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French AOIP Modèle 1918 candlestick

Started by Etienne, December 04, 2021, 06:19:08 AM

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Etienne

Hello

I have a fragment of a french candlestick, Modèle 1918, built by A.O.I.P. (Association des Ouvriers en Instruments de Précision), which was then the biggest worker's cooperative in Europe.
If I am not mistaken, the modèle 1918 was the CB, urban counterpart of the Marty 1910.  Very few places were automated back then (if I remember well, only parts of Marseille since 1913, Paris only after 1924), so it was not foreseen to have a dial. The PTT 1924 which was designed to be converted to automated networks, superseded it, so that those phones were only produced between 1918 and 1927. The handset came from the Marty 1910.
Mine is a private version (on PTT versions was written "Propriété de l'État").
AOIP' version was quite special, as the switch was in the handset. Of course, I don't have the handset which is an absolute rarity...
The phone has been partially gutted. I never saw the inside of such a phone, so do not know whether there should be an induction coil in there, or only a capacitor. After all, Thomson-Houston in France designed phones where the induction coil was in the earpiece.

Doug Rose

Etienne...I think this would look great on your set.  ...Doug
Kidphone

countryman

#2
Those pop up on the French eBay from time to time. (This style handsets)

Etienne

Thanks for the replies.
This is how it should look like (first picture):
https://www.telephones-anciens.org/les-postes-modeles-1918/

Alain Groult writes that the design originates from Ericsson in 1911.

For documentation purpose only: this sale on Ebay shows detailed pictures of the AOIP handset with mobile loop:
https://www.ebay.fr/itm/283947753398?hash=item421c9adfb6:g:OrgAAOSwwpZfDbO3

This technical choice is what makes the phone's reconstruction a pain. Marty 1910 handsets are plentiful and quite cheap, this one is quite rare. All other builders did put the switch in the phone's body.
The mother-in-law earpiece on mine is from a Thomson-Houston phone - as is the handset you suggested-  and helps the phone look a bit less desperate. Its date is quite right: July 1919.
Does anyone have a picture of the inside?

countryman

Now I can see HOW SPECIAL this one is... my best wishes for a possible reconstruction!