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Gray Telephone Photos

Started by paul-f, September 03, 2010, 11:24:28 AM

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paul-f

This is a topic for everyone to post photos of grey telephones, and to generally celebrate the color.

From the topic "Princess Phone in a Tough Color" we learned that several of us have a common interest in gray telephones.  Here's a summary of the postings there:

http://www.classicrotaryphones.com/forum/index.php?topic=3261.0

702B - Dave F
http://www.classicrotaryphones.com/forum/index.php?action=dlattach;topic=3261.0;attach=16803;image

564H - Dave F
http://www.classicrotaryphones.com/forum/index.php?action=dlattach;topic=3261.0;attach=16804;image

1702B - paul-f
http://www.classicrotaryphones.com/forum/index.php?action=dlattach;topic=3261.0;attach=16817;image

500D - Dave F
http://www.classicrotaryphones.com/forum/index.php?action=dlattach;topic=3261.0;attach=16817;image

500U - Jester (now Dave F's phone)
http://www.classicrotaryphones.com/forum/index.php?action=dlattach;topic=3261.0;attach=16863;image

AE80
http://picasaweb.google.com/Amelyenator/AE80InDawnGray#

Let the posting begin!

Here's another one... (See AE880 below)

=================================================
Photos of the following models are posted in this topic.
  (Updated 8/20/14)

Light gray

WE 500 C, D, Y, 502 (w/G6), 554, 525, 526, 536, 544, 564
WE 662 Card Dialer
WE 300, 325
WE 1500, 1554, 1565, 1660, 1623 (Call Director)
WE 2500, 2503, 2515, 2554
WE702B, 1702B
WE 220, 1220
WE 731 receiver, handsets: G5, G6
WE Adjuncts: 1066A (Autovon) - opaque and illuminated buttons
WE 6050 6-button key, "Beehive" light, 592 ringer
WE Dataphone keyset with card reader & link to more
WE "Desk Drawer"
NE 500, 567
Armiger 503

AE 880, Western Union Data Set
Kellogg 500, 558, 701, ITT Cinderella manual
SC 1544, 1553, 1573, 1575, 1583
SC TD-85, Slenderet Swirl
Connecticut "Toaster"
TeleQuest Manta, Prism, Softel, Solo
Northern Telecom Athena
Ericofon Rotary, Tone
Ericovox speaker phone, rotary and tone
Heraldo (Spain), French desk set with mother-in-law receiver
Siemens & Halske Fg tist 282T
Phillips desk set
GPO Trimphone
NEC desk set, NEC Type 4, Toshiba (Princess-like)
Hitachi HAW-61
Dutch PTT T65
Leich G105M

Mini-500 pen holder, 500-style keychain

Dark gray

WE 500C, 500D, 500D two-tone, 500D "full color" with black dial
Kellogg 500D, 500 two-tone "banjo"
SC 1553, TD-85, Slenderet Swirl
North H (with maroon handset)

Mini-500 pen holder, 500-style keychain

Keep them coming!  ;D
Visit: paul-f.com         WE  500  Design_Line

.

Dave F

Great idea Paul!  I'll have to start doing some digging.

paul-f

Grey WE 731 Receiver
Visit: paul-f.com         WE  500  Design_Line

.

Dave F

Very nice Paul.

Here's a gray 220 Trimline with AC1 wall base and long original-style cord (1971).  Notice the substantial yellowing around the edges.  Gray phones seem to be particularly prone to UV yellowing, or is that just my imagination?  This will be yet another restoration project for my "Golden Years".  Has anyone had success with the Retrobright process?  Do you think this phone would be a good candidate?

paul-f

I've had the same experience with suntanned grey sets.  In the Princess thread I mentioned having to sand and refinish the 1702B.

Here's a faded Heraldo set received from house guests from Spain (who heard about my addiction).
Visit: paul-f.com         WE  500  Design_Line

.

Dave F

Fortunately, a Princess phone has no raised logo lettering on the housing.  How would you clean the logo on a 500 or similar set without ruining it with sandpaper?

Kenny C

Chuck Hinsley has a method he will probably chime in
In memory of
  Marie B.
1926-2010

Dennis Markham

Here's a nice soft plastic Model 554 from March of 1958 in Light Gray.

Kenny C

i want to jump on the gray band waggon  ;)
In memory of
  Marie B.
1926-2010

jsowers

#9
What a wonderful subject! I have several light gray phones. I assume you mean light gray and not dark gray soft plastic. I have so many pictures that it will take two posts to cover them all. Somewhere I even have one of those WE 731 receivers in light gray, but I can't find the picture.

I've seen where some people say light gray was just used in businesses, which isn't true at all. It was installed in homes too, but was never a popular color. Look at the Mary Tyler Moore show sometime and you will see light gray phones in the newsroom. There's even a rare light gray 1554 next to the newsroom double doors.

First picture is a nice rare one. A light gray 500 W/Y Motel phone from 11-64. The number card is one I stamped after I got the phone--not the original. The rest is original, I think. On the bottom it has "Message Waiting Phone" stamped in large letters.

Second is a light gray soft plastic 554. Those are hard to find! The first one of those I found on eBay, I lost when my internet went down when I was trying to bid. I still haven't gotten over it. It went to Eddie Maddox in Texas. Lucky guy! He even sent me pictures of the finished phone. Dennis, that one has always stuck in my craw like, well, you know. I had to wait several years before I found another one.

Third and fourth is a light gray 1220 Trimline desk set. I acquired that as a very lucky Buy it Now several years ago.

Fifth is a light gray 2500 that belongs to a friend. Those are fairly hard to find too.

Sixth is a time lapse of bleaching a hard plastic light gray 500 housing. One part bleach to two parts water, in the sun for a day. I think it took three days to get it to how you see it in the last picture. It could use a fourth day.

More to come...
Jonathan

jsowers

#10
More pictures from my files, mostly Princess type phones...

A light gray Kellogg 701. I found this phone at a yard sale. I paid $3 and it was on 10-7-2000. Normally my records are not that detailed, but I put a sticker on the bottom of this one. It may be called a Cinderella. Or that could have originated with ITT. I'm not sure.

A light gray 500 promo penholder.

A light gray ITT Cinderella with no dial. It came with the number card and ring and was NOS. You don't see too many manual Princess phones.

A light gray 702 Princess from 3-63. This is right out of the shipping box. It's been cleaned up since then.

Light gray is one of the harder colors to find. Many times it's mistaken for green or beige, so you can't always go by what the seller says.
Jonathan

Dave F

Just look what we've started here.  This is super!  We're all going to make each other jealous.  MORE, MORE, I'm still not satisfied!!

LarryInMichigan

I will post pictures if someone will give me a grey phone.  An oxford grey 500 will do, or even a DK500 :)

Larry

HarrySmith

 :'( I don't have any Grey :'(

I do have a friend who is getting ready to going through some boxes of 500's so maybe he will find a Grey one for me :)
Harry Smith
ATCA 4434
TCI

"There is no try,
there is only
do or do not"

Dave F

Quote from: jsowers on September 03, 2010, 04:25:49 PM


Sixth is a time lapse of bleaching a hard plastic light gray 500 housing. One part bleach to two parts water, in the sun for a day. I think it took three days to get it to how you see it in the last picture. It could use a fourth day.


Do you mean just liquid bleach like Clorox? I wasn't aware that this wourld work without damaging the palstic.  It looks terrific.  I'll have to give that a try.