Automatic Electric Type 183 Space-Maker
Telephone History July 7th. 2008, 3:22pm
Throughout the 20th century the benchmark in telephone manufacturing was Western Electric, the production arm of the mighty Bell System. Given that Bell would not sell phones to companies outside of their umbrella, the independents had to find other sources for their hardware, sources capable of making a product comparable to that provided to Bell subscribers. That may seem a tall order, but companies like Kellogg, Stromberg-Carlson and Automatic Electric had roots in the earliest days of telephony, and were up to the task. Designing dependable telephones was paramount, but styling became an increasingly important aspect. With each innovative new phone released by W.E. the independent companies would respond with a similar offering to make available to their subscribers. Their phones had to perform and have “the look”. The technical and artistic skills of Western Electric’s Henry Dreyfuss kept the pressure on, creating timeless designs that were both aesthetically and ergonomically sound. One example is the popular Princess Phone, a tremendous success that inspired the Automatic Electric Type 182 “Starlite”, the Stromberg-Carlson model 1600 “Petite”, Kellogg’s “Cinderella” and Northern Electric’s “Contessa”. While each of these copycat phones had their own interesting attributes (the oddly-styled Starlite is a personal favorite), none matched the tasteful appearance of the original. So why the history lesson? Because I want to point out a significant exception to the rule, a non-Bell telephone that was vastly superior to the Western Electric model it emulated, Automatic Electric’s Type 183 Space-Maker.
Western Electric’s model 211 Space Saver was a specialty phone, intended for use in environments where little mounting room was available. 
Lacking an internal ringer, the body of the phone was even narrower than the dial, which could be configured to face towards the front or to either side. The 211 got the job done, but was certainly a no-frills unit. Enter the Automatic Electric Space-Maker. A.E.’s type 183 was also designed for minimal space installations, but took the concept further with a dial that offered nearly infinite adjustments, turning 360° and tilting back as much as 45°. The handset hook could also rotate 180°, locking into seven possible positions. As with W.E.’s design, the Space-Maker lacked an internal ringer, but where it had a leg up was with the inclusion of a network. The internal network allowed the Space-Maker to function happily without a subset of any sort, but if desired, Automatic Electric’s Type 33 compact external ringer was available. If it seems ridiculous for a phone produced between 1958 and 1983 to lack an internal ringer, I suspect the public had a similar reaction. But realistically, given the technology that existed when the Space-Maker was developed, a sufficiently tiny ringer just wasn’t available. But A.E.’s compact ringer was relatively small, and its mounting could be as discrete as desired.
While the Space-Maker included more features, the progressive styling is what really set it apart. The Western Electric model 211, and the other phones that emulated it, were almost crude in appearance, consisting of little more than a simple box with a dial perched on top. Automatic Electric started with that basic shape and layout, transforming it into a sleek, modern form. The body was molded thermoplastic, and available in black, white, ivory, beige, pink, turquoise, yellow and green. So attractive was the Space-Maker that it didn’t just find favor in business environments, but also in the modern kitchen. The versatility and styling of the Space-Maker made it a superior piece of hardware, but did it matter?
As vintage phone enthusiasts, it’s interesting to study the evolution of telephone development and compare the products of the different manufacturers. But 20th century telephony was dominated by the Bell System monopoly, a situation that complicates any such comparison. Bell phones and those of the independent makers did not compete in the marketplace, but they influenced each other nonetheless, as each wanted to be at the top of their game. Had the monopoly not existed, it’s still hard to imagine Western Electric telephones not reigning supreme in the marketplace. But even if Western Electric had won that fictitious war, Automatic Electric would have certainly claimed a solid victory in the battle of the compact wall phones.
