| Name | The Pearl- GLADWIN CLAM SHELL |
| Date | c. 1960 |
| Manufacturer | MFG Co. Gladwin Plastics of Atlanta |
| Usage | US Phone Booth |
Development of the The Pearl- GLADWIN CLAM SHELL
| The Gladwin “Clam Shell” booth refers to a style of public telephone enclosure produced by Gladwin Plastics of Atlanta (later Phillips & Brooks/Gladwin Inc.), a company that supplied the Bell System and others with telephone mountings, boothettes, and enclosures from the 1960s onward. Gladwin was well known for its compact aluminum and plastic “boothette” housings, such as the GP-2200 and the Pearl Shelf-ette, as well as outdoor canopies and acoustic housings. While no catalog directly labels a product as the “Clam Shell,” the name likely comes from the booth’s curved, protective form resembling a seashell, used to shield the user in semi-public spaces. Collectors and telephone historians often apply descriptive nicknames like this when the manufacturer’s designation isn’t widely known. The Gladwin Clam Shell thus fits into the company’s broader effort to create smaller, space-efficient alternatives to full phone booths for indoor and outdoor public use. |
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