#gower-bell

Gower-Bell Telephone 1880s-1890s

Having operated a Bell franchise in New England for a time, American entrepreneur Frederic Allan Gower set his sights on the original England.  His redesigned telephone was quickly adopted as a standard and declared “the best and most reliable telephone in service” by the British Post Office in 1882, and spread throughout much of Europe within the decade.

The Gower-Bell telephone's distinctive receiver-tubes, which were held to the users' ears, were designed to avoid receiver patents held by Bell.  Despite using Bell's name on his phone for the marketing value, Gower was not anxious to share the wealth with Bell.