Since Dan D/P is the king of painted phones.............

[BDM]

...............I figured he may enjoy this snappy AE stick phone.
http://cgi.ebay.com/ws/eBayISAPI.dll?ViewItem&ssPageName=STRK:MEWAX:IT&item=230328689515

[Dan/Panther]

If it were W.E., I'd consider it. Dennis seems to be going fixer upper let him know...
D/P

[BDM]

No no no, that's all you babe

[Dan/Panther]

I will admit it grows on me...
D/P

[AET]

Now that's a prime example of trying to update with paint, instead of new technology!

[HobieSport]

Here's one for you, Dan:

http://tinyurl.com/c37z9l

I wrote the seller and they found a 1948 date, but the housing is zinc. So my semi-educated guess says Frankenphone that someone painted patriotically during WWll.  A little piece of history and folk art, so to speak. It would actually seem a pity to me to remove the paint.

[McHeath]

I agree on the paintjob, if this were really done during WW2 as a patriotic act then to remove the paint would be a shame.  In that case the phone becomes more than a phone, as you say it's folk art.  I guess the paint could be tested to see what it's made of and get a date estimate. 

[Dennis Markham]

Back in the 70's, especially around 1976---the Bi-Centennial year, everyone was painting everything red, white and blue with stars on it.  Remember the motorcycle helmet in Easy Rider (us old guys)??  It MAY have been done then. 

[HobieSport]

Good point about 1976 Dennis.  I hadn't thought about that.

[McHeath]

Yeah good point, that's why we'd have to get the paint tested eh?  Although, if it dated to the 1976 celebration, that'd be reason to keep the paint as well in my book.  I recall that AT and T made a design line candlestick in the 70's with that stars and stripes motif. 

[bingster]

Definitely not done in WWII.  The local Bell company would have absolutely flipped out if they had seen something like that on one of their phones.  Besides, WWII was well over by 1948.

If it were mine, I wouldn't care when it was done--that mess would have to be fixed. 

[Dan/Panther]

My guess, and It's a thin skinned guess at best. I can't see a close up of the phone, but it appears brush painted, if it were 70's, I'd think spray would be more likely, brush would tend to say earlier.
D/P

[McHeath]

You know that's a good point, it does look brush painted.  Especially the handset. 

[HobieSport]

Of course it could have been brush painted at anytime also...

Definitely not done in WWII.  The local Bell company would have absolutely flipped out if they had seen something like that on one of their phones.  Besides, WWII was well over by 1948.

If it were mine, I wouldn't care when it was done--that mess would have to be fixed. 

Good points, just that the housing itself is zinc.  Anyways, patriotic or not, and whenever it was painted, I agree that it's butt-ugly.

Dan/Panther; You've probably told us before, but how again does one go about removing various paints without ruining the phones?  Probably not something I'd ever want to try, but am curious.  Of course there are so many variables in types of paint and what materials the paint is being removed from.

Here is another interesting (maybe) painted phone.  Factory or home done?
If a home-done job, there may be a nice Galion under there.  If factory done, might it be rather special?

http://tinyurl.com/cem7lq

[McHeath]

Wow, that's a classic case of "Does this paint job make me look fat".  Black is slimming and certainly helps the rather portly Galions.