Just got this for £6:
10 key set:
http://cgi.ebay.co.uk/ws/eBayISAPI.dll?ViewItem&item=330355275775&ssPageName=STRK:MEWNX:IT ( dead link 02-15-21 )
Hardly "1921" theres a date stamped on the receiver "29/11/63" the day LBJ instigated the Warren Commision!
I took it out the packing by the cradle set and one of the sides and the top came off, but its all fine otherwise, just needs glued together again.
Handset is the best I've seen no chips or cracks, the mouldings on these Dictographs are very thin at the edge of the cups and rarely have no chips in them.
The handset cord is 3 wire straight braid, and the slightest application of a fingernail will strip the braid sheath off, so it's getting a new modified 706/746 black coiled cable instead.
So now I have a nice wallmounted 6 key, its scabbier sibling, the greasy 6 key base unit (must been from the canteen) and the 7 key that came with the 706.
Waiting for a set of croc clip test leads for my linesman phone to try and get a voltage through them, for now they all (apart from the decorative wallmount) in their respective bits in a box.
One day, eh?
That's a cool phone, will you be able to set it up to work? I've never seen anything like them in my travels in the US, but maybe there is something out there as I in no way know much of what is out there.
I think It was a US company to begin with, but hived off their operations in UK/Europe at some point, these turn up quite often on e-bay, but there's a dearth of info as to voltages/diagrams etc.
Also surprising that the company would take the installations away after about 10 years, and replaced them all the old units being scrapped or recycled, maybe not surprising seeing all the wooden housings were custom built.
Nice display items, nevertheless.
http://www.bobsoldphones.net/Pages/Dictograph/Dictograph.htm
http://www.dustygizmos.com/arcpages/arcphones.htm
An incredibly cool looking gismo. Albeit early 1960s and not 1920s, not that I would know anything about it. I hope you get it working. I admit that I always wanted a working dictograph so that I could call my reliable secretary from the next room by flicking a switch and saying in my best Bogart voice...
Hobie - found a way to make these work on phone lines:
http://www.classicrotaryphones.com/forum/index.php?topic=3692.0
Here's a dictograph in a rather smart style I don't think I've seen before
Ebay (http://www.ebay.co.uk/itm/Vintage-Intercom-/251077647035?pt=UK_Sound_Vision_Other&hash=item3a7564dabb)
Owain, another drink I owe you, mine for £5 & £6 P&P.
Looks like a Charles Rennie Mackintosh inspired design!
Thanks again dude.
I think you have to buy some multicore cable and wire them up as Dictographs rather than POTS phones.
Owain, you're welcome to try, I'll buy the cable and supply a screwdriver if you want! ;D
I've got my hands full with a HES 4 thank you very much :D
And another one with lightning flashes ...
ebay (http://www.ebay.co.uk/itm/140806548213)
Nice Double-D's you got there..... ;)
Nice set! (so to speak).
Its a master station, and looks like it has a mother-in-law or watch receiver on the side, rather than a handset.
Very archaic looking, could imagine it on some millionaires desk in a Marx brothers movie.
Also seems to have "dolls eyes" indicators on the first rank of switches, never seen that before on a Dictograph.
This is sitting on the shelf gathering dust, I tried the old style 2 wire rewire and I can get a dialling tone but it is very faint.
Maybe it needs 12V in it to make it work?
Quote from: gpo706 on October 28, 2012, 08:16:35 PM
This is sitting on the shelf gathering dust, I tried the old style 2 wire rewire and I can get a dialling tone but it is very faint.
Maybe it needs 12V in it to make it work?
induction coil / impedance matching issues possibly.
I think from the logo this is a Dictograph stand-alone speaker,
http://www.ebay.co.uk/itm/261119957508 ( dead link 02-15-21 )
Possibly one for our US colleagues
Ebay: Dictr=ograph from City Hall, Waterloo, Iowa (http://www.ebay.com/itm/Atq-Dictograph-Secretaries-Intercom-Telephone-System-Waterloo-Iowa-24-space-/160923763635?pt=LH_DefaultDomain_0&hash=item2577cdc3b3) ( dead link 02-15-21 )
Now that really does deserve the description "Art Deco", stunning.
Quote from: gpo706 on October 27, 2010, 11:38:33 AM
Hobie - found a way to make these work on phone lines:
http://www.classicrotaryphones.com/forum/index.php?topic=3692.0
I'm laughing at myself because I just spent a good 20 minutes trying to find that thread using every key word I could think of, and here it was all the time.
Quote from: Brinybay on November 21, 2012, 10:44:24 AM
Quote from: gpo706 on October 27, 2010, 11:38:33 AM
Hobie - found a way to make these work on phone lines:
http://www.classicrotaryphones.com/forum/index.php?topic=3692.0
I'm laughing at myself because I just spent a good 20 minutes trying to find that thread using every key word I could think of, and here it was all the time.
It's only 2 years old.
You try searching 20+ years of Usenet ...
I do hope this isn't too traumatic for tender viewers, but Dictographs have appeared in the Lamp Phone Atrocities thread. :'(
http://www.classicrotaryphones.com/forum/index.php?topic=1000.msg93939#msg93939
Another nice Dictograph on ebay UK
EBAY (http://www.ebay.co.uk/itm/111114528290)QuoteLarge old wooden internal switchboard from Dictograph. Original cable, switches lights, and black plastic/Bakelite headset. Switches are marked:
Typists
Tele Ex
Wait
Office
Enquiry
Engaged.
It appears that this one could connect to the telephone exchange (TELE EX). I believe that the ones in the US were used simply as intercoms.
Quote from: poplar1 on July 07, 2013, 01:38:40 PM
It appears that this one could connect to the telephone exchange (TELE EX). I believe that the ones in the US were used simply as intercoms.
The British ones were only intercoms as well. The switchboard operator would have had a Dictograph station so she could call or be called by Dictograph users separately from the switchboard system.
Very nice "master" set, I'm out of room for any more!
Could you put the ones you've got a little bit closer together and squeeze a new one on the end of the shelf?
They are close, and there are no shelves left!
Quote from: gpo706 on July 10, 2013, 11:14:09 PM
They are close, and there are no shelves left!
If you've run out of wall to put shelves on, here's how to almost double your shelving:
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=C-XKAT0Ly84
Quote from: gpo706 on July 10, 2013, 11:14:09 PM
They are close, and there are no shelves left!
Get thee to Ikea and buy some "Gorm" shelving units with some extra shelves... ;D
http://www.ikea.com/gb/en/catalog/products/S79903628/
I think we could all do with one of the archival rolling units 2cv!
Not Dictograph, but one of their competitors - Reliance!
A nice advertisement on ebay (http://www.ebay.co.uk/itm/THE-RELIANCE-TELEPHONE-COMPANY-LTD-1951-Advertisments-/310787244228)
A Telephone Rentals (TR) Dictograph-style telephone
Ebay link (http://www.ebay.co.uk/itm/151184829988)
This phone is at a good prices . i've never seen one like this may be cause i'm in Canada :)
I will be keeping my eye on this, thanks Owain.
Needs some serious woodwork restoration though!
Dictograph became / taken over / rebranded as Telephone Rentals c. 1967, so it's a Dicto in all but name.
I've added another one with photos to this thread
http://www.classicrotaryphones.com/forum/index.php?topic=4603.msg117647#msg117647
in case anyone isn't watching it
A nice Dictograph advert which could be framed or enlarged ...
Ebay linky (http://www.ebay.co.uk/itm/151339439590) ( dead link 02-15-21 )
Quote from: Owain on August 17, 2014, 05:37:41 PM
A nice Dictograph advert which could be framed or enlarged ...
Ebay linky (http://www.ebay.co.uk/itm/151339439590)
Something along the same lines as this one....
A slightly battered Dictograph with lots of lovely dolls'-eyes
http://www.ebay.co.uk/itm/191512664075 ( dead link 02-15-21 )
Another nice Dicto (http://www.ebay.co.uk/itm/Vintage-Original-DICTOGRAPH-Telephone-System-Made-In-England-Bakelite-Handset-/301656031841) ( dead link 02-15-21 )
Looks nice! What stood out was how they spelled DISPATCH - DESPATCH.
And also ENQUIRES.
UK differences.
From the web...
Enquiry and Inquiry
The nouns enquiry and inquiry can mean question, inquest, or investigation. They can be used interchangeably, but in the US, inquiry is the more widely accepted. The words enquiry and inquiry derive from the verbs to enquire and to inquire.
Not So Simple in the UK
In the UK, a distinction between enquiry and inquiry is developing. The word inquiry is being used in relation to a formal inquest (i.e., an investigation), while enquiry is being used to denote the act of questioning. However, there is still notable leniency on this distinction. Of note, many in the US will consider enquiry a spelling mistake of inquiry.
Also we have "accounts", not "accounting" (although accounting wouldn't fit on the label, and Tel Ex had to be abbrvtd.)
Quote from: Owain on June 08, 2015, 06:24:29 PMand Tel Ex had to be abbrvtd.
I had to think about that one, as I thought it said "Telex", not "Tel. Ex."... ;D
A set of 9 dictograph phones all from the same house!
Ebay (http://www.ebay.co.uk/itm/Dictograph-internal-phone-set-of-9-/281723618462) ( dead link 02-15-21 )
Collection from Falkirk, central Scotland or £10 postage.
Cased salesman's Telephone Rentals Ltd. Dictograph demonstartion set probably dating to around 1960. The dictograph is a K9452.L Type B model and is complete with TR (Telephone Rentals) speaker, Vitavox microphone and cabling. Housed in a velvet lined reinforced lockable travel case (no key), the exchange unit is labelled with examples of various company members/departments.
Cased salesman's Telephone Rentals Ltd. Dictograph demonstartion set probably dating to around 1960. The dictograph is a K9452.L Type B model and is complete with speaker, microphone and cabling. Housed in a velvet lined reinforced lockable travel case (no key), the exchange unit is labelled with examples of various company members/departments.
Ebay Link (http://www.ebay.co.uk/itm/221971571694) ( dead link 02-15-21 )
Very tempted Owain, very, very, tempted. Thanks for the tip-off
Here's mine: http://www.classicrotaryphones.com/forum/index.php?topic=3692.msg49045#msg49045
Dictograph for a fiver!
http://www.ebay.co.uk/itm/VINTAGE-TELEPHONE-6-OUTPUTS-NOT-WORKING-JUST-NEEDS-REINSTALLING-/292066950513
That is a find of the month phone. Please nominate it.
JMO,
Jim S.
It might sell for more than a fiver ...
Sorry, I thought you bought it for a fiver.
Jim S.
It did actually sell for a fiver! (But not to me.)
Here's a nice "Double D Lightning" model
http://www.ebay.co.uk/itm/antique-phone-/272615284576 ( dead link 02-15-21 )
And to power your Dictograph you need a ... Dictograph battery!
http://www.ebay.co.uk/itm/Very-rare-Vintage-Dictograph-Dry-cell-battery-Pre-war-/272641320464 (dead link 02-15-21)
£31.50 though eh!!
A complete set on offer!
https://www.ebay.co.uk/itm/Vintage-dictograph/272930031030
Odd location to stage a photo session....
Quote from: Pourme on November 14, 2017, 06:30:17 PM
Odd location to stage a photo session....
I was thinking the same thing!
Master and two substations, starting from £100.
https://www.ebay.co.uk/itm/Dictograph-Office-Telephone-System-ART-DECO-PROP/232849075741
And some junction boxes / covers
https://www.ebay.co.uk/itm/3-Vintage-Bakelite-Dictograph-Telephone-System-Covers-2-x-9x3-16-5x3/233040726484 ( dead link 02-15-21 )
It's been a little while since we saw a Dictograph and this one has a couple of nice junction boxes
https://www.ebay.co.uk/itm/Vintage-Dictograph-Dictomatic-Wood-And-Bakelite-Dispatch-Rotary-Dial-Telephone/173895344667
A trio of dictographs, starting at £20 + £6.50 delivery
https://www.ebay.co.uk/itm/Dictograph-Internal-Telephone-System/313400749302
Quote from: Pourme on November 14, 2017, 06:30:17 PM
Odd location to stage a photo session....
That was exactly my first reaction!
Quote from: Owain on January 30, 2021, 02:06:22 PM
A trio of dictographs, starting at £20 + £6.50 delivery
https://www.ebay.co.uk/itm/Dictograph-Internal-Telephone-System/313400749302
And sold for £20.