Help with dates of telephones

[Doug Rose]

Ron...welcome to the Forum. Anyone who has been collecting telephones knows of you and your great Museum. I was in the ATCA for 20 years myself. Your displays from old phone booths are quite cool.  Real happy to have you in the Forum. You will see many familiar names here....welcome....Doug Rose

[paul-f]

4: E-mounting, used with 750A PBX which was new in 1930 (Bell Labs Record, 2/30).

[G-Man]

4: E-mounting, used with 750A PBX which was new in 1930 (Bell Labs Record, 2/30).

Or model 208 (E-Mounting) as introduced by the Bell System in 1933 for use with 15A/23A key equipments.

It's been awhile since I have looked at our 205 instruments but I see to recall that the color of the line buttons are different that what is shown in Ron's photos.

Either way it is circa early 1930s vintage.

http://www.telephonecollectors.info/index.php/document-repository/doc_details/11285-33apr-blr-p244-15a-and-23a-key-equipments-residential-e-handset-mounting

[Doug Rose]

Ron...I also remember your great treasure map with the locations of long gone telcos....Doug

[4123]

Thanks Paul,

I'm having the darndest time dating these telephones.  I know that telephones are not like automobiles where they make a new model every year.  I'm more or less wanting to know when the "operating range" of each set is so I can pick a date within that range.  There have been a few times when our larger exhibit was set up that some ex telephone man will loudly yell (so everyone around can hear him) "You are wrong!! That's not the right date on that phone!!! I worked for the telephone company and I know!!!" Sometimes that can be embarrassing.

*******************************

Mike,

So, you were one of the 'Telephone Treasure Map' recipients huh?  Did you ever find one of those treasure troves?  I hope so....

[G-Man]

Ron-

That's the reason that we generally use the word "Circa" in our descriptions of the telephones in our museum displays.

In this case if number four is a 205 as Paul stated it was introduced in 1930 or if it is a 208 as it appears to my eyes, then it made its first appearance in 1933.

The easiest way to describe the date is "Circa 1930s" so some wiseacre cannot dispute it.

[paul-f]

I'm having the darndest time dating these telephones.  I know that telephones are not like automobiles where they make a new model every year.  I'm more or less wanting to know when the "operating range" of each set is so I can pick a date within that range. 

Ron,

The reason I pointed out the likely introduction date of the style of phone was to give you the earliest date to use in establishing a comfortable range.  Most visitors won't know the difference between an E4, E5 or E7.  Those that do should be satisfied with a display card that says something like:

"This is an example of the E-type handset mounting that was in service beginning ca. 1930.  Versions were made with different button arrangements for business and residential use.  They were made and installed for about a decade and remained in service well into the 1950s.  During World War II, some were recycled into single line sets to help satisfy the demand for phone service when all of Western Electric's production was reserved for military production.

This set is a 20_, marked E_ and dated ____."

For reference, there are wartime BSPs that talk about converting these sets and C32.164, addendum Issue 3, July, 1953 includes cording information for the E7 mounting (205G, 205H and 205J).

It's rare to find an exact date when models were discontinued or removed from service, so generalities are probably safest for displays.


(edit: corrected typos and expanded description)

[4123]

Paul. 
PERFECT!  Thank you!  That's exactly what I'll have written on the name plate.  I wish I could retain all this info in my limited/failing memory.  Getting old sucks!