New York World's Fair AT&T telephone exhibit, 1939
The 45 million visitors to the fair could enter a drawing to make a free long-distance telephone call. These took place at the American Telephone & Telegraph Building (AT&T) in the fair’s “Communication Zone.” (Accession 2012.230)
Telstar Satellite commemorative album, 1962
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On July 10, 1962, AT&T and NASA launched Telstar 1, the world's first telecommunications satellite. This album celebrates the first transcontinental call made via the satellite. The call connected Washington, D.C., and the Space Needle in Seattle during the “America’s Space Age World’s Fair.” (Accession 2023.215)
MCI Presents the Fifth Freedom comic book, 1973
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This comic book celebrates the 1969 legal victory of Microwave Communications, Inc. (later MCI) over “Ma Bell” of AT&T. The win started a long fight in the legislature and in the courts to shape the American telecommunications industry. Read the entire comic book online in the Hagley Digital Archives. MCI Communications Corporation photographs and audiovisual materials (Accession 2000.239)
MCI Mail mailers and button, 1983
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Not every innovation finds success. MCI introduced MCI Mail in 1983. This service allowed customers to send electronic messages via computer. MCI delivered the messages within hours to another computer or by land courier. While the service failed financially, the idea positioned MCI as a leader for telecom innovation. See if MCI Mail is a service you would use after watching their commercials online in the Hagley Digital Archives. MCI Communications Corporation records (Accession 2225)
Cell phone with keyboard prototype by Robert Olodort, circa 2014
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Since their first introduction in 1973, handheld cellular phones have changed design many times. Robert "Bob" Allan Olodort, whose archive is at Hagley, was an inventor, industrial designer, and entrepreneur. He designed several keyboards for cell phones. Robert Olodort archive (Accession 2769)