California antique store finds

[Russ Kirk]

On a recent round trip from Southern California to Northern California we stopped by some antique stores and I found some new items for my collection.

An aluminum Bell System logo, most likely from a Pacific Telephone building.  It is 17 ½" across. Only $45.  I will clean up the metal and repaint the wood board blue.  Do you think I should leave the metal bare or paint it black?  I cannot remember, does anyone know if these originally had any paint or were always bare aluminum?

Dating from May 1961, an HEEMAF Type 1955 set from Holland.  It's in pretty good shape.  I think I will just give it a good cleaning and light polish and it should be ready to go.  I really like the cool and sleek shape. Only $35.

A pink WE 554 -59.  Internals dates vary from 1-60 to 3-66, plastics mostly from 1969.  Don't ask I know I paid too much,  but I don't run across these colored 554s in good shape very often and I wanted a pink 554 in my collection.

A black WE 500 C/D.  Most dates from 3-56; the housing is dated 2-18-54. In nice condition and I got it for only $32.

A black WE 501 C/D.  Almost all the dates are 3-53,  except the bell is 3-55 and the transmitter element is 9-52. Even the 25' mounting cord and the straight handset cord are dates 53.  This party line set has the tube inside. $36. 

I am quite excited about finding this 501 set,  it is my oldest 500 series set. 

Russ...

[Jim Stettler]

Some ('69) bell emblems were painted. Yours is older than '69.
I would leave it bare.


I used to have a Brass one.
Jim

[Adam]

Nice haul!

I regularly check out my local San Fernando Valley antique stores and never find anything...

[Russ Kirk]

Dave,

My '56  set came from a large antique mall in Saugus (near Magic Mountain), not far from you. They did have a '55 500 set,  but it was very rusty in base, varied dates with missing and broken parts and in my opinion overpriced at $75 for its tired condition.  I guess I'm getting cheaper as I get older.    

The rest of my sets came from Clovis near Fresno, CA.  We have found that once one gets away from metropolitan areas the prices get cheaper (i.e closer to reality) and the selection opens up.    

[Greg G.]

I have a Heemaf too, from 61.  Used to be in room 319 of some hotel.  I call it the "Darth Vader" phone because that's what it reminds me of.

[GG]

Or extension 319 on an office or factory PBX. 

If you ever score a Dutch Ericsson or Dutch Standard Electric, you'll notice that the arrangements of the internals, particularly the rear terminal strip and wire color code, are the same as on that HEEMAF.   Since HEEMAF is an entirely Dutch brand and Ericsson & Standard are international brands, my guess has been that HEEMAF originated the internal design & wire color codes, and the Dutch PTT made Ericsson & Standard conform to HEEMAF. 

Personally I prefer the Dutch PTT's specifications over Ericsson's & Standard's own original specs for their respective types of phones.  For all Dutch phones of that era, you can change out line cords, handset cords, handsets, and dials, without even having to look at the schematic: just go by the wire colors on the terminals.

[Sargeguy]

I would keep the logo aluminum and find something else to mount it on other than what it's on now, like a piece of finished plywood.  That looks like the old packing crate rather than part of a sign.  The wood is low grade and it has that knocked together quality.  You may be better off keeping the crate "as is" so if you ever sell the logo you'll have the original packaging.

[teka-bb]

If you ever score a Dutch Ericsson or Dutch Standard Electric, you'll notice that the arrangements of the internals, particularly the rear terminal strip and wire color code, are the same as on that HEEMAF.   Since HEEMAF is an entirely Dutch brand and Ericsson & Standard are international brands, my guess has been that HEEMAF originated the internal design & wire color codes, and the Dutch PTT made Ericsson & Standard conform to HEEMAF. 

Sorry for the late reply:

The standard originated from Dutch PTT and was first used in the Ericsson model which is called a Type 1951. The Standard is called a Type 1954 and the HEEMAF is a Type 1955.

[GG]

Hi Remco-

Excellent!  Thanks for that information.  I've been wondering what the heck the type numbers were for those for well over 30 years now. 

Following from the Ericsson nomenclature "6-DLG" for their Dialog set, I used to refer to the Dutch PTT Ericsson as "Dutch Ericsson #4," and the other two as just "Dutch Standard" and "Dutch Philips" since it appeared to me (back then) that HEEMAF was an abbreviation (for a Philips subsidiary) and the proliferation of Philips transmitters & receivers in these (the ones with the translucent lavender plastic under the holes) was more indicative of the origin. 

But in fact PTT had made it easy for us all along, by using what I can only assume were the years in which each of these was first manufactured for the PTT (or they weren't related to the years, and I've just made a fool of myself again by assuming things:-). 

Question is, did HEEMAF phones ever go international?  The Standard and Ericsson designs were used in other countries with different internal configurations, but I've never seen a HEEMAF that wasn't originally Dutch.  IMHO the PTT versions of Standard and Ericsson were superior to those companies' global models, if nothing else due to the ease of replacing parts by following the wiring color code on the terminal strips, all of which were the same. 

[teka-bb]

Hello GG,

HEEMAF (Hengelosche Electrische en Mechanische Apparaten Fabriek) was a private company that produced telephones for Dutch PTT. They started making phones in 1931 when Dutch PTT reaches an agreement with HEEMAF to manufacture desk telephones under a Siemens license: Type 1931 This is the same model as the German W28.
HEEMAF stopped producing telephones in 1977. The last model they made was the T65.
HEEMAF also produced telephones for other companies like Philips. That's why there are Type 1955 phones that have the Philips logo on the plungers instead of the HEEMAF logo.
HEEMAF may have exported telephones but I haven't been able to find any information about that.

Dutch PTT exported large numbers of Type 1951, 1954 and 1955 table telephones to the US after they were taken out of service in the late 70s early 80s. They usually have a sticker 'made in Holland' on the bottom and I think they were sold by US mailorder companies and / or Radio Shack stores.

[GG]

Hi Remco-

Yes, the ones with the Made In Holland stickers.  Those were sold by Radio Snack in the years approx. 1971 - 1980, but then the supply presumably dried up and they disappeared.  I never saw them for sale via any other outlet.  When I was in highschool these were inexpensive & easily modified in numerous ways e.g. using the white button to latch a hold relay. 

Too bad your removed-from-service T65s haven't ended up making their way to some mass international retailer...

-GG

[Doug Rose]

Russ....what did you end up doing to the Bell Sign? It is a very cool piece.....Doug

[Russ Kirk]

Russ....what did you end up doing to the Bell Sign? It is a very cool piece.....Doug

Doug,  right now it is on the wall in the garage. I have not had much time lately - from work, home projects and recent death in the family - I've been booked solid.  I know I will get to it this winter,  it will make a good garage project when things calm down.

Thanks for asking.

Russ

[Doug Rose]

Russ....what did you end up doing to the Bell Sign? It is a very cool piece.....Doug

Doug,  right now it is on the wall in the garage. I have not had much time lately - from work, home projects and recent death in the family - I've been booked solid.  I know I will get to it this winter,  it will make a good garage project when things calm down.

Thanks for asking.

Russ

it is really different...Doug