Date matched 500s

[Willytx]

Here are a couple white 500s I have. The 1961 model I got a while back, the other last week. Both have nearly perfect matching dates. The one strange thing is both say Bell System on the shell and both handsets are only marked Western Electric. Both phones have the open fingerwheel, but one is missing the ring on the back that holds the dial card in. The 1962 has changed color (beiged?) some on the front and on one side of the handset. The 1961 is a uniform light beige color but was orignally white. Both phones are in very good shape, with only a few scratches. The 61 does have wear where the handset touched the cradle.

Was there a shortage of Bell System handsets in white at that time?

1962 WE 500

Base 11-62
Dial 7C 10-62
Network 10-62
Ringer III-62
Transmitter 10-29-62
T Cap 12-62
Receiver 10-30-62
R Cap 10-62
Handset 62 (Western Electric)
Shell 62 (Bell System)


1961 WE500

Base 12-61
Dial 7C 12-61
Network 12-61
Ringer IV 61
Transmitter 12-7-61
T Cap 12-61
Receiver 12-7-61
R Cap 12-61
Handset 61 (Western Electric)
Shell 61 (Bell System)

Does anyone notice the anniversary of a historic date in there?

[jsowers]

The handsets didn't say Bell System until about 1969 when they added the "Bell System Property Not for Sale" to them. Your handsets are correct for your phones. Later on in the 1980s they changed it again to a small Bell logo and Western Electric and they took away the "not for sale" part, because they were for sale by that time.

Oh, and the historic anniversary is the bombing of Pearl Harbor by the Japanese on December 7, 1941. A date that will live in infamy, as Roosevelt said. Dennis is still looking for phone parts dated 11-22-63, another infamous date.

[LarryInMichigan]

Willytx,

Your phones are very good candidates for bleaching.  I have had pretty good results with white phones.  I brought a yellowish-beige 1962 Kellog ITT 500 back to white.  There is a thread or two around here about using hair bleach ("cream developer") for bleaching plastic.

Larry

[Willytx]

The handsets didn't say Bell System until about 1969 when they added the "Bell System Property Not for Sale" to them. Your handsets are correct for your phones. Later on in the 1980s they changed it again to a small Bell logo and Western Electric and they took away the "not for sale" part, because they were for sale by that time.

Oh, and the historic anniversary is the bombing of Pearl Harbor by the Japanese on December 7, 1941. A date that will live in infamy, as Roosevelt said. Dennis is still looking for phone parts dated 11-22-63, another infamous date.

Interesting. I guess since the F1 handsets say Bell System, I just assumed all the G series also did, unless they didn't for a reason. 

Yes, December 7, 1961 was the 20th anniversary of the attack on Pearl Harbor. The 70th anniversary is just over a month away.

[Willytx]

Willytx,

Your phones are very good candidates for bleaching.  I have had pretty good results with white phones.  I brought a yellowish-beige 1962 Kellog ITT 500 back to white.  There is a thread or two around here about using hair bleach ("cream developer") for bleaching plastic.

Larry

Larry, I already thought that. The 1961 phone is pretty badly stained, it must have belonged to a chain smoker. Even inside of the handset is darker near the openings for receiver and transmitter.

If I can just find "Phone Bleaching For Dummies" down at the local book store.

[jsowers]

Willytx, your two formerly white phones are a good comparison between sun/UV fade and smoke fade. I think the darker of the two is smoke fade because of what you describe. Sun fade doesn't reach inside the caps or under the handset, but smoke goes everywhere, even inside the housing in some instances. Smoke is insidious stuff.

[Willytx]

In the first photo, the 1962 phone is on the left. The handset is turned around to show the difference in color. It must have been facing a window. In the 4th photo, you can see the change in color from front to back.

The 1961 is the smoke stained phone. I didn't realize it was originally white until I was looking for the date inside the handset. Both phones have the color code 50 on the dial.