'BLUE BOX' PHONE HACKING DEVICE. Blue Box, c. 1972.

'BLUE BOX' PHONE HACKING DEVICE. Blue Box, c. 1972. Populated circuit board, 51 x 72 mm, housed in plastic composite box, 104 x 175 x 38 mm, with removable keypad, with speaker wire and 9volt battery connector. AN ANALOG 'BLUE BOX' PURCHASED AND USED IN THE EARLY 70S. While 'phone phreakers' (hobbyists who were fascinated by the phone system) had used a 'blue box' since the 1950s to avail themselves of free phone service, the first digital blue box was designed by Steve Wozniak in 1972. In 1971, Esquire magazine published an article titled 'Secrets of the Little Blue Box: A story so incredible it may even make you feel sorry for the phone company,' about a loose band of engineers who had figured out how to hack Bell telephones automatic switching systems, moving freely through Bell's 'trunk' telephone systems with the use of specific frequency tones generated by 'blue boxes.' The story was a sensation, inspiring a new generation of 'phone phreakers' including Wozniak to design and produce their own blue boxes. This particular device was purchased from one of those young 'phreaks' and used by our consignor whose business was reliant on long-distance calls. For further information on this lot please visit Bonhams.com For further information about this lot please visit the lot listing