This beautifully framed 16 × 20 inch photo of the Northern Telecom Meridian M3000 Touchphone captures more than just the phone. It includes the names of the people who contributed to the M3000’s design, recognizing the team behind its creation.

Adding to its significance, the photo is signed by Cliff Read in gold ink in the bottom right corner. Cliff was a Bell-Northern Research (BNR) industrial designer, and this piece came from his private collection.

Now part of the Old Telephone Room collection, it preserves both the M3000’s design and a personal connection to one of the people behind Northern Telecom’s industrial design work.

Northern Telecom Meridian M3000 Touchphone Photo

A beautifully framed 16” x 20” photo of the Northern Telecom Meridian M3000 Touchphone.
A striking piece of telecom history. What makes this photo particularly unique is that it includes the names of everyone who contributed to the design of the M3000, capturing not only the image of the phone but also the people behind its creation.
The clarity of the image really brings out the fine detail of the Touchphone, a product that stood at the intersection of Northern Telecom’s engineering innovation and design philosophy during its era.
At a time when most telephones still followed fairly conservative design patterns, the M3000 stood out. Its flat profile, button less layout, and futuristic presence fit perfectly into the emerging digital office environment. It was a phone designed not only to function well but to look modern on an executive’s desk.
This framed photo now joins my growing collection of M3000 related artifacts, preserving another small but meaningful piece of Northern Telecom’s design legacy.
This photo ensures those names aren’t forgotten.

Received on August 30, 2025, from the private collection of BNR Industrial Designer Cliff Read.

Signed on bottom right by Cliff Read.