The issue commemorating the Telephone Centenary was released on 10th March, and were designed by Philip Sharland. The first ever telephone communication was made on 10th March 1876 by Alexander Graham Bell and the designs on the stamps highlight the importance of the telephone to the community.

The 8 1/2p depicted a Housewife chatting on a phone, 10p a policeman receiving a 999 call, 11p a nurse giving a patient advice over the phone, and 13p an Industrialist conducting business over the phone.

The 8 1/2p stamp showing a housewife chatting was a slightly controversial choice at the time and did invoke a few complaints from women’s rights campaigners, but in 1976 the Post Office commented that this was “considered a reasonable representation of modern women.” Somehow I don’t think this would be such a popular stamp issue or Post Office comment in this day and age!

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