Object Details
maker
Ansafone Corporation
Description (Brief)
Ansafone Corporation first sold telephone answering machines in the United States in 1960. As seen in inventor Kuzuo Hashimoto's patent (US 3376390) the Ansafone used a single tape cartridge system for incoming messages. Another tape looped through the machine and played the outgoing message. The user placed an ordinary desk phone on top of the Ansafone. Two arms slid under the handset. An incoming call would cause the arms to lift the handset and play the outgoing message. Once the incoming message was recorded, the Ansafone replaced the handset in the cradle, hanging up the phone.
Location
Currently not on view
Credit Line
from PhoneTel Communications Inc., thru Daniel Henderson
date made
ca 1968
ID Number
2000.0101.02
catalog number
2000.0101.02
accession number
2000.0101
Object Name
telephone answering machine
recording device
answering machine
Physical Description
steel (overall material)
rubber (overall material)
Measurements
overall: 22.8 cm x 20.3 cm x 35.5 cm; 9 in x 8 in x 14 in
See more items in
Work and Industry: Electricity
Magnetic Recording
Communications
Data Source
National Museum of American History
Link to Original Record
Record ID
nmah_1299444