Princess Phone Colors

[bingster]

I've seen BSP references to using Princess phones in manual systems.  They state that the dial is to be left in place and should be merely disconnected.  That would explain why nobody ever spots manual versions.  They're externally identical to sets used on dial systems.

[tjmack99]

I've seen Moss Green before, but what's this one?

[jsowers]

I've seen Moss Green before, but what's this one?

That would be Country Blue or as Paul's site calls it, -145 Blue, Teal. It's very similar to -57 Mediterranean Blue, from the 1950s (see my avatar at left). There were also 500s, 554s, Trimlines, 2500s and 2554s made in this same -145 blue color. That is a fairly late production Princess since it has the white non-lit keypad.

[tjmack99]

Thanks a bunch. Do you know the timeframe for when the stopped using the light up keypad?

[Jim Stettler]

Most of the non lighted dials are from around 1983 and newer. I think it was mainly CS sets. These don't have a provision for a lamp either.
If you wanted a lighted princess they were making signature princess.
1983 was also when they started bringinging back some limited colors.

The teal trimlines were fat mod sets from 75-76 these were promoted as limited colors. They also made old rose trimlines in this time frame.

In 1983 these colors started being used on trimlines again.

Jim

[stopthemachine]

I've seen Moss Green before, but what's this one?

That would be Country Blue or as Paul's site calls it, -145 Blue, Teal. It's very similar to -57 Mediterranean Blue, from the 1950s (see my avatar at left). There were also 500s, 554s, Trimlines, 2500s and 2554s made in this same -145 blue color. That is a fairly late production Princess since it has the white non-lit keypad.

Nice phone, TJ.  I have an identical phone, and yes, it's from 1983--maybe with a ATT handset?  I'll have to check.  I have a matching rotary Trimline to go with it.    I'd love a 554 in that color!   

[George Knighton]

It's very similar to -57 Mediterranean Blue....

...while the Aegean is a much bluer blue.  :-)  I doubt I'll ever see it again.  But I miss it.

[George Knighton]

It's ironic that the same day that my first Princess shows up at the door step (a black 702), there's a Singing Wires in the mailbox talking about Jackie Kennedy and the story about how she got AT&T to get C&P to wire her house and order the first black Princess devices.

I have a  dumb question, though.  I've searched a little, but I don't see the answer.

I was really searching for a black 701 and never could find one.

Do I gather correctly that there are no black 701's, and that the black ones only started with the advent of the bell-equipped, slightly higher 702's?

[poplar1]

Good catch on the Black 701B. One reason they are not common is that unlike 500s, there was no extra one-time charge of $7.50 for color when ordering a Princess. (In this area, there was a $7.00 one-time charge for any Princess, and an additional $0.70 per month compared to the rate for a 500.)

The original production colors for the 701B are white (-58), pink (-59), light beige (-60), aqua blue (-62) and turquoise (-64). The 702B did not exist until 1963.

According to Paul F.'s website (  http://paul-f.com/color.htm ), in 1963 the following colors were added: black (-3), green (-51), yellow (-56) and light gray (-61).

Since the 701 and 702 housings are different (the 701 has mouse holes for the cords), it is possible that the additional colors coincided with the new housings needed for 702s.

[George Knighton]

The original production colors for the 701B are white (-58), pink (-59), light beige (-60), aqua blue (-62) and turquoise (-64).

Thank you. 

I guess my next ridiculously obsessive search will be for a white 701B. 

[AE_Collector]

Since the 701 and 702 housings are different (the 701 has mouse holes for the cords),

Why doesn't the 702 have mouse holes? Still quite some time before modular.

Based on changes made to AE Starlites over the years my guess is that they made the plastic case on the Princess not cover as much of the metal base so that the cords came out through the metal base and there was no longer a need for mouse holes in the plastic case. ??

Terry

[Dennis Markham]

Why doesn't the 702 hav mouse holes? Still quite some time before modular.
Terry

I believe it had to do with the "vents" on the 702B model.  Since the ringer was added to the 702's, the vents allow the ringing sound to vent.  In my photo, the Black Princess is the vented 702B while the White one is a 701B---with "mouse hole".

[jsowers]

Dennis and I were thinking along the same lines at the same time, so pardon my duplicating his response.

Terry, you're correct. The 702 has a modified base, but the 701 and 702 look to be the same height (I compared them just now to be sure). They added exits for the cords with a small slit to secure the strain relief. They also added slots around the base for ventilation and sound. It was painted rather than finished in the gleaming gold tone of the 701 and the years have not been kind to most of the 702 bases I've seen.

Modular cutouts didn't come until the mid-to-late 1970s when all the WE phones became modular. The smaller modular handset and mounting cord jacks on Princesses don't interchange with the larger ones used on 500s and 2500s and less plastic was cut out to accept them. The exposed area is much smaller and the smaller gray jacks are easily broken since they seem to be more brittle with age. Princesses do use the same modular handset and mounting cords as other modular WE phones.

[poplar1]

To add to the evolution: the 702 bases were no longer painted, and even later the vents were eliminated and the M-type ringer was changed to a P-type (ringer found in Trimlines).

[paul-f]

Eliminating the mouse holes on the 702 housings provided a small cost saving.

The 702 housings do not fit perfectly on 701 bases and require a bit of "mechanical adjustment."  Try it.

As was suggested, many of the hardwired 702 housings were notched for modular jacks.  That makes collecting a complete set of 702B (hardwired) sets an interesting challenge.

BTW, The original market research for the Princess identified 6 preferred colors -- the five announced plus gold.  Production problems with gold kept it from the initial color palette.

Several collectors (and ebay sellers) have reported black 701s.  On closer inspection, they proved to be sets that were refurbished with either 702 housings or Kellogg Cinderella housings (which had the mouse holes).

There is a chance 701s were available in colors such as black on special order, but I haven't heard of any confirmed sightings yet.