Woodworking Shops

[Desert Phone Guy]

Has anyone seen any photos of the Woodworking shops of the early telephone companies?  Was the woodworking and cabinetry done in house, or was it contracted out?  The quality of the early woods and craftsmanship are still fascinating to me. The closest thing I have found to that quality is a quarter sawn oak dining table and chairs we purchased from an Amish Furniture Company in Ohio.

[Sargeguy]

In the ABT Co. and Bell System the cabinentry was almost always done by the manufacturer. There were some field modifications, and there are some early sets marked NET&T and PTT that have no Western Electric or other markings but use components from WE or earlier suppliers.  With the smaller telcos it was more common for the work to be done in-house or contracted out locally. Still, most magneto boxes and substs were obtained from manufacturers.  Back boards and battery boxes were more likely to be done locally.

[poplar1]

I always heard -- but don't have proof -- that many of the hundreds of manufacturers bought the components (transmitter, receiver, ringer, induction coil, switchhook) from major manufacturers, and hired local people to construct the wooden boxes to house the components.

A retiree of the Western Electric Service Center in Atlanta told me that the woodworkers were the highest paid workers in the shop when he hired on. Maybe it was the 'high tech" -- or, at least, highest skill -- job in its day.