The subscribers were divided into four categories: 1. The New Haven Telephone Company in Connecticut – the fastest-growing of the new Bells – published a tiny telephone directory – consisting of one white card with the names of fifty subscribers. By 1878, enough active telephones existed for a ‘central office’ and an employee to connect and disconnect the callers. Yellow Pages – short historyĪs soon as Alexander Graham Bell got the first telephone working, its usage spread rapidly. The business directories around the world have one thing in common – they are either yellow or gold, and are generally called the ‘Yellow Pages’, ‘Yellow Book’, ‘Golden Pages’, or ‘Golden Book’ in the country’s language. In the majority of countries, the Yellow Pages is owned by the main telephone company, or one of its subsidiaries or spinoffs. In many other countries, including the United Kingdom, Canada and Australia, the name and logo are registered trademarks – they were introduced by the Bell System-era AT&T in the 1970s. In the United States, the name ‘Yellow Pages’ and the ‘Walking Fingers’ logo were never registered as trademarks by AT&T, and can be used freely by publishers. “A telephone book or part of one that is printed on yellow paper and contains telephone numbers and advertisements for businesses.” Yellow Pages – trademark status The Cambridge Dictionary has the following definition for Yellow Pages: He became a successful freelance illustrator and commercial designer, and formed an association with the New England Telephone Company that lasted 31 years.

Alexander studied art at the Swain School of Design in New Bedford. Within 12 months it became the national trademark for the ‘Yellow Pages’. Henry Alexander, from New Bedford, MA., USA, designed the ‘Walking Fingers’ logo in 1962. In most countries across the globe, the directory of businesses is still printed on yellow paper, while the normal telephone directory of individual people is printed on white paper. The Yellow Pages, which was printed originally in yellow paper, contrasts with the alphabetically-listed White Pages, which has the telephone numbers of non-commercial entities, i.e. Listed businesses can have their details displayed more prominently for a fee, i.e. For example, all shoe-shops are listed in one section, auto mechanics in another, law firms in another, etc. The Yellow Pages is a telephone directory of commercial enterprises (businesses), which rather than having entries listed exclusively alphabetically, arranges them according to category (alphabetically within each category).

Yellow pages directory