I like old telephones-- heck, I like lots of old stuff!

I think the "fork" is almost always called a cradle in the USA, even on 
modern phones. Not that I'm 100% certain or anything.

The phone seems to have a bakelite look to it, and I guess most old phones 
were either bakelite or metal (brass or nickel plating) and wood.

This rendering probably will need blacker blacks and more reflective metals 
to be more accurate to real life. I'm seeing it here as shades of gray.

Um, wait... sorry! I tilted my LCD screen and they look black enough if I 
look directly perpendicular to the screen. I keep forgetting that. Still 
think the reflections should be more mirror-like. Those dials seem made of 
shiney gray plastic, although almost metallic. Could be my own perception of 
them. I realize it's easy to think reflection can be overpowering if 
mirror-like because I tend to tone it down all the time myself. Something I 
always find myself struggling with. Reflections are often not perceived too 
well since they aren't a part of the actual object. Got something chrome or 
polished steel in the kitchen? You'll see what I mean if you take a look at 
something to compare. Use no diffuse (zero, or nearly zero) in the finish.

Something I'm not too sure of about such a telephone is the cord. 
Cloth-covered cords were common on old phones. Possibly for these kind, too.

About the switch... maybe this kind would have a plunger in the center, 
within the pedestal piece? Wouldn't see it then, if so. And I was thinking 
about what Przemek said about the cord attachment. It probably wouldn't need 
anything visible on the outside. I searched for photos of something similar 
to your rendered model and didn't have any luck but did find one like the 
old telephone I have and it's cord is apparently identical:

http://www.emediawire.com/prfiles/2004/07/07/139717/mod302.jpg

Bob Hughes

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