Ring, Ring! Telephones in the kitchen

I love, love, love this picture. The colors, the chic cozy sweater, the TV dinner. 10/10. No notes.

That girl obviously had a busy day, and is catching up on the world the old fashioned way while wrangling a meal for herself and a hungry mystery date who waits off camera.

Kitchen phones like her red version became nearly ubiquitous in the 1950s and 60s, due in part to Bell's relentless marketing teams.

Here's one sample of how they did it. 

Beautiful AND practical!

Mom looks so relaxed, prepping a backyard luau in that fancy apron.

This ad's also pretty great: 

Look how happy this mom is, stirring away at her copper-bottomed pot while Jr. climbs through mouse droppings! She's living the American dream, where every family wants a wood-paneled station wagon and an outfit to match the kitchen phone.

Then there's this one, from a few years later:

The model is doing a lot of heavy lifting in this shot, perched as she is in front of an iconic Georges Briard enamelware coffee pot. 

(Sometimes licking whipped cream from a finger tip is just licking whipped cream from a finger tip. Other times it's a phone invitation to a key party.)

Phone marketing was sometimes helped by other companies. Check out the psychedelic 1970s esthetic in this advertisement for...lip gloss?

Her lips may have been moist, but given the era there's a good chance she was too high to be able to dial with that thing pasted on top. Especially since the phone is upside down.

Of course we still like to fancy up our phones. 

(You can click on the image if you'd like to buy this phone case or others like it Purchases help support the work of the Cookbook Love team!)

The more things change, the more they stay the same. People still like to decorate their phones, and parents still try to oversee their kids' phone usage. 

There were strict telephone rules in my hubby's house when he was growing up, and competing for chat time with four sisters must have been a struggle. Declan's always been cool, so I'm sure he didn't look like this kid, but there's something about their vibe that reminds me of the persecution teens endured when simply trying to talk to a crush or arrange the next nickel bag.

Privacy was non-existent, despite the long cords we trailed around corners and wound around ourselves. 

Eventually the cords ended up getting all wanged out like this one, which might be part of the reason dad got so mad:

Thankfully, cords largely disappeared when wireless handsets became the norm. Check out this image of a dad using the Phone Relief hands-free gadget!

Today we carry our phones everywhere, placing them on countertops if we need to wash lettuce or flip burgers while talking. And despite all the changes, this ad speaks more truth than ever:

Need a recipe for Julia's poached eggs in aspic? No problem! Just look it up on your phone.

Thanks for changing the kitchen world, Bell Telephone!