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Historic telephones on display at Wellington County Museum

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WELLINGTON COUNTY -

A man from Wellington County put his collection of historic telephones on display at an exhibit dubbed Talk to Me! at the Wellington County Museum and Archives.

Paul Axman said his passion for old telephones started more than 50 years ago, when he was around 10 years old. He got his first collectible from his grandparents, their wooden telephone, after he spotted a similar one on a television show.

“A little kid ran up and answered the phone and I thought, that's pretty neat. I've never seen anything like that,” said Axman.

Axman said most of his collection came from auctions or flea markets.

After high school, he got a job working with Bell Canada, where he held several positions before retiring.

One of his favourite parts about old phones is the longevity. He also knows how to repair them and many of his old phones still work.

“(I) hook it up just for novelty,” Axman said.

The exhibit is popular, according to staff.

“A lot of visitors talking about the telephones. We've had positive feedback from visitors, all different ages,” said Amy Dunlop, the curatorial assistant at the Wellington County Museum and Archives.

Axman said he often receives calls from others who have phones in their homes.

"Here, if you collect this, come and get it, sort of deal," he said.

While he owns hundreds of phones and accessories, one thing he doesn’t collect is cell phones. He said he likes the older technology. His personal phone is a flip phone from more than a decade ago.

The exhibit is open to the public until January 2022.

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