bell System in 1982. From what I can determine, Bell did not participate in Expo ‘75 in Okinawa or Expo ‘81 in Plovdiv. By the time Knoxville, Tennessee hosted Expo ‘82, the Bell System was no more.
This ViewMaster image shows the “Kiddie Phones” inside the Bell System Pavilion. The panel in the background says: “HEY KIDS! CALL UP: - Snow White - Mickey Mouse - Jiminy Cricket - Donald Duck - Grumpy - Goofy MOM AND DAD CAN LISTEN TOO!”
These telephones were attached to the ceiling in part of the Bell System Pavilion.
An early promotional booklet says, “The Bell System will present a major entertainment attraction having great educational and emotional impact. The exhibit area will feature tomorrow’s communication equipment and methods. A unique “Telephone Garden” has been designed in which visitors may make and receive calls.” This aspect may not have made it to the final design, as it is not mentioned in the postcards or guidebook.
Bell’s presentation was focused more on the traditional “technological progress” theme than the environmental theme, although it made some nods to conservation. Note that the theme of ““Helping to Plan the Right Move for a Better Environment” has been truncated to “Movement.”
This slide from an Expo visitor gives us a rare view of the back of the Bell System pavilion.
