Telecom history in France

Invention of the Phone

1876 February 14 Alexander Bell
registers the patent of the invention of the phone.
It is the patent n° 174.465 confirmed by
US Trademark and Patern Bureau in Washington DC 1876 March 7.

Only some hours later, Elisha Grey, another inventor
registers a smiliar patern. At the end Alexander Bell
is granted the rights to the invention and the ownership
of what would become one of the World´s most valuable patens.

George Williard Cory, Emma Nutt and her sister Stella Nutt
are the world´s first Telephone Operators.
Emma Nutt was employed by Alexander Bell in person.
According to the legend she could remember every phone number
of the New England Telephone Company (later AT&T) Phone Book.

1878 Expo Universelle / Arrival of the Phone
As already mentioned before France is the first country
to have an online directory.
In 1982 the French PTT launch the Minitel in France.
Every French phonesubscriber can use the system
to find national phonenumbers.
Popularity is growing rapidly.
The name of the directory is 11, later 3611

at the Expo Universelle 1878
there was no Eiffel Tower

The phone arrives in Paris at the occasion of
the 1878 Exposition Universelle.
The Expo rewards Alexander Bell with the Grand Prix,
together with his rival inventors Thomas Edison and Elisha Grey.
For the occasion of the expo a very first telephone network
is installed in Paris.

The Statue of Liberty was still in Pari
the Head is shown at the Expo Universelle
It travelled to the US in 1885

1879 Ministry of the Postes et Telegraphes

1879 is created the ministry of the Postes et Telegraphes,
the first minister is Adolphe Cochery.
The same year is formed the Société Générale des Téléphones.

The ministry also controls the postal services which have been
created two centuries before, in 1671
34 rue des Bourdonnais / 9 rue des Déchargeurs Paris 1er
by the french families Pajot and Rouille.

1881 Development of the Paris Phone Network

1881 Paris has a network of 1.602 phonelines.

Hotel Meurice

1889 Hotel Meurice is the first Hotel in Paris to get a phoneline.
The owner, Henri-Joseph Scheurich, is interested in new technologies
and tries to have his Hotel in shape,
to be able to attract high profile customers.
Still Today the Meurice is one of the most elegant Grand Hotels of the World.

1886 Inauguration of the Paris / Brussels phoneline

Les Demoiselles du Téléphone (Operators) could be reached
by dialing 11 - they were manually connecting phonecalls.
Impossible to dial a number directly.

Next ... 1886 Birth of the first Phonebooks