The first edition of the Ericsson Catalague 1886

Cover of Katalog
Originally uploaded by Juzza.

Yesterday I went to the Föreningan Stockholms Företagsminnen (Centre for Business History in Stockholm) - a very interesting place. They have collections from some of Swedens largest companies including an archive they call the "The Ericsson Files". I went through Ericsson's very first catalogues from 1886 through to 1925, the early days of the telephone when its form was still being conceived and imagined. I felt like a cross between an industrial spy, researcher, detective and maybe ecclesiastical monk as I sat in this completely sealed basement with these very ancient "manuscripts" and gingerly turned their pages which revealed beautiful hand illustrated expressions of what a telephone could be - they were extraordinarily elegant creatures - but also a little monstruous.