Western Electric Colored Hand Telephone Sets

[poplar1]

This page from the Southwestern Bell Sales Manual is dated 9-29. It shows Colored Hand Telephones in Antique Brass, French Gray, Statuary Bronze, Oxidized Silver, and Ivory, other than Black. A later page dated 11-32 adds medium gold and dark gold, and substitutes "old brass" for "antique brass."

[Sargeguy]

Interesting.  This is some of  the best documentation I have seen of the old color schemes.  Bronze, brass and gold are confusing.  We should try to get photos of as many as we can.

[persido]

I will take one of each 

[poplar1]

Statuary bronze (dash 7 color code) is quite different from the antique (or old) brass, medium gold or dark gold.

http://www.classicrotaryphones.com/forum/index.php?topic=2602.30

[poplar1]

Until pictures of gold B1s or D1s are available, Here is a photo of Paul's 304 in Dark Gold (-12):

http://www.classicrotaryphones.com/forum/index.php?topic=9937.msg105723#msg105723

D1s were available in both medium gold (-11) and dark gold (-12)

[Gilas]

Here are a couple I grabbed real quick.  They still need some clean up and work but figured I would share with this thread.  First is a gold D1 while the other is an oxidized silver B1.  Still need to find a handset for the silver one or find someone that could paint one to match.

[poplar1]

Oxidized silver? Notice that the 2HB dial was painted the same color as the B1 before the 130 date was stamped on the back. That probably means the phone was originally this color.

http://www.ebay.com/itm/251491375026

[poplar1]

These are from an old CRPF post:

[poplar1]

This table from 1941 shows that black (felt) was used only on base plates of oxidized silver and pekin red handset mountings:

6. BASE PLATE ASSEMBLIES

    6.01  Base plate assemblies for colored hand telephone
            sets may be obtained in accordance with Table 2.


                                     TABLE 2
________________________________________ _______________

Hand Set Mounting                                  Base Plate Assembly
________________                                 __________________


Type           Color                                  Piece Part No.          Color

B        All                                                P-290087            **Brown
B        Ivory                                           *P-290088               Ivory
B        Oxidized Silver                             *P-290090               Black

D        Black                                            P-290092            **Brown
D        Ivory                                           P-290350                 Ivory
D        Old Brass                                     P-290092             **Brown
D        Statuary Bronze                            P-290092             **Brown
D       Oxidized Silver                              P-290351                 Black
D       Dark Gold                                     P-290092             **Brown
D       Old Rose                                      P-290352                Old Rose
D       Gray-Green                                   P-290354                Gray Green
D       Pekin Red                                     P-290351                Black

E        All                                              P-290077             **Brown
E        Ivory                                         *P-290078                Ivory
E        Oxidized Silver                            *P-290080               Black
________________________________________ _____________________________

  *Piece parts marked (*) are available on special order.
**Brown bases are covered with brown suede leather; all
    others are covered with felt of color indicated.

------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
Bell System Practices
Station Installation and Maintenance
Section C30.011: Colored Station Sets
Issue 4, 1-2-41

[Gilas]

The eBay pic you showed Pop is my phone just cleaned of the white dots. He listed it as oxidation however it was actually just white paint spots. It also has the black felt so believe it's oxidized silver


Mike