Is It Aqua or Is It Turquoise??

[Fabius]

Some More.

[jsowers]

Turquoise in the middle flanked by aqua blue on each side.
 
I've noticed red and ivory missing from other color chip brochures from the 1960s. That's what led me to assuming different Bells offered different colors at different times. As popular as red was in the 1950s, it's puzzling to see it downplayed in the 1960s--the era of the Bat Phone.

[unbeldi]

Notice that neither red nor ivory are listed.

That is correct.  BSP 500-120-100 Issue 5 65-10  does not show ivory and red as an available color.

[Slal]

Thanks for link to dials.  Bookmarked & appears GTE doc. in error.  Just goes to show, maybe doc's aren't always the last word. ; )

Photo with Turquoise in middle will be helpful.  Really stands out with aqua on both sides.

Thanks for posting scan of ad.  Phones only part of hobby for me.  Documents just as interesting.

So at risk of going off topic a little-- what to make of 500-120-100 Issue 5 April 1965 AT&TCo?  Also perhaps not definitive? (Thanks for citing it btw.)

Assume ivory & red *were* in production by WECo.  Experienced collectors have (or have seen) phones from time period in question?
 
thx

--Bruce 

[unbeldi]

Thanks for link to dials.  Bookmarked & appears GTE doc. in error.  Just goes to show, maybe doc's aren't always the last word. ; )

Photo with Turquoise in middle will be helpful.  Really stands out with aqua on both sides.

Thanks for posting scan of ad.  Phones only part of hobby for me.  Documents just as interesting.

So at risk of going off topic a little-- what to make of 500-120-100 Issue 5 April 1965 AT&TCo?  Also perhaps not definitive? (Thanks for citing it btw.)

Assume ivory & red *were* in production by WECo.  Experienced collectors have (or have seen) phones from time period in question?
 
thx

--Bruce

I would not take a non-Bell publication as definitive for what was manufactured at WECo. That dial section got several dates wrong.

The BSP sections are more reliable about WECo practices, but IMHO, nobody should take anything printed centrally in NY or NJ as 100% definitive for what an operating company did somewhere else. Many companies issues their own addenda to the BSPs, changing operating procedures.  As for the promoted colors, there was nothing in the way for an operating company to promote these color locally, after all they were available for order from WECo.

The ultimate reference is not a BSP, but the WECo Card Catalog that contained all parts made.
BSP do contain errors, no doubt.

As far as ivory and red sets is concerned, this was a short lived exception. We have indication from collector sampling that certain years appear missing for certain products. Unfortunately, the collector clubs have been rather negligent in promoting documentation and cataloging, until perhaps recently, and this forum contains one of the best references for dating WECo parts.
 

[Slal]

The ultimate reference is not a BSP, but the WECo Card Catalog that contained all parts made.
BSP do contain errors, no doubt.

Haven't heard of WECo Card Catalog before.  Several questions but won't post off topic too many times.  (Try to find on own.)   

Thanks everyone, for being patient with this little digression.

Back to regular 'turquoise / aqua' programming.  ; )

--Bruce

[compubit]

After a short break, just received a turquoise Princess phone today in the mail and can now see the distinctive difference between Aqua Blue and Turquoise. (and the picture doesn't do the vibrancy of the colors justice...)

Jim

[WEBellSystemChristian]

Wow, I've never seen a turquoise or an aqua quite as vibrant as those two!

[unbeldi]

After a short break, just received a turquoise Princess phone today in the mail and can now see the distinctive difference between Aqua Blue and Turquoise. (and the picture doesn't do the vibrancy of the colors justice...)

Jim

Indeed when you have seen the two together without discoloration you'll be able to identify them always.
Your picture has a bit of a red color bias in it, making it somewhat dull.  Here is a correction:

PS:  uploading the image to the forum appears to introduce a contrast enhancement. Not sure what's up with that.  Probably something about the image resizer used in SMF.

[WEBellSystemChristian]

I've strayed away from finding a WE turquoise phone, because there's such a high chance of getting a faded aqua.

[compubit]

After a short break, just received a turquoise Princess phone today in the mail and can now see the distinctive difference between Aqua Blue and Turquoise. (and the picture doesn't do the vibrancy of the colors justice...)

Jim

Indeed when you have seen the two together without discoloration you'll be able to identify them always.
Your picture has a bit of a red color bias in it, making it somewhat dull.  Here is a correction:

PS:  uploading the image to the forum appears to introduce a contrast enhancement. Not sure what's up with that.  Probably something about the image resizer used in SMF.

Thanks for the correction - close to what I see with my eyes (though the Aqua blue is not quite as dark as the picture). I took it with the iPad to get it uploaded to the site.  I guess I need to dust off the Nikon for my pics!  Also the lighting has some impact - the halogen light adds a bit of yellow to the Aqua Blue, but in normal lighting, it's much more distinct.

The Aqua Blue is Oct 66 (Birthday Phone) and the Turquoise is a 68 base with 69 handset.

Jim

[dlvh]

Another old thread being revived here,

I just wanted to know, is this Dial Plate called "Seafoam" in an Ebay add, really 'Turquoise', just called the wrong name/color by the seller? I'm presuming so, but just wanted another experts opinion.

[paul-f]

Another old thread being revived here,

I just wanted to know, is this Dial Plate called "Seafoam" in an Ebay add, really 'Turquoise', just called the wrong name/color by the seller? I'm presuming so, but just wanted another experts opinion.

Most of this topic has focused on the two Western Electric colors -- aqua and turquoise.

Other makers also had 500-style sets in color, most notably Kellogg and Stromberg Carlson.  Kellogg had a color called "Sea Green," which is greener than WE's turquoise.

    http://www.paul-f.com/color.htm#Kellogg

Of course, ebay descriptions do not always use the color codes and descriptions we would like. As has been noted, colors fade and lighting on photographs can distort the color we see on-line.

Finding a true WE turquoise set continues to be an interesting challenge!

[dlvh]

Most of this topic has focused on the two Western Electric colors -- aqua and turquoise.

Other makers also had 500-style sets in color, most notably Kellogg and Stromberg Carlson.  Kellogg had a color called "Sea Green," which is greener than WE's turquoise.

    http://www.paul-f.com/color.htm#Kellogg

Of course, ebay descriptions do not always use the color codes and descriptions we would like. As has been noted, colors fade and lighting on photographs can distort the color we see on-line.

Finding a true WE turquoise set continues to be an interesting challenge!

Thanks Paul,

I don't even own a phone in either of these colors yet...still looking for a good Aqua, or Turquoise, I just happen to notice the auction stated "Seafoam" and didn't recall a color with that name, seeings I'm pretty new to Phone Collecting, so it was kind of intriguing to see a WE 500 Dial Plate with that name attached.

Here is a picture of the back of the Dial Plate. It looks like what you'd find on a WE 500 model.