This 1971 Northern Electric Contempra speakerphone prototype was found in a thrift shop in April 2016 for just $2.50 Canadian. It was a working prototype created for market research and featured a built-in speakerphone for hands-free conversations.
Contempra designer John F. Tyson confirmed that this was a rare prototype he designed. The phone has several interesting modifications compared with a standard Contempra, including a volume switch and other changes documented on this page.
The Old Telephone Room page includes photographs of the phone as found, its date codes, body modifications, trial number and the restoration. It’s an unusual piece of Canadian telephone design history and a pretty good thrift store find for $2.50!
Congratulations, You have indeed discovered a rare prototype of Contempra that I designed. Meant for market research, the working prototype product featured a speaker phone for hands-free use.
“John F. Tyson”
As found in a thrift shop April 2016 for $2.50 CDN
Date Codes
Body Modifications
Trial Number
Volume Switch
Restored
