Popularity of WE Colors 1960

[poplar1]

This 1960 ad shows the distribuion of new color sets made by Western Electric:

White........27%
Beige........22%
Pink..........12%
Ivory.........11%
Turquoise?... GREEN 7%
Yellow.........7%
Lt. Gray.......5%
Aqua Blue....5%
Red.............4%
_________________
Total         100%

Missing: Green??? TURQUOISE

Edit: Consensus is that the 7% should refer to green, not turquoise

[poplar1]

I tried to attach photo but says it failed the security test--???

http://www.ebay.com/itm/1960-Bell-Telephone-Western-Electric-Ad-Color-Everyone-/301035922812

[TelePlay]

Playing around with the hue and saturation in PhotoShop trying to get the white handset white, as well as ivory and beige close (white was tough), the other colors seemed to fall out close to real. Could it be that what you called turquoise was actually green? Here's the color adjusted photo.

[WesternElectricBen]

Teleplay, I didn't think turquoise came out until 1964. So maybe the turquoise spot is suppose to be green?

Ben

[TelePlay]

Teleplay, I didn't think turquoise came out until 1964. So maybe the turquoise spot is suppose to be green?

Ben

Having the newest first may have led you to miss the original post in which poplar1 called it turquoise.

I think the color in the photo is green. I posted that color adjusted picture to be viewed after the initial picture was viewed and the text read to keep the entire discussion in context, not just read and react to the last (newest) post of the topic. My point was the color of the photo was wrong and posted the color adjusted picture as proof of my point.

It would be nice of sellers took these color sensitive photos with a standard color card so they could use their photo software to color correct photos before posting them on eBay. Seems to be way to much "yellow" light in the original photo.

[poplar1]

I, too, thought it might be green; however, turquoise was one of the original Princess colors in 1959: white (code -58), pink (-59), light beige (-60), aqua blue (-62) and turquoise (-64). Lt. Gray (-61) would have been a Call Director color (1958).

[WesternElectricBen]

Sorry about that Teleplay, I meant to say Poplar1.

I agree, it is a bit misteavious that it was said to be introduced in 64, but it was used on princesses..

Ben

[unbeldi]

Turquoise was available in 1959, but only on Princesses, until 64.  So this is probably why it's not on there.
There is no telling really just what exactly this "graph" shows, whether it includes all models or just desk sets.

[WesternElectricBen]

Oh, alright, that makes perfect sense.

Ben

[poplar1]

Anyone have a green or turquoise WE phone dated 1960?
Also, I think there is a chart in Mountjoy's book showing what colors were manufactured each year. Anyone have access to that?

[Contempra]

No poplar1 but I would like to see that !

[paul-f]

The chart is on page 164.

You can find the color info by year summarized here:
   http://www.paul-f.com/color.htm#WE500

Turquoise 500s were announced in 1964.  (Production started in 1963.)

[Contempra]

It would be nice to have the complete book but I imagine that it must buy it...

[poplar1]

So does Richard's chart show that -51 green was made continuously from 1953 until the 1980s? I seem to recall that they stopped making ivory phones for a while, then ivory was the most popular color in the 1980s.

[paul-f]

No.  The 500 series chart ends with 1964.

The Princess chart (p. 169) ends with 1973.  It shows green running continuously from 1963 - 73.

   
• Ivory and Cherry Red were added to the Princess line in 1967.
• Turquoise and Light Gray were discontinued in 1970.

There is no color chart in the book for the Trimlines.

We can extend the chart using BSP references and observations.