Elsie Myers Martin (Alexander Graham Bell’s great-granddaughter), Brantford Councillor Mandy Samwell, County of Brant Mayor David Bailey, and Bryce McDonald of Bell Canada cut the ribbon to officially open the museum’s new telephone exhibit.
This past weekend, over 650 residents and visitors joined the City of Brantford to celebrate the legacy of Dr. Alexander Graham Bell and the 150th anniversary of the invention of the telephone. The City hosted a series of free, family-friendly events at the Bell Homestead National Historic Site and Harmony Square over the weekend.
Elsie Myers Martin, Alexander Graham Bell’s great-granddaughter, Brantford Councillor Mandy Samwell, County of Brant Mayor David Bailey, and Bryce McDonald of Bell Canada cut the ribbon to officially open the museum’s new telephone exhibit, “Life on the Line: The Evolution of the Bell Telephone.” The redesigned exhibit chronicles the physical evolution of the telephone and connects with visitors through nostalgic displays of phone models from the past. The modernized gallery features interactive exhibits and immersive displays, including working switchboards, a vintage telephone booth, and models spanning over a century of the home telephone, with many displays generously provided by Bell Canada.
On Saturday afternoon, over 400 attendees toured the museum, enjoying free refreshments, musical entertainment from the Telephone City Music Society and AILM+Celtic Musicians, and a performance of “Nature had the Answer: An Ode to the Telephone,” an interpretive dance choreographed by Elsie Myers Martin.
On Sunday, over 100 participants took part in the Telephone Trail Trek Challenge, walking, running, or biking the 18-kilometre distance of the world’s first long-distance telephone call made from Brantford’s Harmony Square to Paris, Ontario.
“Life on the Line: The Evolution of the Bell Telephone” is now open at the Bell Homestead from Tuesday to Saturday, 9 a.m. to 4 p.m., with a daily closure from 12 p.m. to 1 p.m. More information is available at Brantford.ca/BellHomestead.