Before Blackberry, there was Contempra
It was a sleek source of national pride, say Sam Laprade and Caroline Phillips.
During the summer, we'll carry occasional excerpts from Ottawa Made, a recently published compendium of stories about curious inventions, people and places in the national capital. Today: the origin of the Contempra phone.
The Contempra phone, created by Ottawa industrial designer John Tyson, was the first phone designed and manufactured in Canada. The phone became a source of national pride, as well as Tyson's enduring legacy.
Although it might appear large by today's standards, the Contempra was celebrated at the time for its simplicity, symmetry and vibrant design. Tyson, then a recent Ontario College of Art graduate, was Northern Electric's first industrial designer, and the company emphasized products that were well-designed, functional and durable.
The Contempra hit the market in 1968 and quickly achieved global success. By 1974, it was featured on a postage stamp, commemorating a century of telephone development in Canada.
Replacing the traditional black rotary dial phones, the Contempra was sleek, modern and lightweight. Advertised as being “shaped to fit your hand like a glove” and “curved to follow the contours of your face,” it allowed for longer conversations, with the handset fitting between one's shoulder and face and the coiled cord stretching across a room.
Available in colours such as olive green, earthy brown, burnt orange and pale yellow, the Contempra could be mounted on walls or placed on desks or tables. It was a prized communication device in families, though often shared grudgingly.
The Contempra fell out of use by the early '90s as technology advanced with digital, cordless phones and eventually smartphones. In 1971, Northern Electric merged its research and development with Bell Canada to form Bell Northern Research (later Nortel) a company focused on advanced telecommunications technology.
Today, the Contempra is cherished by vintage technology enthusiasts as a classic example of mid-20th-century industrial design. It's featured in museums such as New York's Museum of Modern Arts, the Canadian Museum of History, the National Gallery of Canada and the Canada Science and Technology Museum.
Doug Duffy, a phone enthusiast from Belleville, boasts a collection of more than 400 items, including antique telephones and related memorabilia. While browsing a thrift shop, Duffy found a 1971 Northern Electric Prototype Contempra Speaker Phone for just $2.50. After contacting Tyson, Duffy confirmed it was a rare prototype.
“The telephone community was overwhelmed when I shared my find,” Duffy told CBC Radio. The interview, fittingly, was conducted over his Contempra phone.