Southwestern Bell Telephone Co. Yellowpages

[little frau]

We had a phone in the mid 50's but I have absolutely no memory of those earliest covers. Maybe I just didn't notice things like that then, I certainly had no reason to use the yellow pages either.

But, as to the Norman Baxter covers, I do remember those and there is another more recent thread around here about his artwork. I posted to that thread and I'll also post here that recently I attended a function in a community called High Hill which is near Schulenburg TX. The shindig was held at the church hall next door to the beautiful St. Mary's Catholic Church which is one of the Painted Churches of Fayette County.

Anyway, as I was standing in line to use the "facilities", right there on the wall next to me was a huge black and white (pen and ink?) drawing. It was about 48" tall and 36" wide and looked as if it was done with a black marker, the lines were that broad. There was no date that I could find but it was signed Norm Baxter in the lower right corner. In the lower left corner was written, or printed, "Salt Grass Trail" (or something like that). Then under that was "Addicks Camp". It was clearly a cowboy camp with horses, campfires and everything. I thought perhaps it was done in connection with the Houston Livestock Show.

The big question I had was, how in the world did it get to this small Catholic Community? The other items on the walls are mostly historic photos of past priests, the original church, etc.

[DMac]

Does anyone remember the old yellow pages from the 50's 60's and 70's? The front covers were all done by the same artist and they were so much fun to look at. They had quite a few characters they would use over and over every year, along with some new ones. There was the cat with the litter of kittens, the alien, the buffalo, the oil derrick, the herd of cattle and tons more. They were all hidden somewhere in the sketch of Houston. I couldn't wait for the yellowpages to come out so I could try to find them all. I tried to find something on the internet about it but came up with nothing. Does anyone remember the artist? Wish I had some of my grandmas old yellowpages.

Susan, as time permits may I suggest you search out the local chapter of Telephone Pioneers of America. Perhaps many of the retired folk might still retain the original printed versions or the local chapter may have a historical archive some where in the Houston/Harris Cnty area.

As an aside, the (still operational) historical SWBT Bldg. @ the corner of Capitol/San Jac, is where my sister (now 72yo) took her training and worked the nite shift sum 5 decades ago.

[samagon]

either my parents only had old yellow pages, or these things were still around in the 80s, cause I remember looking as well.

Here's one I found in a GIS.

wish it were bigger

to the person looking, you can always try the library of congress, don't they make it a point to have a copy of everything?

Edited November 8, 2010 by samagon

[plskousen]

I am looking for someone who has access to a 1998 Houston Yellow Pages, or would be willing to sell me a copy.  If so, please call Phil at 801 990 1919. Thanks.

[IronTiger]

Have you tried contacting local archives and/or libraries first?

[Subdude]

When did they stop producing phone books?

 

 

[edvillas]

Have you tried contacting local archives and/or libraries first?

 

 have you tried UH or RICE libraries?

in the late 80's-95? when i would visit houston, I would bring white/yellow pages from my hometown(dfw) and some from the northern VA area to UH(central campus) and to RICE so that they would have a "hard copy" this was before the "net"

 good luck on your search,,

 

oh last thought,,, have you considered the DA's office? as they in the past have some "off the books"resource" info

[chrispy]

I really wish I could find a set from 1979-1984 or so. Even older ones would be cool! They're impossible to find.

[Grungy]

The June 1983 covers are by Norman Baxter.
I have copies. I'm making high-resolution scans.
Still trying to contact Barry Moore to see if he drew any after Norman stopped.
Since Southwestern Bell was swallowed by AT&T, and this was over 30 years ago, is the copyright still in effect?
I'd like to make the scans available, so that others can enjoy them, but do not want to violate copyright.

[Subdude]

I loved these.  It sounds crazy to say I looked forward to the new phone books every year, but I did.  

[Naviguessor]

Were these the ones that had funny little cartoon stories drawn into the detail? 

[danielsonr]

5 hours ago, Subdude said:

I loved these.  It sounds crazy to say I looked forward to the new phone books every year, but I did.  

I did as well! I loved studying each new edition.

1 hour ago, Naviguessor said:

Were these the ones that had funny little cartoon stories drawn into the detail? 

That sounds right. That was part of the fun of each new edition.

[IronTiger]

7 hours ago, Grungy said:

The June 1983 covers are by Norman Baxter.
I have copies. I'm making high-resolution scans.
Still trying to contact Barry Moore to see if he drew any after Norman stopped.
Since Southwestern Bell was swallowed by AT&T, and this was over 30 years ago, is the copyright still in effect?
I'd like to make the scans available, so that others can enjoy them, but do not want to violate copyright.

The yellow pages (without the covers, as it's only microfilm) are at the downtown Houston library, so I don't think it would violate copyright. Modern AT&T cares about copyright (certainly the Warner Media division), but I don't think old yellow pages will cause any problems.

[Firebird65]

On 6/25/2019 at 6:27 PM, IronTiger said:

The yellow pages (without the covers, as it's only microfilm) are at the downtown Houston library, so I don't think it would violate copyright. Modern AT&T cares about copyright (certainly the Warner Media division), but I don't think old yellow pages will cause any problems.

 

The copyright goes to the new company, so yes, they'd still be in effect. But it's not like this is for commercial purposes. Plus you'd think they'd be pleased someone was admiring the covers enough to share nearly 40 years later. Anyway, the chances of some stuffy SWB lawyer patrolling this site for copyright violations are about as infinitesimal as the Houston Texans reaching the Super Bowl under Bill O'Brien. 

 

Those covers were cool, weren't they?

[MikeRichardson]

I'll host the pictures on my personal site. The worst that could happen (and I so seriously doubt it would happen), is that I would get a "DMCA Takedown", and then I would have to take them down.

 

You could also attach the pictures to posts here. In fact I would do both. Anything you want to remain accessible for longer than a couple of years, needs to be hosted on several different unrelated servers.

 

The bigger challenge is actually scanning in the covers. Holding it up to a phone is going to give very unsatisfying pictures. You want to use a flatbed scanner. (Sheet-fed scanners are no good, because you would have to destroy the phone book in order to scan the cover.)

 

You can get a scanner for less than $100, I got mine at Micro Center. But I don't have any old phonebooks, except for 1993.

[Eastie]

I have a beautiful framed Karl Hoefle print of the turning basin area of the Houston Ship Channel. I found it a few years ago thrift shopping at The Guild Shop.  Sharing here for your enjoyment

 

I wish I could find more beautiful (and silly) prints of Houston like this one!

 

[melaniekaymc]

I too was a big fan of the Yellow Pages covers.  I managed to save 3 covers - 1 by B Wallace (August 1987-88 Greater Houston) and 2 by Norman Baxter (both June 1983 - Business-to-Business and Consumer Directories).  I also have a framed lithograph my ex-boss gave it to me in 1980 by Karl Hoefle to share.

 

 

Edited April 29, 2020 by melaniekaymc
photo positioning

[Subdude]

Those bring back memories - thanks for posting!

[Jcearfoss]

 I grew up in Houston and like many others always looked forward to the new SWB yellow pages cover. I have a framed Hi-jinks puzzle that was made from the SWB cover that featured the Astrodome complex with Astroworld in the foreground. Fond memories of many visits to Astroworld and and various events at the Dome! 

Edited May 16, 2020 by Jcearfoss

[vonda1tx]

I actually have a print of one of the phone book covers - Karl Hoefle was the artist.  Supposedly you could tell the year it was printed by the number of kittens following the mother cat.  I found it under my parent's bed and had it framed.  I am the only one in the house that appreciates this work of art.  My photo has cowboys and indians, the dinosaur in a trailer tail, etc.

This was from the early 70s  Love mine!

Edited July 10, 2020 by vonda1tx

[COBE]

I found some earlier today that my Dad had saved.  Like all of you I remember looking forward to finding all of the funny things on the pages.  I have 1969, 1970 and 1971 along with an article stating that a new cover design was being used for the first time on the June 1972 cover.  "Those zany Yellow Pages directory covers will go by the way of the Buffalo and the trolley car Friday with the first distribution of a new standardized model."   There was a crew of 500 people to delivery 900,000 of the books door-to-door.

Thanks for the memories!

[doudslisa]

I am looking for a picture of the page with bonjell modeling it's in the 1982-1986 yellow pages. It's a picture of my dad when he was a model for them. He has passed away and I don't have as copy of it and I can't seem to find it online. Can someone help pls.

[Beverly Rogers]

I grew up in Houston. The artist was Karl Hoefle. He started out the first issue with a cat and her kittens hidden somewhere on the picture, similar to "where's Waldo". For years afterwards, we all alway searched for that mama cat and her kittens. Just LOVED it when we got the newest Houston Yellow Pages edition way back when. Those where the days, my friend. Wish they never ended.

 

[Eric Wallace]

My Dad is Barry Wallace.    He did about 10-15 different cities all with the whimsical cartoon action .  He is retired and does have full size limited edition reproductions of his originals if anyone is interested I can put you in touch.     I would REALLY like to find a copy of the actual yellow pages to create a display of his original and the finished product of the real thing.    If anyone has one I would happily trade a copy of one of my limited edition cities for the original cover in good condition.   Please email me at echristian2455@yahoo.com

[Eric Wallace]

Also,  as FYI per my dad and some research I believe there were three artists that did various years and cities.   Norman Baxter came first.   Then Karl Hoelfe, then my dad Barry Wallace.   (He did the 87-88 cover shown in a previous post.).    

He is in the St. Louis area and does an occasional art fair. 

 

[Hayden]

In the early 70's I was so taken with the whimsy of the Southwestern Bell Telephone Books of Houston, I contacted them, on the outside chance, that I could get copies of them. I remember being transferred around a few times & finally a nice lady answered & I explained that I liked their Yellow Pages so much, I would like a copy. She took my information & it was that easy. I fully expected to get one actual Yellow Pages cover. When the mailing tube arrived a couple weeks later, I was shocked to have 2 different 18" x 24" prints. I don't recall which years these were & haven't been able to determine, but I had them framed and they have followed me from Houston to the West Coast to the East Coast & back to Spring, TX. They are a cherished part of my art objects. I just reframed them today for the first time since the 70's.

Edited January 8, 2023 by Hayden

[William Boyd]

This is a print given to NASA employees at the Johnson Space Center sometime in the early to mid 1970's.  I recall that this was a candidate to be a Yellow Pages cover, but was not selected.  But I could be wrong about that.  The two story building with the higher high bay in front of it, dead center in the view, is where I was working when I first received this.   It hung in my various offices at JSC till I retired in 2006.