"Real" Telephones

[Elspode]

I still have and use a Western Electric desk phone. First generation touch tone, whatever series that was. I've had it since 1975. Works perfectly, despite having been dragged to the floor from table/desk height countless times. Faceplate is busted and I disabled the bell because it was too damn loud, but otherwise...flawless function.

[Pangloss62]

I picked up the below a few weeks ago to add to my retro kitchen. It's not much different then a blender, but it looks so cool. And it says "Bar Mixer" on it! And it works like a charm. $5.00 at a thrift store.

Hmmm. I think were drifting away from telephones...but that's ok.

[MaggieL]

Originally Posted by Elspode

I still have and use a Western Electric desk phone. First generation touch tone, whatever series that was.

That would be the 1500:



Unless it was new enough to have an asterisk and an octothorpe, in which case it is a 2500:



http://www.bellsystemmemorial.com/telephones-2500.html

Originally Posted by Pangloss62

Hey rkzen!

I know you can find a nice Western Electric 300 or 500 instead of going for the PB repros. Really, there's nothing like the real thing. I've got about 3 or 500 series desksets that I've found at thrift stores and yard sales. They all work and were wicked cheap too.


They made over a million of these babies. A dealer would sell you one for less than the PB repro.

That "Boomerang" pattern of Formica was called "Skylark." But most people call it boomerang for obvious reasons. I love Formica.

I know you can get them (lovin' the eBay), but the dial is painful for me, unfortunately, plus it is a pain with all the automated crap we do (I refill a ton of prescriptions).
So the repos are the way for me, sucks though.

[footfootfoot]

I picked up one of those 300 series phones at a stoop sale in Brooklyn for about $5. It was great. Heavy as a seal club. It made phoning someone seem important.

[Pangloss62]

I picked up an unusual WE 5302 at a telephone show up in Wisconsin. It's got the "guts" of a 302, but a shell of a 500. You find these with either the F or G handset.


This one has the F handset found on most 302s.



This one has the G handset like the one I have. Note how the 500 shell is cut off at the back because the 302 guts take up less space.

[Sundae]

Originally Posted by Pangloss62

Did England have one big phone monopoly like us? Did the Government regulate the phone companies?

Yes, we had what was known as the GPO - General Post Office, which was responsible for telephones as well as post.

The GPO stopped being a Government Department in 1969 and telecommunications separated from post, although the Post Office Corporation retained its monopoly.

British Telecom was created in 1980 and from 1981 onwards other companies were licensed. The company was privatised in 1984.

I had forgotten that the telephones were leased from the Post Office and were therefore built to last until reading this thread! I also remember the day we had ours fitted - until then, we'd had a pile of 2p pieces in the kitchen in case of emergency, for the phone box on the corner (999 calls are free, but obviously other people need to be contacted).

[Pangloss62]

British Telecom. I knew that but forgot. BT had some nice phones as I recall. Michael Caine in Get Carter used a cool phone. AT&T (Ma Bell) introduced color to their phones in 1956. A few experimental, two-tone phones were produced. There's a yellow and black one I could die for, but then I would be dead and not be able to enjoy it.