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Can anyone ID this Phone?

Started by FABphones, November 28, 2019, 04:49:41 PM

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FABphones

I can see this phone is a bit of a melange. WE dial.
It's a style not totally unfamiliar to me, but I'd like to know more.
- Is this one you can help with Jack?

I've checked it out here (les debuts):
http://alain.levasseur.pagesperso-orange.fr
A collector of  'Monochrome Phones with Sepia Tones'   ...and a Duck!
***********
Vintage Phones - 10% man made, 90% Tribble
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countryman

With it's curved handset, it resembles Matilo's BTMC 2652. The cradle mount and dial are different, though...

FABphones

#2
Another variation?

Unusual dial - text below from Alain's site, link above.
Translated from French:

'Subsequently appeared a surprising dial.
In this model manufactured especially for France by Western Electric, the crown bearing the numbers and letters is integral with the perforated disc.
Note that the first dials did not have letters. These appeared in 1927 to the automation of Paris'

A collector of  'Monochrome Phones with Sepia Tones'   ...and a Duck!
***********
Vintage Phones - 10% man made, 90% Tribble
*************

FABphones

This is like Buses - don't see one for ages then three come along at once.

I would say this one has the wrong handset. The height of the cradle allows clearance for the long 'horn' style mouthpiece.
A collector of  'Monochrome Phones with Sepia Tones'   ...and a Duck!
***********
Vintage Phones - 10% man made, 90% Tribble
*************

twocvbloke

That third one also seems to have a connector (I assume) for something on the front too, wonder what that would be used for?

Jack Ryan

Quote from: FABphones on November 28, 2019, 04:49:41 PM
I can see this phone is a bit of a melange. WE dial.
It's a style not totally unfamiliar to me, but I'd like to know more.
- Is this one you can help with Jack?

I think it was made by Elektrisk Bureau in the period they made Western Electric telephones.

The dial doesn't belong - it is a US WE dial so the phone has probably been refurbished for the decorator market.

Jack

Jack Ryan

Quote from: FABphones on November 28, 2019, 05:52:58 PM
Another variation?

Unusual dial - text below from Alain's site, link above.
Translated from French:

'Subsequently appeared a surprising dial.
In this model manufactured especially for France by Western Electric, the crown bearing the numbers and letters is integral with the perforated disc.
Note that the first dials did not have letters. These appeared in 1927 to the automation of Paris'

Looks like a brassed out common WE 7000 series dial to me.

The handset belongs on an ATEA set in Belgium.

Jack

Jack Ryan

Quote from: FABphones on November 28, 2019, 05:56:06 PM
This is like Buses - don't see one for ages then three come along at once.

I would say this one has the wrong handset. The height of the cradle allows clearance for the long 'horn' style mouthpiece.

Yes, wrong handset.

This one is a multi line set of some sort. The thing at the front is an indicator that shows if a line is busy.

Jack

FABphones

#8
Thanks for the link countryman.

Quote from: Jack Ryan on November 28, 2019, 11:13:23 PM
Looks like a brassed out common WE 7000 series dial to me.

The handset belongs on an ATEA set in Belgium.

Jack

Thanks for the info.

Helps a lot to have a model number -  found the 7000 series info on TCI. This is the same dial countryman found:
http://www.classicrotaryphones.com/forum/index.php?topic=22739

...but this one has it's dialcard retainer intact.

These were manufactured for France by Western Electric. A nice unusual dial, dates from 1914, in use in the 20's. Not rare exactly - but common?

ETA: Am thinking a better handset would be more in line with that on image one? But not with that Cradle? This version also for the decorator market?
A collector of  'Monochrome Phones with Sepia Tones'   ...and a Duck!
***********
Vintage Phones - 10% man made, 90% Tribble
*************

Jack Ryan

Quote from: FABphones on November 29, 2019, 03:01:44 AM
...but this one has it's dialcard retainer intact.

The early ones had the retainer held with machine screws. The later ones had a clip-on retainer and it always seemed to clip-off - they are often found without the retainer.

Quote
These were manufactured for France by Western Electric.

They were manufactured by Western Electric and used by the French. Many others used them as well.

Quote
A nice unusual dial, dates from 1914, in use in the 20's. Not rare exactly - but common?

Used in the UK in 1914 - the first fully auto Rotary exchanges. On the original dials, the dial pulses were not compatible with Strowger exchanges and the number plate turned with the finger wheel. WE wanted to use reverse numbers as well but the GPO said no.

The 7000 series dial lasted a long time and later ones looked "normal".

Jack

tubaman

Looks like there are quite a few variations of these, as here are two that I have:
The one on the left is British. The 'W31' I believe indicates it came from the London STC Factory, which was previously Western Electric.
The one on the right has an Elektrisk Bureau dial and the handset is marked Western Electric.
:)


dsk

#11
In Norway these were used, first made by and branded Western Electric, then Standard = BTMC and at last a copy made by elekrisk bureau.  Stamps/labels on the bottom plate, and markings on the screw terminals may help ID-ing.  The dial may not be original, but it looks like one made in Antwerp, or later by Standard in Norway. The shape of the fork make me believe it is made by Elektrisk Bureau in Oslo. look at these 2 threads:
http://www.classicrotaryphones.com/forum/index.php?topic=8891.0
http://www.classicrotaryphones.com/forum/index.php?topic=14991.0

dsk

Jack Ryan

Quote from: dsk on November 30, 2019, 11:49:21 AM
In Norway these were used, first made by and branded Western Electric, then Standard = BTMC

I think those were the same telephones made by BTMC - just the owner changed. There were some made during and immediately after WW1 in the US - were these used in Norway?

Quote
The dial may not be original, but it looks like one made in Antwerp, or later by Standard in Norway.

The dial is definitely not original - it is a US WE dial No 4 or later - probably later.

Quote
The shape of the fork make me believe it is made by Elektrisk Bureau in Oslo.

I agree Dsk.

Jack

dsk

Quote from: Jack Ryan on November 30, 2019, 09:35:04 PM
I think those were the same telephones made by BTMC - just the owner changed. There were some made during and immediately after WW1 in the US - were these used in Norway?
Yes, they did, and I have one with Western Electric molded in the handset rubber part.
Quote from: Jack Ryan on November 30, 2019, 09:35:04 PM

The dial is definitely not original - it is a US WE dial No 4 or later - probably later.
The position of the finger stop does exclude the European dials, so yes!


dsk

Jack Ryan

Quote from: dsk on December 01, 2019, 01:13:32 AM
Yes, they did, and I have one with Western Electric molded in the handset rubber part.

Thanks for that Dsk.

Regards
Jack