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Hotel Phone -> Leich 901 Magneto

Started by Charles Davis, January 10, 2016, 04:15:06 PM

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Charles Davis

Found at the New Braunfels antique show.

Phonesrfun

It is a Leich local battery phone, and was usually found in rural farm areas.  This type of phone would be a more modern replacement of the wood wall phone.  This sort of phone was not usually in a hotel, but nothing says it couldn't have been.
-Bill G

AE_Collector

#2
A Leich 901. As Bill said, a "modern day" (!) replacement for the wooden magneto phones. Most of these are dated in the 1950's. It is a convertible set as well, able to be a desk phone or a wall phone. Has the original number card and retainer which is fairly unusual for these. They tended to fall of and get lost most of the time.

Leich is pronounced "Like" and was GTE's phone manufacturing company until GTE bought out the Gary Group which happened to own Automatic Electric in the 1950's. Then over the next few years Leich and AECo were merged and Leich disappeared. Quite a few early 80 sets indicate that they were made by Leich Electric on their bases.

Terry

G-Man

 Most 901 sets could be rewired for common battery service. The TCI Library has diagrams published by both Leich and GTE showing the conversions.

Leich was an independent manufacturer until it was taken over by Automatic Electric. Eventually their product line of telephone sets, manual switchboards, automatic pabx and central office all-relay switches, were merged with those of A.E.

G-Man

 Here is a diagram showing the conversion.

19and41

That was the type phone we had in our household in Michigan from 1956 to 1970.  The batteries were strapped to one of the floor joists in the basement.
"Any sufficiently advanced technology is indistinguishable from magic."
— Arthur C. Clarke

Charles Davis

Thanks, guys.  I appreciate the information.