Telephone CollectingThough text and over 250 color photographs, a history of the design of the telephone is presented from art deco years to novelty phones of the 1980s. Once the upright "candlestick" telephone was replaced by a desk set "cradle" telephone, its designs became diverse and important in a competitive industry. Now, various types and styles of old telephones appear in antiques and collectors' shops and have become hot collecting finds and chic accent pieces.