Tom Swift and His Photo Telephone, or, The Picture That Saved A Fortune, is Volume 17 in the original Tom Swift novel series published by Grosset & Dunlap.

Tom and Ned are almost run over by a speeding motor boat, operated by a con-artist known as Shallock Peters.

The animosity between the two only grows deeper as Mr. Peters tries to buy Tom out of some of his inventions, under the guise of making a profit.

Later, Tom learns that his good friend, Mr. Damon, is having serious financial troubles.

A third wire is used to transmit the image, which is displayed on charged selenium plates.