Potbelly, Mickey Mouse, Ashtray and Petticoat. What do these things all have in common? Well for one, they can all be found inside the Telephone Museum! These are just some of the nicknames collectors have attached to certain telephones, insulators, etc. and once you see the objects they describe, you would probably agree!

Here's a brief glossary of a few telephone collectibles nicknames:

Ashtray - A cradle type telephone with circular depressions in the base directly under each end of the handset.

Butterstamp - An early telephone receiver made of wood.

Candlestick - The first practical desk telephone with a transmitter mounted atop a tubular stand.

Eiffel Tower - One of the first telephones to use a one piece handset mounted on a graceful upward sweeping base.

Fatboy - A cradle phone with an unusually wide base.

Mickey Mouse - A glass insulator with two large "ears" designed to carry large diameter line or cable.

Oilcan - Another early candlestick design in which the central stand is tapered.

Petticoat - A common form of glass insulator with an inner "skirt" to impede moisture.

Potbelly - An early and very rare candlestick design.

Spitcatcher - The old style telephone mouthpiece - no explanation necessary.

Now, if you're curious and want to see a "spitcatcher" up close, or any of the above, drop by the museum and we'll be glad to show you!