In the course of the COVID-19 pandemic, social life got here to a standstill. Visiting locations grew to become restricted, so many people discovered ourselves spending extra time on-line. One fascinating on-line vacation spot was the Cell Telephone Museum, which opened its digital doorways on November 23, 2021. This museum is the brainchild of Ben Wooden, Chief Analyst at CCS Perception, and his colleagues. I had typically questioned when a bodily model of this museum would possibly grow to be out there.
Lastly, Ben shared thrilling information. The time had come. Ben contacted us and shared thrilling updates in regards to the Cell Telephone Museum undertaking. They’ve now inaugurated their first in-person exhibition.
The journey from my final encounter with the museum story had been outstanding. The gathering had grown by 30%, increasing from round 2,100 to a formidable 2,700 distinctive telephones.
The one draw back is that cell phones are ageing quickly, turning into museum-worthy artifacts. But, this isn’t shocking, given the velocity of smartphone evolution, and my age.
The Cell Telephone Museum initially began as a digital museum hosted on-line at Mobilephonemuseum. To start with, the thought of a bodily museum appeared unrealistic as a result of vital prices concerned, and the onset of the pandemic made a everlasting bodily location unfeasible. A digital museum offered an economical method to attain a worldwide viewers. It additionally allowed the staff to develop their assortment and associated supplies.
Nevertheless, the overwhelming demand from individuals eager to see the gathering led to a collaboration with PK Porthcurno, the Museum of World Communications. Collectively, they launched a brand new exhibition titled “Going Cell,” which delves into the 40-year historical past of the cell phone. This exhibition will stay open for at the very least 12 months, till October 2024.
For the primary time, over 2,700 distinctive units from the Cell Telephone Museum’s extraordinary assortment, which incorporates 346 Nokia units, will probably be on public show. The gathering options vital units such because the Motorola DynaTAC 8000X (signed by its inventor, Marty Cooper), the primary digicam telephone, the primary telephone with built-in GPS, the primary telephone with a built-in MP3 participant, and lots of extra.
The staff handpicked 70 key units in cell phone historical past, with 18 of them being Nokia units – true legends:
– Nokia 7110
– Nokia 3650
– Nokia 2110 (ultra-rare restricted version circumstances)
– Nokia 8110 (restricted version gold variant)
– Nokia 5110 (with numerous XpressOn circumstances)
– Nokia 7110 (uncommon proto unit)
– Nokia 8310
– Nokia 7280 and Nokia 7380 (lipstick telephone)
– Nokia 8800
– Nokia 9000 Communicator
– Nokia 7260
– Nokia N95
– Nokia 3310 (a real icon!)
– Nokia 6650 (world’s first 3G GSM/WCDMA handset to work in Europe, Asia, together with Japan)
– Nokia 1011 (the primary mass-market GSM 2G telephone)
– Nokia Cityman 150
– Nokia Mobira Cityman 1320 (Gorba telephone)
This exhibition not solely brings the Cell Telephone Museum undertaking into the highlight but in addition paves the way in which for its future. A future pop-up exhibition is deliberate for 2025, marking 40 years because the first industrial cell phone name was made within the UK by Vodafone.
Collaborating with PK Porthcurno will even help the Cell Telephone Museum’s charitable mission by advancing academic objectives. Their focus is on inspiring the subsequent era of engineers and designers within the UK by way of their intensive assortment of units and studying assets.
In recent times, the urge for food for data on the evolution of the cell phone has grown, and there’s a robust sense of nostalgia surrounding know-how milestones. This exhibition can also be a superb alternative for Ben and his companions to doubtlessly find a few of the lacking Nokia telephones, such because the Nokia 6108 and the Nokia 6708.
So, in the event you’re within the neighborhood and have a passion for previous tech and Nokia units, this exhibition presents a good way to spend a free weekend and discover some legendary telephones in individual. Titled ‘Going Cell‘, the exhibition opened on October twenty first and will probably be out there at PK Porthcurno, Museum of World Communicationstill October 2024.
Share some pictures whenever you get there!
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