Interesting Bell System Sign(s)

[Fabius]

Are you bring it to the Michigan show ? I'd like to see it.

[Sargeguy]

I do not plan on going to MI this year, maybe PA. I took another look through Ron Knappen's Pay Phone History and found a flanged example on page 441 listed as "1934 C.B.M 11x11 Two sided flange" Next to it is a reproduction of an ad with the caption "New signs developed by Northwestern Bell Telephone Company in 1931" The signs and show what appears to be the sign in question. I don't know how I missed it before, must be these new reading glasses.

[Sargeguy]

Thom your "Universal Service" sign looks a little different from mine and the other examples I've seen.  The Bell is a different shape and the spacing of the letters is different.  Interesting that, for a sign this rare, there are variations.

[Fabius]

Interesting. I didn't realize there were variations.

[Sargeguy]

  In terms of the style of bell and lettering, signs prior to 1908 were highly variable while the post-1908 ones are a lot more standardized.  It looks like the Universal Service campaign started in earnest in 1909 as part of Theodore Vail's attempt to establish the Bell Sytem as a government-regulated monopoly.