Silverplate Handset Cover

[tennblondie78]

This is interesting; I have never seen one of these before. Talk about high style!!

http://www.ebay.com/itm/Vintage-Alv...934441?pt=Antiques_Silver&hash=item4ad60fb8a9

 

[cadman]

I believe these were also made in brass. That little rectangle on top is for a self-adhering plate that you'd have monogrammed, lest you ever forget whose phone you were using!

 

[tennblondie78]

I guess one would need to hold their pinkie finger up while talking!

 

[twintubdexter]

It's very Mrs. Howell...

 

[circlew]

Hoity-Toity

My Aunt Doris sent one of these to my mom for Christmas back in the 60's. She tried putting it on the phone (just for fun, it was NOT her style to have such things), but it didn't fit. The cover was made for Western Electric 500 series handsets, a design that was also used by ITT, Northern Electric and Stromberg-Carlson. However, being in GTE territory, our phone was an Automatic Electric, and the handset has a slightly differnt shape. Mom was not at all disappointed, and gave it back to my aunt, telling her it wouldn't fit the phone.

 

[danemodsandy]

That One....

Is way nicer than average - this idea was made by more than one company, and a lot of them were cheap and looked cheap.

You should not hold your pinkie finger up while using one - you should get a silver phone dialer to match it. A phone dialer was a little handle with a sort of mushroom-cap-shaped end; you stuck that part into the holes of the dial to dial the phone.

Saves Milady's flawless five-coat manicure, dontchaknow.

 

[tennblondie78]

I'm impressed! Tiffany's no less!

 

[cadman]

Sandy, the horror!

That dialer would take the paint off a pre-'55 500 set quicker than you can say 'Number Please'!

 

[twintubdexter]

Tiffany or not...

...that silver phone dialer is no replacement for a good finger...

 

[danemodsandy]

Cory:

Remember, Ma Bell only rented you the phone in those days, so Milady didn't really have a reason to care about that, only her pretty, pretty nails.

 

[cadman]

Can't argue with that, though I'm sure lesser things were gossiped about at bridge club ; )

Actually, when I was toting around my rotary cell phone for a time, I was beside myself at how much paint was wearing off the prefix digits. Second only to worn suede feet.