GEORGE FORT GIBBS (1870-1942) "Bell telephone gives instant alarms." Painting for Bell Telephone Company postcard, circa 1898. Oil on board. 32 x 21 inches (image) in 38 1/2 x 28-inch frame. Unsigned.
At the end of the 19th century, Bell Telephone Company launched a major campaign to introduce the candlestick telephone to American households. Central to this effort was this painting reproduced on over thirty million postcards, illustrating the telephone's capability to provide instant alarms. This strategic move aimed to showcase the telephone's practical uses, particularly in emergencies, thereby familiarizing the public with the new technology. The postcard is famous among telephony enthusiasts and has been widely collected throughout America.
