My grandmother (92) still uses an identical rotary phone here in Italy, in late 2020. It works, she’s comfortable with it. To be pedantic, however, it isn’t mad

My grandmother (92) still uses an identical rotary phone here in Italy, in late 2020. It works, she’s comfortable with it. To be pedantic, however, it isn’t made of Bakelite... it’s not that brittle. It’s some other kind of (archaic, by now) plastic with plenty of bromide fire inhibitors because it’s turning darker by the month. I’m told it was originally an off-white; now it’s a very rich beige.