Actualité

Telephone Talk was the glossy bimonthly publication of the British Columbia Telephone Company. It was written by employees for employees to present information of interest to those engaged in the plant, traffic, commercial, operating, accounting and other departments of the service. Each issue is replete with black and white photos and information on topics such as: company, industry and technological news, traffic levels, expansion plans, personnel announcements, publicity and social events, deaths, weddings, lists of exchanges, and more. As such, these issues serve as a vital preserve of rare and fascinating British Columbia history. This volume covers topics including: Photo of downton Nelson; Bird's-eye photo of Nelson from atop a mountain on north shore of west arm; Kootenay Feature 'The Romance of the 1890s - 8 pages of text and archival photos, including electric street cars in Nelson!; Table showing 'Exchanges in order of percent good toll calls; Cover advert. for Northern Electric Vacuum Cleaner!; Review of growth show steady expansion - 3 pages; Telephoning across Atlantic by AT&T Wireless continued for hours; When the Victoria and Esquimalt Telephone Company issued its own (one call) nickels; B.C. Industrial Review - statistics; Bar graph of # of phones operated from 1906 through 1923; the company's operator school; Issuing of monthly phone bills a work of magnitude - 4 page article with photos; photos of the halibut industry before 'the fish were scarcer in quantities and their habitats more scattered'; William Farrell- an appreciation of the former company president; 7 page article on B.C.'s deep sea fishing industry - great photos - halibut, herring, flounder; multiple photos from the Kootenays of snakes which have climbed up phone poles onto the wires!; photo of 25 year-old phone; Great full-page photo of the CIBC building at Hastings and Granville; 8 page article on the banks of vancouver with excellent photos; First interdepartmental football game; new power plant at Seymour office; A phone in B.C. for every 6 persons; Feature on Dams and the water-powers that turn the wheels of industry - photos of dams and various industries which use electricity, including the American Can factory and grain elevators; new power plant at Seymour office - illustrated; photos of productive farms and ideal homesites with super centerfold luxury Saanich home; Cover photo of U.S. President Harding in Stanley Park; Full-page photos of the U.S.S. Henderson entering the narrows and at dock with President Harding aboard; 13 page illustrated feature on the visit of President Harding - the first visit to Canada made by a President of the United States (President Harding died mere days later on August 2nd in San Francisco and this is reported as well); Photo of Crosland Bros. Farm in Duncan; 9 page illustrated feature on the seed growers of B.C.; photo of Duncan office under construction; Nice 8-page illustrated feature on Haney and area; photographing sound; Exploring Kootenay - Bill Skilling; 9 page illustrated feature on the Delta and Ladner district; Many miles of new long distance circuits; Improved inter-office trunk lines in Vancouver; and more. Half-leather binding. Average wear overall with the exception of the backstrip which is missing small chips and loose at back edge. Ink stamp of company executive E.P. LaBelle upon top edge else unmarked. Binding intact. Spine leaning moderately. Book