In the early 30s TEFAG produced a line of bakelite telephones specifically for the Dutch market. They were made for PTT and imported to Holland by the NHTM (Nederlandse Huistelefoon Maatschappij).
They were called “Berliner”. I do not know if this was an official name, or just a nickname. The name may just be a reference to the full of TEFAG: Telefon Aktien Gesellschaft J. Berliner.
There were 3 different versions of this telephone:
- Desk telephone
- Multiline telephone
- Wall phone
Although PTT had other rotary dial telephones in their inventory, before WW2 this was the telephone they featured in all their publications. It was used in all kinds of ads and it’s silhouette was on the front page of the telephone guides.
After the war PTT standardised its network and issued different design and technical specifications to which their equipment had to conform. As these Berliners did not meet those standards, they were phased out.
The multiline telephones were refurbished and upgraded to the new standards and their handsets were replaced with an Ericsson handset and the dials replaced with a German made bakelite NrS 38 dial.
These were used for small private installations and could often be seen in docters offices.
Every once in a while a refurbished multiline Berliner can be found, but one in it’s original state is quite rare and sought after by collectors. The normal desk telephone and wall phone are even rarer.
Below is a link to an restoration report on one of the telephones:
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