#9772 • Frank Sinatra's Personally Owned Pool Telephone

Part of Music & Hollywood Icons Historical Occasion (timed auction by GWS Auctions)

Starting at $1.00

Status: Sold

Est. $7,500-$8,500 Frank Sinatra Personally Owned Western Electric "Executive Rotary Box Telephone" (Used in His Rancho Mirage Pool House) - This amazing piece was Frank Sinatra's personally owned "pool phone". The phone is a Western Electric "Executive Rotary Box Telephone", which was designed to be portable, with a decorative metal handle on one side. The 3 ft. phone cord could be plugged into a convenient wall socket using an old-style 4-pronged square plug (Bell System # 238). This plug-phone configuration allowed the phone to be moved anywhere on the property, anywhere where there was an available phone outlet; from room to room or from house to pool. For the Sinatra household, this phone was used primarily as an outdoor pool phone (which helps to account for its weathered condition). It is believed to have been in used outside by Sinatra’s pool at his Rancho Mirage home until the mid 1960s, when Bell Telephone introduced the first commercial push-button telephones (November 18, 1963) that replaced the rotary phones. The phone was designated "The Sinatra Rancho Mirage Home Pool Phone" due it being observed (by Sinatra's personal assistant and housekeeper of his Rancho Mirage home, Raquel Suarez) to have experienced its heaviest use while at poolside (used mostly by Frank Sinatra). This piece was acquired by our seller from Suarez. This incredible piece truly belongs in a museum. This is an excellent investment piece, as Celebrity Memorabilia continues to rise in value faster and more steadily than any other asset class, due to the uniqueness and rarity of the items.