Telephones such as this one would have been very commonplace in early 20th century pharmacies. This object reminds us of two important things. First, that pharmacy was then and still continues to be an industry that grows and evolves along with the science and innovation of the day. The telephone was a new and exciting technology in the 1920s and it would have had major impacts on how the pharmacist conducted his business.
It also reminds us of a second key idea, which is that the pharmacy has always been a social space. The interaction between pharmacist and client is one built on communication and trust, whether that communication takes place in person, over the phone, or online.