British Columbia Telephone Company (B.C. Tel./Telus) Telephone Talk: Bound Issues January, 1912 Through December 1912 *INCLUDES JUNE SOUVENIR ISSUE - FEATURES VICTORIA*

British Columbia: British Columbia Telephone Company, 1912. Book. Fair. Hardcover. First Edition. 8vo - over 7¾" - 9¾" tall. Telephone Talk was the glossy bimonthly publication of the British Columbia Telephone Company. It was written by employees for employees to present information of interest to those engaged in the plant, traffic, commercial, operating, accounting and other departments of the service. Each issue is replete with black and white photos and information on topics such as: company, industry and technological news, traffic levels, expansion plans, personnel announcements, publicity and social events, deaths, weddings, lists of exchanges, and more. As such, these issues serve as a vital preserve of rare and fascinating British Columbia history. This volume covers topics including: Photo of new office in Victoria; Advances in rates; Increased Rates in Manitoba; Telephoning across the Atlantic; Exchanges ranked in order of per cent good toll calls, November 1911; Statement of development - number of phones operating in each exchange as of 1 December 1911; Cover photo of Grand Forks Switchboard; Photo montage of underground work at Victoria; Birth of the Telephone - 3 page article; Mr. F.J. MacGougan; Photo of types of protected terminals; Vancouver Switchboard photos from 1908 and 1898; Great 2-page photo of the huge 'A' switchboard at Seymour; Load Curve Graph of Seymour Office; Cut-over of Victoria Plant - new epoch in phone history of B.C.'s capital; Vancouver Island Toll Rates; Special Victoria Issue - photo montage of city and district officials; Photo of New B.C. Office; Table showing # of phones in Victoria since 1880; Photos of underground work in Victoria; May 1880 list of Victoria subscribers; 1890 list of subscribers; cable-laying scenes from last September; Nanaimo and Sidny facilities; New Gulf Cable Ordered by William Farrell in England; Miss Mina Kerr; Record work at Highland; New Plant Department Building; How a Directory is Produced; Jolly moonlight excursion to Nanaimo aboard the steamer Princess Patricia; Great photo of 5 new auto wagons of the construction department in front of the Seymour Office (horses having been recently displaced); Some Victoria cable troubles; Photo montage of the Royal visitors, the Duke of Connaught, the Duchess of Connaught, and Princess Patricia; Training school for operators; interior and exterior views of the Royal trolley coach; 3-page Kamloops feature with photos; Functionalization of Plant - reorganization of the department; laying North Vancouver Cable; Photos of large buildings under construction in the Fairmont exchange - the Lee Building, the hospital buildintgs, Steel plant in G.N.R. yards; Fairmont feature - 4 pages with photos; Instructions for Operators; North Vancouver Cable Ready; Importance of Transmission; and more. Half-leather binding. Hinges tender but intact. Backstrip very rough. Ink stamp of company executive E.P. LaBelle upon top edge. Mr. LaBelle's signature upon front free endpaper and his initials are penned to top edge. He is mentioned on page 8 of the July issue as being the new Plant Engineer. Binding intact. Please note: small article clipped from page 18 of the December issue..