Rotary-dial desk telephone, teal plastic

Object/Artifact

-

Archive of Cuban Socialism

Name/Title

Rotary-dial desk telephone, teal plastic

Entry/Object ID

2025.11.23

Description

Wedge-form desktop telephone in teal/turquoise molded plastic, with a cradled handset across the top and a rotary dial set into the sloped front. The dial has a clear plastic finger wheel over a white number ring (1–0) with a metal finger-stop; a small rectangular window sits below the dial. A cream/ivory coiled handset cord is attached. The underside is a dark phenolic baseplate with ventilation slots, four rubber feet, screws, a manufacturer emblem, molded Soviet legends, and a blue ink quality-control stamp.

Acquisition

Accession

2025.11

Acquisition Method

Purchase

Made/Created

Date made

circa 1981

Time Period

1980s

Place

Country

U.S.S.R.

Region

Eastern Europe

Continent

Europe

Notes

Maker: Soviet manufacturer, not definitively identified. A small circular factory emblem is molded on the base but isn't legible enough to attribute (Soviet desk phones of this era were made by plants such as VEF in Riga and "Krasnaya Zarya" in Leningrad, among others — not confirmed here). The model designation in the base oval is illegible. Date: Circa 1981 — read from the molded "М81" on the base (interpreted as a 1981 manufacture indicator); a blue QC date/stamp is also present. Within range. (The "М81" reading is probable but not certain.) Place of Origin: USSR (Soviet Union), per "СДЕЛАНО В СССР." Specific republic/factory not established.

Inscription/Signature/Marks

Notes

"СДЕЛАНО В СССР" (Made in USSR), in an oval. "ЦЕНА 20 Р." (price 20 rubles). "РРО.218.051.ТУ" (Soviet technical-specification number). "149381 М81" (serial/date line; "М81" → likely 1981). Model designation in an oval — illegible. Manufacturer emblem (small circular logo) — not identified. Blue ink QC stamp (diamond, "5/9"-type marking).

Materials

Material Notes

Materials: Molded plastic housing and handset (teal); clear plastic dial wheel; metal dial/finger-stop and internals; phenolic (dark) baseplate; rubber feet; PVC-jacketed cream coiled handset cord. Technique: Injection-molded plastic housing; assembled rotary-dial telephone mechanism.

Condition

Overall Condition

Fair

Relationships

Related Places

Place

Country

U.S.S.R.

Region

Eastern Europe

Continent

Europe

Notes

production

Created By

María A. Cabrera Arús

Create Date

October 16, 2025

Updated By

María A. Cabrera Arús

Update Date

June 18, 2026