1950s NTT Model 4 Black Telephone
Pentax K-1 II + DFA 28-105mm F3.5-5.6
80 mm ISO 800 for 1/20 sec. at ƒ/9.0
1950s Black Japanese Desktop Telephone: NTT Model 4
Location: Edo-Tokyo Open Air Architectural Museum, Koganei, Tokyo
Timestamp: 13:29 on October 25, 2023
Work to establish Japan's first telegraph line began on October 23, 1869, connecting Yokohama and Tokyo. Interestingly, this initiative came 14 years after Alexander Graham Bell invented the telephone. Japan's telecommunication journey progressed further when the first rotary dial telephone, an all-black model, was introduced in 1933. This design was based on the renowned American industrial designer Henry Dreyfuss's "Type 302 Desk Telephone."
Amidst Japan's post-war rebuilding efforts, a pivotal development for domestic telecommunications took place in 1950. The Nippon Telegraph and Telephone Corporation (NTT) unveiled the Model No. 4 Automatic Desktop Phone, Japan’s first domestically designed and manufactured desktop telephone. According to NTT, this new model played a significant role in fostering social connections during Japan's postwar reconstruction period.
Notably, my photograph captures the NTT Model 4, showcasing its smaller and more compact casing compared to Dreyfuss's "Type 302" model. According to one of Japan’s major players in the telecommunications market, KDDI, the new design of the NTT Model 4 not only boasted superior call quality, but was also considered cutting-edge for its time.
The Model 4 was available exclusively in black, and became a staple in Japanese offices during its production years from 1950 to 1964. This end of this 14-year period coincided with the introduction of NTT's Model 600 desktop phone in 1964, marking another milestone in Japan's telecommunications history.
For enthusiasts and curious minds, the NTT Model 4 that I photographed can be viewed at the "House of Kunio Maekawa" within the Edo-Tokyo Open Air Architectural Museum in Tokyo.
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