City marks 150th anniversary of the invention of the telephone with a new telephone exhibition

Cutting the ribbon for the new telephone museum exhibit

BRANTFORD, ON – This past weekend, over 650 residents and visitors joined the City of Brantford to celebrate the legacy of Dr. Alexander Graham Bell and the 150^th anniversary of the invention of the telephone. The City marked the occasion with a series of free, family-friendly events that took place at the Bell Homestead National Historic Site and Harmony Square from Friday, July 26 to Sunday, July 28, 2024.

Brantford Mayor Kevin Davis speaking at the podium Elsie Myers Martin, Alexander Graham Bell’s great-granddaughter, Brantford Councillor Mandy Samwell, County of Brant Mayor David Bailey, and Bryce McDonald of Bell Canada cut the ribbon to officially open the museum’s new telephone exhibit, “Life on the Line: The Evolution of the Bell Telephone.” The redesigned telephone exhibition chronicles the physical evolution of the telephone, and is intended to connect with visitors as they nostalgically recall phone models of their past. The modernized gallery enhances understanding of Alexander Graham Bell's legacy through interactive exhibits and immersive displays, including working switchboards, a vintage telephone booth, and models spanning over a century of the home telephone, with many displays generously provided by Bell Canada. “Life on the Line: The Evolution of the Bell Telephone” is now open and can be viewed at the Bell Homestead from Tuesday to Saturday, 9 a.m. to 4 p.m. The museum is closed daily from 12 p.m. to 1 p.m. To learn more, visit Brantford.ca/BellHomestead.

Over 400 attendees toured the museum on Saturday afternoon and enjoyed free refreshments, musical entertainment from Telephone City Music Society and AILM+Celtic Musicians, and a free performance of “Nature had the Answer: An Ode to the Telephone” - an interpretive dance choreographed by Alexander Graham Bell’s great granddaughter, Elsie Myers Martin.

On Sunday, July 28, over 100 participants took part in the Telephone Trail Trek Challenge and walked, ran or biked the 18 kilometres of the world's first long-distance telephone call made from Brantford’s Harmony Square to Paris, Ontario.

To learn more about the Bell Homestead NHS and the new telephone exhibition, visit www.brantford.ca/BellHomestead.

Quotes:

“It was so exciting and gratifying to see the community come together to honour the legacy of Dr. Alexander Graham Bell and commemorate the 150th anniversary of the invention of the telephone. The newly redesigned telephone exhibition fittingly helps tell the story of the evolution of Mr. Bell’s most famous invention and its everlasting impact on global communications.”

- Brian Wood, Bell Homestead National Historic Site Curator

“Bell is a proud supporter of the Bell Homestead National Historic Site, and we are happy to be part of the celebrations marking the 150^th anniversary of the invention of the telephone. Bell’s purpose is to advance how Canadians connect with each other and the world, and on this occasion, we reflect on Alexander Graham Bell’s remarkable legacy and vision that has significantly shaped the world and continues to this day.”

- Janie Théorêt, Specialist, Archives Services - Bell

Photo caption - banner: (Left to right, back row to front row): David McKee, Brantford’s Town Crier, Brian Wood, Bell Homestead NHS Curator, County of Brant Mayor David Bailey, Elsie Myers Martin, Alexander Graham Bell’s great-grandaughter, Bryce McDonald, Bell Canada representative, City of Brantford Councillors Mandy Samwell, Richard Carpenter, and Linda Hunt.)

Photo caption: (Brantford Mayor Kevin Davis)

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Media Contact:

Sharon Sayles | Communications Specialist, Communications and Community Engagement
City of Brantford | 519-759-4150 ext. 5218 | ssayles@brantford.ca

Chelsey Tobin | Tourism Marketing Specialist, Communications and Community Engagement
City of Brantford | 519-759-4150 ext. 5048 | ctobin@brantford.ca