Classic Rotary Phones Forum

Telephone Talk => General Discussion => Topic started by: Fabius on December 06, 2017, 09:42:03 PM

Title: Leich/AE Desk Set
Post by: Fabius on December 06, 2017, 09:42:03 PM
I came across this desk set in a local antique shop. I thought it was an AE set but the bottom states Made By Leich Electric. Also marked: Monophone Automatic Electric. I am not familiar with desk sets of this era. Is this a common one? They are asking $25.




From Wikipedia:

Leich Electric was a manufacturer of telephone equipment in the United States. At first Leich produced telephone sets, but later also manufactured small crosspoint telephone switches for the independent telephone companies.
The company was created as the Cracraft-Leich Electric Company as a result of a merger of the Advance Electric Company and the Eureka Electric Company. The name was changed to the Leich Electric Co. in 1917. In 1950 it was purchased by General Telephone Corporation
Leich Electric was located in Genoa, Illinois in 1903, although its predecessors had been located in McCordsville, Indiana and Chicago, Illinois
Title: Re: Leich/AE Desk Set
Post by: WEBellSystemChristian on December 06, 2017, 09:46:28 PM
That looks like a standard Type 80 to me.

Leich and Automatic Electric were the same company, and all early 80s had baseplates that were marked with Leich. That one looks like a nice early Ivory--how much was it? It could sell for quite a bit once restored.
Title: Re: Leich/AE Desk Set
Post by: TelePlay on December 06, 2017, 10:01:20 PM
I don't see a ringer volume adjustment wheel and I don't see gongs through the sound holes. If you go back, give it a hard shake and listen for dings --  or get permission from the store to open it up.
Title: Re: Leich/AE Desk Set
Post by: WEBellSystemChristian on December 06, 2017, 10:06:35 PM
Quote from: TelePlay on December 06, 2017, 10:01:20 PM
I don't see a ringer volume adjustment wheel and I don't see gongs through the sound holes. If you go back, give it a hard shake and listen for dings --  or get permission from the store to open it up.

I don't think many of these did have ringer adjustment--none of mine do. If you look carefully, you can see two gongs through the holes in the base. I think the gongs were smaller and spaced farther away from the base than gongs on the 500 and 302.

Also, scratch the all-original idea. The housing is later (mousehole on the side as well as the back, earlier housings had the handset cord through the back), and the handset cord is later. Judging by the plastic coloring, I'll say the dial and chassis are original.
Title: Re: Leich/AE Desk Set
Post by: TelePlay on December 06, 2017, 10:10:07 PM
I don't see the gongs due to poor eyesight and low resolution image that does not blow up when clicked on

It's a VGA 640 by 480 pixel image. 2,500 by 2,000 would be better for my eyes (anyone with cataracts knows what I'm talking about).
Title: Re: Leich/AE Desk Set
Post by: AE_Collector on December 06, 2017, 11:06:04 PM
Quote from: WEBellSystemChristian on December 06, 2017, 09:46:28 PM
That looks like a standard Type 80 to me.

Leich and Automatic Electric were the same company, and all early 80s had baseplates that were marked with Leich. That one looks like a nice early Ivory--how much was it? It could sell for quite a bit once restored.

Not quite. Not all early 80's were marked Leich Electric but a fair number of 80's were made and marked by Leich in the early days of the Model 80 where as none were later on. Leich was GTEs manufacturer until GTE bought the Gary Group which owned AE in what .. 1956 or so? Then AE also became GTE's manufacturer and quite quickly Leich was merged into AE. Interestingly I have never seen a 90 Wall set made by Leich. Leich was helping meet post war demand and I'm quite certain that demand was for desk phones, people were tired of most phones being mounted on the wall where as desk phones were more "modern".

This one is base coded as Jade Green so it's been refurbished into what looks like sand Beige to me. No volume control on these sets means "Frequency Ringer inside".

Otherwise a nice early set with chrome ring number card retainer and probably chrome plunger buttons. Early manual compensated network as well, quite likely the "potted" rather than pub network.

Terry