Bidspirit auction | (ISRAEL / PALESTINE). Palestine Telephone

(ISRAEL / PALESTINE). Palestine Telephone Directory. Three individual Directories for the three regions of the country: * Jaffa - Tel Aviv and Western Palestine. pp. 76. * Haifa and Northern Palestine. pp. 50. * Jerusalem and Southern Palestine. pp. 47. FIRST EDITION. Text in English throughout. Good condition. Original printed rust-colored wrappers, spine strengthened, stapled. One with punch-holes at margins. 4to. (Jerusalem), Goldberg’s Printing, 1946.     THREE TELEPHONE DIRECTORIES THAT COVERED THE ENTIRETY OF PALESTINE IN 1946, A CRUCIAL YEAR IN POST-HOLOCAUST, PRE-STATE ERETZ ISRAEL.     The dawn of telecommunication in Palestine began with the military infrastructure erected by the British Army during WW1. As civilian authorities took control of and improved these services, telephone coverage gradually spread across the Mandate territory. Remaining highly uncommon throughout the Mandate period and seen as a status symbol even during the early days of the State, the few private telephone lines and limited coverage were a far cry from modern Israel’s dominance in technological research and innovation.     Issued by the British Mandate Government, the 1946 edition of the Palestine telephone directory was novel in that it was divided into three separate volumes. Despite the fact that telephones had been introduced into the country 25 years earlier, there were still so few devices in the country (less than 15,000) that three thin volumes sufficed.     The quaint instructions for proper use printed at the top of each page illustrate how new telephone technology was to the average person and how scarce were the lines and devices: ”Don't say 'Hello' – state your name.”  * ”Wrong number! Say 'I'm sorry'.” * ”No reply – try again later.” * ”A quick answer is good for business;” and so on. The telephone numbers themselves consist of only four digits.     For another copy, see Antique Roadshow: https://www.pbs.org/wgbh/roadshow/season/18/savannah-ga/appraisals/1946-palestine-telephone-directory--200301T14/.