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Help Identifying Mysterious Wooden Wall Telephones

Started by NTC/GPO, May 27, 2017, 04:18:05 PM

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NTC/GPO

Hello All

My first post on this forum!

I live on the other side of the pond in the UK and am an avid collector of all things telephone 1950s and earlier and telegraph (what I like to refer to as antique IT)

My initial reason for joining is to hopefully tap into the extensive knowledge here regards to a real mystery pair of wooden wall telephones I acquired some years ago. I have exhausted finding out anything about them here in the UK and also made some enquiries in Japan, thinking that they may have originated from the Far East – details below will help explain this initial theory.

However, based on where I am now in my investigations I'm now thinking that they may have originated from somewhere in North America USA or Canada due to them having some Western Electric component similarities.

The attached pictures are of the mystery wooden wall telephones.

Some background from when I purchased them:

The original owner was an elderly gentlemen who told that he remembers them being used in his Great Grandfather's house in London – around 1900, between the kitchen and the workshop, so that his Great Grandmother could call him in his workshop from the kitchen. He also mentioned that his Great Grandfather had worked in Singapore in the late 1800s, electrifying some of the first ships of the time, before returning to London.

What I have done so far in trying to identify them:


  • Based on the story of the owners Great Grandfather, I speculated that maybe these telephones had come back with him from Singapore when he returned to London. A couple people I spoke with, stated that the gold anodising of all the metal components and the unusual ebonite front door and part of the case material could have been done in order to protect it from moisture – which could indicate a tropical design telephone or one designed for ships.


  • The second theory is that the telephone was made for an exhibition with the gold anodising designed to show off the inside components while being displayed.


  • The third that it may have been some type of special order made for a wealthy individual.


The other interesting thing is the single red band on the bell receiver which I have been told indicates an LM Ericisson model for 'Export'. I've seen the 2 red band bell receivers, but not the 1 red band examples. The other intriguing thing about this bell reliever is the stamped in letters CJTC, which I cannot find any reference to what this may stand for.

The only indication of case markings on the two telephones were found on the back wood panel stamped with a number 23 in one of the phones and the number 30 in the other phone. No other markings of any kind have been found on the wooden panels.

I'm hoping that someone here may be able to shed some light on where these may originate from and who may have made them.

Thank you in advance for any help and ideas

(Hopefully the attached pictures work OK on my first post)



NTC/GPO

A few more pictures that failed to attach

rdelius

I have a couple of Japanese wooden sets that the parts look WE but not identical but the transmitter is based on Ericssion designs

unbeldi

#3
There was a company called The China and Japan Telephone Company, which was acquired by Hongkong Telephone in the 1920s.

? ? ? ?

By the style of the components, I would say it was made no later than the 1910s.

NTC/GPO

Quote from: unbeldi on May 27, 2017, 05:26:13 PM
There was a company called The China and Japan Telephone Company, which was acquired by Hongkong Telephone in the 1920s.

? ? ? ?

By the style of the components, I would say it was made no later than the 1910s.

Hi unbeldi

Now that is very interesting! (The China & Japan Telephone Company). Could this be the CJTC as shown on the bell receiver???

I remember when researching the possible Far East connection theory some intriguing info about the Oriental Telephone and Electric Company in connection with Singapore. The Oriental Telephone and Electric Company was the predecessor to The China & Japan Telephone Company, which I believe was formed around 1891.

Makes me wonder if The China & Japan Telephone Company was supplying telephones to the Singapore telephone companies at that time? This would certainly tie up very nicely with fact that his GG Grandfather would have been in Singapore around that time and could have brought them back to London.

Many thanks for your help!



NTC/GPO

Quote from: rdelius on May 27, 2017, 04:34:24 PM
I have a couple of Japanese wooden sets that the parts look WE but not identical but the transmitter is based on Ericssion designs

Hi rdelius

Do you happen to have a pics you could post of your Japanese wooden sets? Do they have any CJTC markings on them?

Many thanks

rdelius

they are in storage .no cjtc markings.later vintage but still stearhorn hook and bypoler receivers instead of your longpole.There  was information somewhere about export longpole receivers having 1 or 2 red or orange stripes to indicate export sets,possibly Canada 2 and England 1 as an example.NEC in Japan was an agent for WE in Asia.orders for WE goods could be sent from Japan to surrounding countries