My "New" Telephone

[58limited]

Mid-1930's American Telephone & Telegraph Co. candlestick with Western Electric bell box. Pretty much restored to original by my friend except for the dial - its a number 5 and I think I was told the number 4 dial is correct. I'm going to mount it in the living room: the bell box will cover the hole in the wall left by a Honeywell thermostat that is not in use by the current A/C system (but still had power running to it!!) I ran the phone line down the wall this morning (or rather I pulled it up when I pulled the thermostat line up into the attic). The ring volume is low so that it will not be too distracting when I have company over but will pique interest when it rings.

 

[58limited]

Close-up

 

[58limited]

Inside the bell box

 

[58limited]

Installed (not a great picture). I either need a taller table or a longer cord so I can set the phone on the end table by my recliner. I covered the thermostat hole but there was another hole next to it that couldn't be covered by the box. I tried the box sideways but that interfered with the bells so I'll just put a blank plate over the hole and paint it the wall color so that it will blend.

 

[launderess]

Hello? Hello? Operator?

Get Me WAlnut3-3000.

Schweet!

 

[autowasherfreak]

Love the Phone

Awesome phone you have. My ex-boss had a similar phone sitting on her desk at work, but it was never hooked up. I bet your company will be shocked when it rings, I know I would. I've always wanted to have an antique desk with a telephone like yours, manual typewriter, adding machine, and other desktop accessories maybe some day it will happen.

 

[JerseyMike]

Awesome!

What a cool phone. I'm glad that you were able to restore it.

According to Telephone Exchange Name Project (see link below), telephone numbers in Port Authur started with YUkon back in the day when telephone numbers were a combination of names and numbers.

http://ourwebhome.com/TENP/TENproject.html

 

[58limited]

Cool link, Mike. I remember hearing someone say YUkon was Port Arthur's exchange back in the day. One of the kids (now in his 70's or 80's) named Ken who was raised in my house from the time it was built knocked on my door over the Thanksgiving holiday and told me a little about the place, but I didn't think to ask him about the phone exchange.

After talking to him and going to the court house for research, I found that the lot was purchased 7/26/36. and the house was built late 1936, early 1937. The people were rich so they paid cash, therefore there is no mechanic's lien or mortgage info at the courthouse. Thanks to Ken I was able to confirm when the house was actually built: late 1936, early 1937.

 

[rp2813]

Nice phone David. I always wanted one but decided I wouldn't be able to train myself to constantly be talking into the mouthpiece. My friend had one and I could tell when he had turned away because his voice would become faint, and the transmission quality on early phones isn't the clearest to start with. So I settled for my 202 model with E-1 handset.

Your bell box looks like it's fairly early. Does it have any dates on the components? Mine is from 1931 and I think uses more wood for the terminal blocks.

Your #5 dial seems to have an earlier number plate since it still has the "Z" along with "Operator." A lot of #2 dials were converted to #4's, but they still had the holes for the finger stop on the side of the dial case rather than hidden inside it so the dial could be flush mounted as on later model phones. I don't know if 5H dials would have had the finger stop holes there anymore. I'll provide you with a link to a site I just discovered where you can maybe compare your dial to the various types. I checked my oldest one and it appears to have originally been a #2 but has the orange "4H" on it so it was updated at some point and redeployed. I think it would be great if you could get the old "clickety clack" sound of a #2 type going in that phone. Mine is in my 202 model since it's the oldest phone I own.

Ralph

 

[rp2813]

Link

Here's the link to the Classic Telephone Forum. I joined just before Xmas and am still waiting for confirmation so can't contribute yet. I'm allowing time for the moderator to get back from a possible holiday break. Interesting and informative discussions here.

http://www.classicrotaryphones.com/forum/index.php

 

[58limited]

Thanks for the link, Ralph - looks interesting. I want a phone like the icon in the upper left corner of the site for my kitchen. I have a built in for a phone that it would fit perfectly, and it would be correct for the time period.

The person who restored my phone does great work. It has a show quality paint job and the electronics in it are 1970's vintage (easier to find and replace, plus a little more dependable). He also restores Model T cars and has had several national show winners.

 

[goatfarmer]

It's more like "Sarah, get me Aint Bee!"

beautiful phone!

 

[panthera]

goatfarmer

That is just a beauty. Question: When you use another telephone on that circuit, does the bell box 'ring' in sympathy?

 

[58limited]

Keven,

The bell box rings for all incoming phone calls. It does not ring when I dial out on another phone. But when I use the candlestick phone, the dial makes the bell in the bell box ring lightly.

 

[rp2813]

More On Dial Dating

Here's another link to the same forum, but this one goes to a thread about how to tell the difference between dial series. In reply #8 there is a link to a page where a guy goes into some detail on how to tell what type of dial you have.

Interstingly, I was sure I had a dial that was originally a 2H since it's got such a loud clickety clack going on, but I took it out of the 202 earlier today and don't see any evidence that it had mounting holes on the side for the finger stop. Obviously yours has those David, but perhaps the rest of the dial inside the case is 5H. I checked my 302's as well and found two had 4H and one had a 5H. Now maybe I need to do a little more research and figure out which dial plate belongs to which dial mechanism. I know the 202's dial plate is the oldest, as it's the pre-porcelain celluloid type with larger characters on it.

Personally I recently began to appreciate the 500 series phones that started to appear in 1949. They are built like tanks, have great reception and transmission quality, and I really like the sound of a heavy bakelite handset making contact with the soft plastic case. That dull clunking is the sound of absolute durability. My fetish phone currently is my all 1950 (except transmitter capsule is 1955) black 500 phone in super clean original condition. I pulled it out of storage and got it ringing and I try to use it for all of my telephoning.

I think I'm getting bit by the collector bug as far as old (mainly series 500) phones are concerned. But I'm also on the lookout now for a 5302, which is a 500 case surrounding the older 302 guts. Great way to trick people (like my partner) who are so certain that an old school model like a 302 will present a compromised transmission or reception issue.

http://www.classicrotaryphones.com/forum/index.php?topic=183.0

 

[rp2813]

P.S.

The type of phone you want for your kitchen is the model 302. They can be found with both thermoplastic and metal housings. Probably the former would be better in a kitchen application. These phones were produced by Western Electric I believe starting in 1937 or so (my oldest one is a '38) up until the early 50's. If your house was built before 1940 the space you have in your kitchen may be more suitable for a 202 instead of a 302 so be sure to measure it. I can provide dimensions on both models if you need them.

Ralph