What is the best looking North American rotary wall telephone ever made?

[dsk]

Every month we vote for the find of the month, actually only by feelings, with no strict rules.

I'm not sure if we have to vote here, but at least which telephone looks so nice that you would have it out so all guests could see and admire it.  Not that important how well it works, but that may be the point.

I love the 3 slot payphone, but I have no room or any other place that is natural places  it is natural to have it on display, but the glowing AE starlite wall phone is in the living-room, and works.  I am pretty fascinated of that phone, even when it was relatively new. The WE 354 is a great design. and before that I would probably prefer a wooden telephone with dial, maybe because wooden telephones with dial were never used in Norway, except for Magneto phones modified to rotary just to save money.


dsk

[Haf]

The first phone you get to see in my apartment when entering the front door is my Gray Western 150G. I really love the design of US threeslot payphones (except the chrome ones as you know). Maybe German ones are highly engeneerd and technically state of the art of their times- but if form follows function, the form defenitely lost it's track trying to follow
One I like very much too is the AE 21 wall phone.
And I have to admit, even if modern, the WE 1C series payphones are very stylish too.

But most of my non payphones are desk sets.

Haf

[compubit]

My kitchen has a black AE Space Maker phone in it, all cleaned up and polished. Very apropos for a 1941 townhouse with original wood floors (the kitchen has been redone since then, but is fairly basic in design.

My favorite design-wise is the AE90 - there's something about the design that speaks to me - I appreciate the handset not sticking out from the front of the phone - less chance of getting knocked off...!

Jim

[AE_Collector]

Is the SpaceMaker a 43 (black) or 83 (all colours) or even 183...probably AE 43 for a 1941 house. Could even be a AE 4 or 14 I guess.

I think the 183's SpaceMakers are the COOLEST phones ever!

JMHO of course.

Terry

[Butch Harlow]

I dunno...

[Doug Rose]

AE35 or AE50....Just startling, The Kellogg and SC tombstones are also a very close second....Doug

[Pourme]

AE35 or AE50....Just startling, The Kellogg and SC tombstones are also a very close second....Doug

I was thinking the same thing, Doug...

[poplar1]

Best: AE 50
Worst: AE 90

[Jester]

I've always liked the look of the NE no.2 uni.

[oldguy]

I agree with Jester, I like the NE#2 but I'm also a fan of the AE35 & AE 50 Like Poplar1 & Doug. Should we start a poll?

[rdelius]

SC 1211  ? or the Kellogg 9917

[dsk]

Thank you so far for the suggestions. It is great that we may have so many different ideas, and still are friends. 

I  had to look at some of these, I could not remember them all, the AE 21 wall phone mentioned by Haf is one of them, and that is really beautiful, at least on pictures. Never seen one!


dsk

[WEBellSystemChristian]

That's a pretty tough call for me. I'd have to say, simply out of familiarity, that the 554 is the best looking. The 354 in black is definitely #2 for me.

Am I the only one that doesn't think the AE50 was that great as far as styling? I think it looks cool, but there's a pretty good-sized list ahead of it of wall phones that I think look better.

[jfisher]

I'd have to say the Kellogg 9917 and it"s Stromberg cousin. The AE 35/50 are right there too.

[AE_Collector]

While of course this entire exercise is subjective Christian. WECo products haven't faired very well so far here (this topic) even though in North America they are likely the most collectible brand of Telephone.

Many would see the 554 as a flat slab only particularly appealing if it had chrome hook and was brightly coloured. The majority of us here being older than you and appreciate the Art Deco look of the other phones mentioned so far.

Just my opinion on phones mentioned so far!

Terry