1
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What kind of museum is the Telephone Museum?

2
00:01:06,300 --> 00:01:10,000
Well, if we have to describe it in
a modern word in the museum world,

3
00:01:10,001 --> 00:01:13,000
then the Telephone Museum is actually
easily not a museum.

4
00:01:13,001 --> 00:01:15,000
Then it's a study collection.

5
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Because museums today are
someone who disseminates knowledge

6
00:01:18,001 --> 00:01:22,000
to a very wide range of people,
both in all age groups and so on.

7
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And the Telephone Museum doesn't do it that way.

8
00:01:25,001 --> 00:01:30,000
Well, the Telephone Museum spans
over a very narrow spectrum,

9
00:01:30,350 --> 00:01:33,000
where we on the other hand have
the opportunity to go in depth,

10
00:01:33,125 --> 00:01:37,000
in pretty much the smallest
details on the devices.

11
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And that's also why
that you will experience out here,

12
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that here is not used
any space for signs and for

13
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descriptions of how the
the devices have worked.

14
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Because the people who are here and
open, they know these kinds of things

15
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and can customize their information to the
the audience that they're dealing with.

16
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Whether it's a kindergarten class
or a highly educated scientist.

17
00:02:02,000 --> 00:02:06,000
How did the idea come about to make
Such a kind of study collection then?

18
00:02:06,500 --> 00:02:09,133


19
00:02:09,134 --> 00:02:13,000
The idea is very old because I was more or less born with an interest in telephony.

20
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And already from childhood, I actually collected telephones.

21
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I didn’t preserve them in a significant way at that time.

22
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But in the late 1960s, the Technical Museum moved to Helsingør.

23
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Previously, it had been located here in Hellerup.

24
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The Technical Museum was the only place where one could see old telephones.

25
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And there was something in me that thought,

26
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"Damn, why does it have to be in Helsingør?"

27
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That meant you had to go all the way to Helsingør if you wanted to study the subject.

28
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So I thought to myself, "You can make your own museum."

29
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"You actually have a lot of telephones, right?"

30
00:02:48,001 --> 00:02:54,000
In 1971, I moved into a large old villa in Charlottenlund,

31
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where there was a dry basement that we didn’t use for anything.

32
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And I thought, "Now you're going to build your own museum."

33
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At that time, I already had quite a few telephones.

34
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So I started shortly after we bought the house.

35
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I covered the walls with wood, laid carpets, and so on.

36
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And then I exhibited my telephones.

37
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Not for just anyone to come and see,

38
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but if someone was interested, they could come and look at them.

39
00:03:19,950 --> 00:03:25,000
Then I had an acquaintance who had a decoration company

40
00:03:25,001 --> 00:03:27,081
and did window displays for various stores.

41
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At some point, he came to me and asked, "Can I borrow some of your telephones?"

42
00:03:31,001 --> 00:03:33,554
"I need some for a display in a

43
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men’s clothing store on Købmagergade, I think it was."

44
00:03:37,025 --> 00:03:39,000
And I agreed.

45
00:03:39,300 --> 00:03:44,000
Shortly after, my now longtime colleague and friend

46
00:03:44,001 --> 00:03:48,000
was walking past that store on Købmagergade.

47
00:03:48,250 --> 00:03:50,000
He stopped and thought, "Wow, look at those beautiful old telephones."

48
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Because he was also a big telephone collector.

49
00:03:52,050 --> 00:03:55,000
We just didn’t know each other yet.

50
00:03:55,001 --> 00:03:56,076
So he went into the store and asked where the telephones had come from.

51
00:03:56,100 --> 00:04:00,000
He was told that a decorator had brought them,

52
00:04:00,200 --> 00:04:04,000
but he could get the decorator’s phone number and ask where they came from.

53
00:04:04,001 --> 00:04:06,000
That’s how we got in touch.

54
00:04:09,050 --> 00:04:11,000
It turned out that we lived less than five minutes apart in Charlottenlund.

55
00:04:16,650 --> 00:04:19,000
This naturally led to a great collaboration.

56
00:04:19,001 --> 00:04:23,000
I think this happened in the early 1970s.

57
00:04:23,200 --> 00:04:27,000
We had separate collections at first—

58
00:04:27,001 --> 00:04:30,000
mine was in my basement, and his was in his apartment.

59
00:04:30,775 --> 00:04:35,000
But we worked together, each bringing our own strengths.

60
00:04:35,001 --> 00:04:39,000
He had certain skills, like restoring, painting, and gilding,

61
00:04:39,001 --> 00:04:41,944
while I focused more on the technical details of the telephones.

62
00:04:41,945 --> 00:04:45,000
So we complemented each other well.

63
00:04:45,450 --> 00:04:47,000
The telephone was invented by Graham Bell.

64
00:04:50,350 --> 00:04:53,000
This is what his first model looked like.

65
00:04:54,050 --> 00:04:57,000
It’s hard to recognize it as a telephone, but that’s what it was.

66
00:04:59,275 --> 00:05:04,000
The version that customers were introduced to looked like this.

67
00:05:04,001 --> 00:05:07,000
The first customers to get new telephones were in Denmark.

68
00:05:07,001 --> 00:05:13,000
On January 15, 1881, the first telephone exchange opened,

69
00:05:13,001 --> 00:05:17,000
right here in Copenhagen, on Lille Kongens Gade.

70
00:05:17,250 --> 00:05:19,000
This is how it was set up.

71
00:05:20,100 --> 00:05:21,000
The microphone was placed there.

72
00:05:21,001 --> 00:05:30,000
It was installed at the house owner’s mouth level, because he was responsible for the technology and managing this newfangled telephone.

73
00:05:30,001 --> 00:05:32,000
The telephone changed over time.

74
00:05:33,200 --> 00:05:41,000
A couple of years later, it looked like this. A few years after that, it looked like this. The development happened incredibly fast.

75
00:05:41,001 --> 00:05:44,000
We continued expanding the museum at my home,

76
00:05:44,001 --> 00:05:49,000
and with joint efforts, we developed it so that it became quite extensive.

77
00:05:49,350 --> 00:05:55,000
The funny thing was that we got KTAS as a "customer" in quotation marks.

78
00:05:55,001 --> 00:05:58,000
In the sense that newly hired employees at KTAS,

79
00:05:58,001 --> 00:06:03,000
who wanted a historical overview of the company's roots,

80
00:06:03,250 --> 00:06:05,000
were sent out to us.

81
00:06:05,001 --> 00:06:09,000
We had large groups of classes visiting,

82
00:06:09,001 --> 00:06:14,000
there could be 20-25 people squeezed into this dry basement,

83
00:06:14,250 --> 00:06:16,000
and absolutely no more than that.

84
00:06:16,250 --> 00:06:22,000
They came to visit us, and through this, we got a good relationship with KTAS,

85
00:06:22,001 --> 00:06:26,000
especially with the new employees, because they had all been to see us.

86
00:06:26,375 --> 00:06:29,000
Eventually, KTAS management also heard

87
00:06:29,001 --> 00:06:32,000
that there was something out in Charlottenlund that people were using.

88
00:06:32,250 --> 00:06:38,000
We started getting invited to various events,

89
00:06:38,001 --> 00:06:42,000
for example, when telephone exchanges were being shut down.

90
00:06:42,375 --> 00:06:47,000
We tried to supplement our collection with equipment from KTAS,

91
00:06:47,001 --> 00:06:49,000
but it was quite difficult at that time,

92
00:06:49,001 --> 00:06:53,000
because KTAS was a very old-fashioned and centralized company,

93
00:06:53,001 --> 00:06:57,000
and they did not collaborate with private collectors like us.

94
00:06:58,550 --> 00:07:01,466
Eventually, we managed to establish some good

95
00:07:01,467 --> 00:07:04,000
contacts at Jysk Telefon, at their management,

96
00:07:04,001 --> 00:07:08,000
and we were able to supplement our collection well with equipment from there.

97
00:07:08,001 --> 00:07:11,000
But they told us that if we wanted access to KTAS,

98
00:07:11,001 --> 00:07:14,000
there was only one way – from the top down,

99
00:07:14,250 --> 00:07:17,000
and not the other way around, which we had been trying for years.

100
00:07:17,775 --> 00:07:22,000
So, we managed to arrange a meeting with KTAS's then-director,

101
00:07:22,001 --> 00:07:27,000
his name was Johannes Rosbæk, he is now retired, 89 years old.

102
00:07:27,001 --> 00:07:34,000
He came to visit us and see our collection, and was actually quite impressed.

103
00:07:35,100 --> 00:07:36,935
And he immediately said that KTAS

104
00:07:36,936 --> 00:07:40,000
would naturally support the initiative we had started.

105
00:07:40,001 --> 00:07:44,000
He wanted us to create a framework

106
00:07:44,001 --> 00:07:46,278
to manage and run the museum, so we founded

107
00:07:46,279 --> 00:07:49,000
an association that took care of its operations.

108
00:07:49,001 --> 00:07:52,283
Once KTAS approved it, all doors were open,

109
00:07:52,284 --> 00:07:55,000
and we could get whatever we needed.

110
00:07:55,001 --> 00:07:59,000
This naturally meant that our collection grew and grew,

111
00:07:59,001 --> 00:08:05,000
until eventually, there was simply no more space in my villa in Charlottenlund.

112
00:08:05,300 --> 00:08:10,000
The telephone director became aware of this,

113
00:08:10,001 --> 00:08:13,000
and in 1978, at some reception,

114
00:08:13,001 --> 00:08:18,000
we met him again at an event marking the closure of the old telephone exchanges on Amager.

115
00:08:18,700 --> 00:08:22,000
He knew that Hellerup Central, where we are now,

116
00:08:22,001 --> 00:08:24,415
was scheduled to close within a few years,

117
00:08:24,416 --> 00:08:27,000
and he pulled me aside and asked,

118
00:08:27,050 --> 00:08:30,000
"What would you say if we gave you an entire exchange?"

119
00:08:30,001 --> 00:08:34,000
Of course, I could only say that we would love that!

120
00:08:34,001 --> 00:08:36,063
It was exciting, and I knew Hellerup Central well,

121
00:08:36,064 --> 00:08:39,000
as I had been here several times.

122
00:08:39,001 --> 00:08:43,000
We agreed that once the exchange was shut down,

123
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they would essentially reserve everything inside for us.

124
00:08:45,143 --> 00:08:48,000
We would more or less seal it off for preservation.

125
00:08:48,300 --> 00:08:53,000
Then we could move our respective collections down there, both mine and Ole Jæger’s.

126
00:08:53,825 --> 00:08:57,414
And he would appreciate it if, on January 16, 1981,

127
00:08:57,415 --> 00:09:01,000
which is now 20 years ago,

128
00:09:01,001 --> 00:09:05,000
we could create a museum to be inaugurated on the centenary

129
00:09:05,001 --> 00:09:08,000
of the opening of the first telephone exchange in Denmark.

130
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And also to mark KTAS’s 100th anniversary.

131
00:09:11,050 --> 00:09:14,000
And we did, and that’s where we are sitting now.

132
00:09:14,001 --> 00:09:19,000
But telephones didn’t continue to look like they did in the old days with curved legs.

133
00:09:19,750 --> 00:09:26,000
In 1908, Copenhageners were introduced to their new telephone.

134
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Super modern.

135
00:09:28,001 --> 00:09:30,000
What did you have to do? Just lift the receiver,

136
00:09:30,001 --> 00:09:35,000
and then you spoke to the exchange and got connected as needed.

137
00:09:35,001 --> 00:09:40,000
This system had the disadvantage

138
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that each call required two telephone operators.

139
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So, after some trials here in Hellerup and elsewhere,

140
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it was decided that subscribers should be equipped with a device like this one.

141
00:09:54,100 --> 00:09:57,000
Something new had been added: a rotary dial, as we can see here.

142
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This had to be used – a fine device.

143
00:10:02,001 --> 00:10:06,000
You lifted the receiver, got a dial tone, and if you needed Hellerup,

144
00:10:06,350 --> 00:10:11,000
you dialed H and E, and then Hellerup answered shortly after.

145
00:10:11,001 --> 00:10:15,000
This meant that the first sorting of calls,

146
00:10:15,400 --> 00:10:18,000
which operators previously did,

147
00:10:18,001 --> 00:10:23,000
was now handled by mechanical systems instead.

148
00:10:23,001 --> 00:10:29,000
In the provinces, in 1935, they got a nice device like this one.

149
00:10:29,001 --> 00:10:32,000
It worked in the usual way.

150
00:10:32,001 --> 00:10:36,000
You turned a crank handle to call the exchange.

151
00:10:36,001 --> 00:10:41,000
This system continued until around 1978.

152
00:10:41,001 --> 00:10:46,000
Then devices like this one started appearing with a rotary dial,

153
00:10:46,001 --> 00:10:51,000
in a more modern design, as we can also see.

154
00:10:51,001 --> 00:10:57,000
This happened when we transitioned to six-digit phone numbers, which had become common.

155
00:10:57,525 --> 00:11:00,000
If you wanted something really stylish, it was one of these.

156
00:11:00,475 --> 00:11:06,000
A fine unit – you lifted the receiver and dialed.

157
00:11:06,001 --> 00:11:09,000
Many found it smart and practical.

158
00:11:09,300 --> 00:11:13,000
I never liked it. That’s my personal opinion.

159
00:11:13,250 --> 00:11:17,000
We traveled all over the country and even extensively in Sweden,

160
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since many of the phones had Swedish origins.

161
00:11:21,001 --> 00:11:25,000
We bought them and traded for them in all sorts of ways.

162
00:11:25,001 --> 00:11:30,000
We got quite a few from Jysk Telefon and later from KTAS.

163
00:11:31,250 --> 00:11:34,000
There were a lot. We’re talking thousands.

164
00:11:34,001 --> 00:11:35,927
It wasn’t just telephone sets – it was

165
00:11:35,928 --> 00:11:40,000
switchboards, exchanges, and libraries.

166
00:11:40,001 --> 00:11:44,000
We even have an entire library upstairs, with books, technical literature,

167
00:11:44,225 --> 00:11:49,000
documenting how these systems worked.

168
00:11:50,000 --> 00:11:52,000
Who made the telephones, etc.

169
00:11:52,001 --> 00:11:54,000
We went into great detail.

170
00:11:54,050 --> 00:11:56,000
What’s so fascinating about telephones?

171
00:11:56,001 --> 00:11:58,000
It’s hard to say.

172
00:11:58,001 --> 00:12:00,433
After 20 years working at this museum,

173
00:12:00,434 --> 00:12:03,000
I still have this strange ability...

174
00:12:03,001 --> 00:12:07,000
I don’t know why, but whenever I see an old telephone...

175
00:12:07,001 --> 00:12:09,000
And it may well be
that I’ve seen it before,

176
00:12:09,001 --> 00:12:12,000
but I can feel that
the limitation is coming.

177
00:12:12,001 --> 00:12:14,920
"No, it's damn beautiful."

178
00:12:14,921 --> 00:12:18,000
"What about the development
of telephones, mobile phones?"

179
00:12:18,001 --> 00:12:20,101
We've followed that very closely,
not least because

180
00:12:20,113 --> 00:12:22,000
we got a deal at one point with KTAS,

181
00:12:22,001 --> 00:12:25,000
where we could continuously get
the available models on the market,

182
00:12:25,001 --> 00:12:29,000
in order to keep
the collection up to date.

183
00:12:29,650 --> 00:12:35,000
And even before automatic
mobile phone systems were introduced,

184
00:12:35,400 --> 00:12:37,000
we actually already had mobile phones.

185
00:12:37,001 --> 00:12:40,000
I think we have a display
of 100 mobile phones,

186
00:12:40,001 --> 00:12:44,000
ranging from around 1960
all the way up to today.

187
00:12:44,001 --> 00:12:45,001
Congratulations.

188
00:13:43,000 --> 00:13:47,600
Yes, what we are standing in front of here
is Hellrup Old Central.

189
00:13:47,601 --> 00:13:55,200
It remains as it was left in 1978, when
automation took care of all the numbers here.

190
00:13:55,201 --> 00:13:58,200
What was it like to
be a telephone operator here at Hellrup?

191
00:13:58,201 --> 00:14:00,200
We will try to demonstrate it a bit.

192
00:14:00,201 --> 00:14:03,800
You had to wear headphones.

193
00:14:03,801 --> 00:14:05,600
Ones like these.

194
00:14:05,601 --> 00:14:07,400
Put them on.

195
00:14:10,200 --> 00:14:13,000
And then you plug in the jack.

196
00:14:13,001 --> 00:14:14,400
Now we're there.

197
00:14:14,401 --> 00:14:16,600
Now the calls can start pouring in.

198
00:14:16,601 --> 00:14:18,600
How does the call come in?

199
00:14:18,601 --> 00:14:20,800
Well, there's a light here
that starts flashing.

200
00:14:20,801 --> 00:14:23,200
Then the operator picks it up.

201
00:14:23,201 --> 00:14:24,400
At the same time, an announcing machine was heard

202
00:14:24,401 --> 00:14:26,000
But that's not something she has to handle.

203
00:14:26,001 --> 00:14:28,000
It says, "Helrup."

204
00:14:28,001 --> 00:14:31,000
And then the subscriber
says a number.

205
00:14:31,001 --> 00:14:33,000
4431.

206
00:14:33,001 --> 00:14:36,800
And then it's about finding
4431 as quickly as possible.

207
00:14:36,801 --> 00:14:37,801
There it is.

208
00:14:39,800 --> 00:14:44,600
Before we connect, we just
briefly touch the jack hole.

209
00:14:44,601 --> 00:14:48,200
If we hear a little beep,
then the line is busy.

210
00:14:48,201 --> 00:14:52,000
Then the operator says that the line is busy.

211
00:14:52,001 --> 00:14:54,600
That was easier to say.

212
00:14:54,601 --> 00:14:57,200
Most of them said that.

213
00:14:57,201 --> 00:15:00,800
If it's not busy, we connect the call.

214
00:15:00,801 --> 00:15:04,000
A ringing is registered,
which lasts one and a half seconds.

215
00:15:04,001 --> 00:15:08,200
The operator is finished with this call.

216
00:15:08,201 --> 00:15:09,201
There's nothing more to do.

217
00:15:09,800 --> 00:15:12,800
But as she connects,
the line is freed up.

218
00:15:12,801 --> 00:15:14,400
The next call can come through.

219
00:15:14,401 --> 00:15:18,000
The automatic system will
signal that she is available.

220
00:15:18,001 --> 00:15:19,600
She can handle another call.

221
00:15:19,601 --> 00:15:21,000
And the next call comes in.

222
00:15:21,001 --> 00:15:22,000
That one is blinking.

223
00:15:22,001 --> 00:15:24,400
And that’s how a telephone operator's day goes.

224
00:15:24,401 --> 00:15:29,400
The next call coming through is 6872.

225
00:15:29,401 --> 00:15:31,000
How do we find it?

226
00:15:31,001 --> 00:15:33,800
We take our cord.

227
00:15:36,000 --> 00:15:40,000
Following 68, we taste the number 8.

228
00:15:40,001 --> 00:15:41,800
That means it's in the 8-panel.

229
00:15:41,801 --> 00:15:43,800
That’s this whole row down here.

230
00:15:43,801 --> 00:15:45,400
We find 68 here.

231
00:15:45,401 --> 00:15:46,800
Now we’re set.

232
00:15:46,801 --> 00:15:49,400
6801 to 20.

233
00:15:49,401 --> 00:15:51,200
21 to 40.

234
00:15:51,201 --> 00:15:52,600
41 to 60.

235
00:15:52,601 --> 00:15:53,600
Now we’re getting close.

236
00:15:53,601 --> 00:15:56,200
61 to 80.

237
00:15:56,201 --> 00:15:57,400
So it’s around here.

238
00:15:57,401 --> 00:15:59,400
Right here is 72.

239
00:15:59,401 --> 00:16:01,600
We can see the total here.

240
00:16:01,601 --> 00:16:03,200
It counts counterclockwise.

241
00:16:03,400 --> 00:16:06,600
We must remember to test first.

242
00:16:06,601 --> 00:16:09,600
Find out if the line is busy.

243
00:16:09,601 --> 00:16:10,800
It's busy.

244
00:16:10,801 --> 00:16:11,800
It wasn’t.

245
00:16:11,801 --> 00:16:13,800
The cord goes into place.

246
00:16:13,801 --> 00:16:17,600
The ringing for - - 1.5 seconds appears.

247
00:16:17,601 --> 00:16:20,000
The call is completed.

248
00:16:20,001 --> 00:16:24,000
All the numbers that were here existed here.

249
00:16:24,001 --> 00:16:26,800
Between 0 - - and 9.

250
00:16:26,801 --> 00:16:28,600
All the numbers.

251
00:16:29,400 --> 00:16:33,400
What is the rest of the field used for?

252
00:16:33,401 --> 00:16:34,800
It’s a repetition.

253
00:16:34,801 --> 00:16:39,400
We can see 0 to 9 once more.

254
00:16:39,401 --> 00:16:41,200
That’s how it was represented.

255
00:16:41,201 --> 00:16:44,000
Seven times - - all the way down.

256
00:16:44,001 --> 00:16:46,200
There could be three times seven.

257
00:16:46,201 --> 00:16:47,400
That’s 21.

258
00:16:47,401 --> 00:16:49,200
The exchange was even bigger.

259
00:16:49,201 --> 00:16:52,000
We have gone around the corner.

260
00:16:52,001 --> 00:16:58,200
When it was at its full size, we had -

261
00:16:59,000 --> 00:17:01,000
- 30 women working.

262
00:17:01,001 --> 00:17:07,800
For every position, you had to
account for 2.5 women.

263
00:17:07,801 --> 00:17:09,000
2.5 women.

264
00:17:09,001 --> 00:17:10,000
What does that mean?

265
00:17:10,001 --> 00:17:11,000
Well.

266
00:17:11,001 --> 00:17:14,400
There had to be coverage for rush hours.

267
00:17:14,401 --> 00:17:17,765
There also had to be
coverage for evening shifts,

268
00:17:17,766 --> 00:17:23,800
night shifts, vacations,
holidays, illness, and so on.

269
00:17:25,000 --> 00:17:30,600
It added up to - - 2.5 women
per position.

270
00:17:30,601 --> 00:17:31,600
2.5 women.

271
00:17:31,601 --> 00:17:36,200
At our largest, we had 30 positions.

272
00:17:36,201 --> 00:17:40,400
30 times 2.5, according to my math, is 75.

273
00:17:40,401 --> 00:17:44,200
In total, 75 women were needed to operate

274
00:17:44,201 --> 00:17:47,800
the exchange’s 10,500 numbers.

275
00:17:47,801 --> 00:17:54,400
It ranged from number
- - 01 - - all the way up to 10,500.

276
00:17:54,600 --> 00:17:55,600
The number office.

277
00:17:55,601 --> 00:17:57,200
10,500.

278
00:17:57,201 --> 00:17:58,200
55,000.

279
00:17:58,201 --> 00:18:00,400
- 56,000. - No, 55,000.

280
00:18:00,401 --> 00:18:01,400
55,000.

281
00:18:01,401 --> 00:18:02,400  
Busy.

282
00:18:02,401 --> 00:18:06,600
What kind of audience
visits the museum?

283
00:18:06,601 --> 00:18:08,200
Yes.

284
00:18:08,201 --> 00:18:12,200
Back when we opened,
it was largely -

285
00:18:12,201 --> 00:18:15,400
- people who were employed
or had worked in the telephone company.

286
00:18:15,401 --> 00:18:20,600
Many were interested  
because of their profession.

287
00:18:21,400 --> 00:18:24,600
Over the years, many
people have visited.

288
00:18:24,601 --> 00:18:29,400
I think there have been 100,000
people over the past 20 years who have visited us.

289
00:18:29,401 --> 00:18:32,800
That’s not such a large number.

290
00:18:32,801 --> 00:18:36,400
It's no more than what
the Experimentarium gets in a year.

291
00:18:36,401 --> 00:18:45,000
When you consider that the topic is so niche - -
and the special knowledge and expertise we have -

292
00:18:45,001 --> 00:18:48,000
- I think it’s impressive that
so many people have come.

293
00:18:48,400 --> 00:18:52,800
Many visitors have also been
students in education.

294
00:18:52,801 --> 00:18:56,400
Students from the Technical
University of Denmark and high schools.

295
00:18:56,401 --> 00:19:01,000
Schools working on communication
and telephone-related projects.

296
00:19:01,001 --> 00:19:04,200
They usually come in groups.

297
00:19:04,201 --> 00:19:07,400
We have welcomed them and
given special guided tours -

298
00:19:07,401 --> 00:19:10,867
- where we tailor the
tour to fit their needs.

299
00:19:10,868 --> 00:19:13,200
- - so it matches
what they require.

300
00:19:13,201 --> 00:19:15,400
What do visitors think of the museum?

301
00:19:15,401 --> 00:19:17,400
Most of them are very enthusiastic.

302
00:19:17,600 --> 00:19:21,725
They see it as a little
gem - - a museum that

303
00:19:21,726 --> 00:19:25,400
cannot be recreated elsewhere
- - and is truly unique.

304
00:19:25,401 --> 00:19:29,400
Of course, this is also because
we, as the founders -

305
00:19:29,401 --> 00:19:36,000
- have been able to provide visitors
with a fantastic level of - - knowledge about what they see.

306
00:19:36,001 --> 00:19:37,800
That’s not something people are used to.

307
00:19:37,801 --> 00:19:40,800
People are usually accustomed to museums
where someone just keeps watch.

308
00:19:40,801 --> 00:19:43,200
To make sure no one touches anything.

309
00:19:43,201 --> 00:19:47,000
Here, we engage in direct dialogue
with all our visitors.

310
00:19:47,200 --> 00:19:49,200
That is something people really appreciate.

311
00:19:49,201 --> 00:19:54,039
In 1930, when they decided
to introduce this new system

312
00:19:54,040 --> 00:19:58,200
they needed to give the
telephone exchanges names.

313
00:19:58,201 --> 00:19:59,600
They already had names.

314
00:19:59,601 --> 00:20:02,800
But not all of them were allowed to keep their names.

315
00:20:02,801 --> 00:20:07,400
When you wanted to get a connection at all - -
you lifted the receiver.

316
00:20:07,401 --> 00:20:09,000
You got a dial tone.

317
00:20:09,001 --> 00:20:12,000
Then you dialed the first
two letters of the name.

318
00:20:12,001 --> 00:20:14,400
H and E.

319
00:20:16,200 --> 00:20:18,000
Yes, that sounds fine.

320
00:20:18,001 --> 00:20:19,800
But what about Herlev?

321
00:20:19,801 --> 00:20:22,400
That also starts with H and E. That wouldn’t work.

322
00:20:22,401 --> 00:20:27,000
Luckily, Herlev was on a street called Yrsavej.

323
00:20:27,001 --> 00:20:29,200
So they renamed it to Yrsa.

324
00:20:29,201 --> 00:20:32,000
There were no issues with that.

325
00:20:32,001 --> 00:20:36,661
This was later the reason
we got some

326
00:20:36,662 --> 00:20:41,400
strange - - exchange names
in the Copenhagen area.

327
00:20:41,401 --> 00:20:43,800
Asta—what does that have to do with anything?

328
00:20:44,000 --> 00:20:47,000
As they kept using up available
letter combinations -

329
00:20:47,001 --> 00:20:50,000
    there were fewer and fewer choices, so it became more about -

330
00:20:50,001 --> 00:20:54,200
    whether the two available letters
    could even form a name.

331
00:20:54,201 --> 00:20:55,400
Luna.

332
00:20:55,401 --> 00:20:56,800
That’s a strange name.

333
00:20:56,801 --> 00:21:00,600
But people got used to it, and it worked.

334
00:21:00,601 --> 00:21:04,000
What about the future? What will it look like?

335
00:21:04,001 --> 00:21:07,800
At the moment, it doesn’t
look very good for the museum

336
00:21:07,801 --> 00:21:13,000
- -   because the Telephone Museum
is set to close in 2001.

337
00:21:13,400 --> 00:21:17,716
This is because a new Post and

338
00:21:17,717 --> 00:21:20,200
Tele Museum –– which is located
in Købmagergade.

339
00:21:20,201 --> 00:21:24,428
Which is actually a
successor to the old Post-

340
00:21:24,429 --> 00:21:27,200
and Telegraph Museum ––
which was located on Valkendorfsgade.

341
00:21:27,201 --> 00:21:31,600
It was founded as a collaboration
between Post Denmark and Tele Denmark.

342
00:21:31,601 --> 00:21:35,800
The problem is that the tele collections
in Købmagergade –

343
00:21:35,801 --> 00:21:39,200
– are not very extensive,
because they come from –



344
00:21:39,201 --> 00:21:41,600
– as I mentioned earlier,
the Post and Telegraph Museum.

345
00:21:41,800 --> 00:21:46,000
Tele Denmark contributes to
the museum, and therefore they –

346
00:21:46,001 --> 00:21:49,600
– feel that the museum is
continuously being strengthened.

347
00:21:49,601 --> 00:21:57,000
Since Tele Denmark, after KTAS was
closed, has covered our expenses –

348
00:21:57,001 --> 00:22:03,200
– and there has always been free admission ––
they have decided to merge the two museums.

349
00:22:03,201 --> 00:22:09,000
Since we are the smaller one,
we will be moved to Købmagergade.

350
00:22:09,400 --> 00:22:13,800
Presumably only partially, because
there is not enough space for such large collections.

351
00:22:13,801 --> 00:22:19,600
When the two museum foundations,
which own the museums, are merged –

352
00:22:19,601 --> 00:22:23,000
– all of our exhibits will
become part of the collections there.

353
00:22:23,001 --> 00:22:26,200
Will all the telephones be included in the collections?

354
00:22:26,201 --> 00:22:32,000
In principle, all the telephones
belong to the foundation that runs this place.

355
00:22:32,001 --> 00:22:34,377
When it is merged
with the foundation that runs

356
00:22:34,378 --> 00:22:37,800
the museum in Købmagergade ––
all belongings will follow.

357
00:22:38,200 --> 00:22:40,200
Nothing can be taken out.

358
00:22:40,201 --> 00:22:41,600
Is there room for them?

359
00:22:41,601 --> 00:22:46,800
Not all of them, but most will,
for a period, end up –

360
00:22:46,801 --> 00:22:51,000
– in storage or a warehouse
and be inaccessible to the public.

361
00:22:51,001 --> 00:22:52,000
That is quite old.

362
00:22:52,001 --> 00:22:53,600
Yes, you could say that.

363
00:22:53,601 --> 00:22:56,800
On the other hand,
it should be secured for the future.

364
00:22:56,801 --> 00:23:00,800
Both Ole and I, after
32 years of work –

365
00:23:00,801 --> 00:23:03,600
– on the project we now
call the Telephone Museum –

366
00:23:04,000 --> 00:23:08,400
– have gotten so old
that we must consider a generational shift.

367
00:23:08,401 --> 00:23:12,200
An adventure cannot continue forever.

368
00:23:12,201 --> 00:23:14,600
What about the large Helrup exchange?

369
00:23:14,601 --> 00:23:16,000
That will remain here.

370
00:23:16,001 --> 00:23:21,200
Hellerup Central is the premises
where the Telephone Museum is located.

371
00:23:21,201 --> 00:23:23,800
It will remain in these premises,
it cannot be moved.

372
00:23:23,801 --> 00:23:27,400
We do not know its future, but –

373
00:23:27,401 --> 00:23:31,600
– in some way, we hope
it will still be accessible.

374
00:23:31,800 --> 00:23:32,800
It is difficult to hope for that.

375
00:23:32,801 --> 00:23:37,000
Let’s go.

376
00:23:37,001 --> 00:23:41,600
If you needed a taxi in Copenhagen -

377
00:23:41,601 --> 00:23:46,400
you would take your phone
and dial Central.

378
00:23:46,401 --> 00:23:50,400
A lady would answer,
and you would say 9001 -

379
00:23:50,401 --> 00:23:53,600
and then you would be
connected to the taxi center.

380
00:23:53,601 --> 00:23:58,600
Then you would say that you
wanted to send a car to a specific address.

381
00:23:59,600 --> 00:24:05,800
The center would look at their map and say - -
that the relevant taxi stand is number 14.

382
00:24:05,801 --> 00:24:08,800
Then they would call taxi stand number 14.

383
00:24:08,801 --> 00:24:11,000
Let’s see what it looked like.

384
00:24:11,001 --> 00:24:16,200
There was a telephone, a beautiful one.

385
00:24:16,201 --> 00:24:19,800
With a beautiful receiver.

386
00:24:19,801 --> 00:24:22,768
If your left ear
wasn’t very good, you

387
00:24:22,769 --> 00:24:27,800
could be helped - -
by the extra earphone.

388
00:24:28,200 --> 00:24:31,800
Then you had to speak directly into it.

389
00:24:31,801 --> 00:24:37,800
Then you would be told to drive to - -
Østerbrogade number 16.

390
00:24:37,801 --> 00:24:43,249
In advance, the
center could see - - if

391
00:24:43,250 --> 00:24:50,000
the relevant taxi stand - -
had large or small cars.

392
00:24:50,001 --> 00:24:52,600
Or if they had both small and large cars.

393
00:24:52,601 --> 00:24:57,400
So that you wouldn’t call for large
cars if none were available.

394
00:24:58,400 --> 00:25:03,000
If it was raining,
you could close this cover.

395
00:25:03,001 --> 00:25:09,000
Then the beautiful technical
equipment here wouldn’t get wet.

396
00:25:09,001 --> 00:25:13,200
The last car that
left had to remember to close it.

397
00:25:13,201 --> 00:25:16,000
Why?

398
00:25:16,001 --> 00:25:18,400
This was technology.

399
00:25:18,401 --> 00:25:23,200
That screw sitting there - -
pressed down on this contact.

400
00:25:23,201 --> 00:25:26,000
Then the relevant taxi stand could be seen.

401
00:25:26,200 --> 00:25:28,200
There were no more cars,
they had all left.

402
00:25:28,201 --> 00:25:32,400
We close it because it was the last car.

403
00:25:32,401 --> 00:25:39,200
Today, museums are very focused
on visitor numbers -

404
00:25:39,201 --> 00:25:43,200
    and they place a high
    priority on education -

405
00:25:43,201 --> 00:25:45,600
    as I said before,
    for all age groups.

406
00:25:45,601 --> 00:25:50,800
They focus on research, publishing
literature - - and many other things.

407
00:25:50,801 --> 00:25:54,800
That is not something
we have done here.

408
00:25:55,000 --> 00:25:59,000
We haven’t had the opportunity
because we’ve been very few people.

409
00:25:59,001 --> 00:26:02,800
Could you imagine that
perhaps more visitors would come -

410
00:26:02,801 --> 00:26:05,000
    to see the telephones
    if the museum moved?

411
00:26:05,001 --> 00:26:08,000
They have a very high
number of visitors in Købmagergade.

412
00:26:08,001 --> 00:26:11,400
I don’t think that would
make a big difference there.

413
00:26:11,401 --> 00:26:14,000
Our visitor numbers here have been -

414
00:26:14,001 --> 00:26:17,600
    at their highest,
    about 5,000 people per year.

415
00:26:17,601 --> 00:26:20,640
Considering that
maybe 60,000

416
00:26:20,641 --> 00:26:24,200
people visit per year - -
this is still a small fraction.

417
00:26:24,600 --> 00:26:26,200
What about you? Are you moving too?

418
00:26:26,201 --> 00:26:27,400
No, we are not.

419
00:26:27,401 --> 00:26:30,800
We are given a reasonable transition period here -

420
00:26:30,801 --> 00:26:35,400
    and we will contribute our
    knowledge and expertise about everything -

421
00:26:35,401 --> 00:26:37,600
    to the new people
    who will take care of it.

422
00:26:37,601 --> 00:26:42,600
At the Post & Tele Museum, they
actually focus on younger generations - -
than I belong to.

423
00:26:42,601 --> 00:26:46,800
Also to ensure a continuity
that lasts a little longer.

424
00:26:46,801 --> 00:26:50,600
We have a great collaboration
with them, and we do everything we can -

425
00:26:50,601 --> 00:26:53,600
    to pass on as much
    knowledge and expertise as possible -

426
00:26:53,800 --> 00:26:56,200
    about these things,
    but it’s difficult.

427
00:26:56,201 --> 00:26:59,092
These are young people
with university degrees

428
00:26:59,093 --> 00:27:01,400
        but with
        no technical background.

429
00:27:01,401 --> 00:27:03,400
But we are working on it.

430
00:27:03,401 --> 00:27:07,000
How does it feel to have
helped start a museum -

431
00:27:07,001 --> 00:27:13,200
    completely from scratch,
    collected everything - -
    and built the entire system?

432
00:27:13,201 --> 00:27:16,530
I can’t deny that most of the artifacts

433
00:27:16,531 --> 00:27:19,400
here - -
I have a very personal connection to.

434
00:27:19,401 --> 00:27:22,200
If one can even have
a personal connection to objects.

435
00:27:22,800 --> 00:27:26,800
Of course, it’s sad to
let go of that connection -

436
00:27:26,801 --> 00:27:30,353
    because you could
    take almost any object

437
00:27:30,354 --> 00:27:33,600
in the museum - -
and ask, “Where did you get this from?”

438
00:27:33,601 --> 00:27:37,200
And I would tell you about
the time I drove up to -

439
00:27:37,201 --> 00:27:41,461
    Vendsyssel and knocked on
    the door of a station manager

440
00:27:41,462 --> 00:27:44,200
        and brought
        the artifact home.

441
00:27:44,201 --> 00:27:48,000
I could also tell you
about times when my wife -

442
00:27:48,001 --> 00:27:51,200
    waited in the car while
    I was inside talking with -

443
00:27:51,600 --> 00:27:54,600
    people in some
    warehouse at Jysk Telefon.

444
00:27:54,601 --> 00:27:58,600
After some persistent negotiations
over several hours -

445
00:27:58,601 --> 00:28:00,182
    I would finally
    walk out

446
00:28:00,183 --> 00:28:02,600
with some old
telephones - -

447
00:28:02,601 --> 00:28:05,400
that would then become part of the collection.

448
00:28:05,401 --> 00:28:08,200
What now? Are you
starting a new collection at home?

449
00:28:08,201 --> 00:28:10,600
No, I’m not.
I’m too old for that now.

450
00:28:10,601 --> 00:28:12,600
For one thing,
I don’t live in the house

451
00:28:12,601 --> 00:28:14,600
    where the original
    collection was stored.

452
00:28:14,601 --> 00:28:19,600
Now I live in an ordinary
apartment - -
and there’s simply no space for that.

453
00:28:20,000 --> 00:28:22,400
Now that the phones
have ended up here -

454
00:28:22,401 --> 00:28:26,800
I’ve started collecting
other things instead.

455
00:28:26,801 --> 00:28:30,600
Now I collect cameras
and similar objects.

456
00:28:32,000 --> 00:28:40,000
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