Rotary Telephone

Stromberg Carlson 1543 Wall Telephone

clickfo

This was an addition in 2018 from someone on the Telephone Collector’s International Facebook group who offered to sell these as-is sets.

It has not worked yet. It’s the most vintage of all my vintage telephones. As of this writing, I tried to get it to work this past weekend, but still to no avail. The earpiece (the receiver) was easy to unscrew and open, but the mouthpiece (the “transmitter”) is still sealed shut.

It’s so vintage, that the handset cable is not coiled.

It was likely made in the middle of the 20th Century.

S.C. made some interesting industrial designs; meaning that this wall set was actually designed to be desk mounted, but with a couple of do-hickeys, flip the dial over, and the set could be hung on a wall.

Their approach to wiring was radically different to Western. The “network” didn’t use confusing letters. The same screws used to hold the shell, was used to hold the spade, a soft, rounded flat-head screw.

https://www.instagram.com/p/B1ENNKkAGul/

In fact this set had some hidden documentation literally inside the set, which on an August 2019 weekend, more than a year after I acquired the set came to my surprise.

This isn’t the only S.C. telephone in my possession.  There is another one too.  You’ll have to wait and see for that one.

#

 

POTD: Western Model 500 Rotary Telephone

clickfoLeave a comment

a picture of a Western Electric 500 Rotary set

Today, out of nostalgia, here is a recently acquired Model 500 telephone taken this past month but acquired in April 2016.

In the fall of 2017, Hurricane Maria made her strong presence leveling out Puerto Rico. My hairdressers parents moved from New Hampshire to Georgia to then move from the state to a territory just about a year before. While their home wasn’t totaled like what was seen in the media, reaching out back to the mainland was difficult, as cellular service was completely knocked off.

Since I had many, and it was asked by her parents for an “old rotary” set, I had some extras. However, I had a few that were actually not working.   After constant swapping, and being a bit slow, I wasn’t able to sell it to her at a discount. So this stayed in the collection.

I ruled out the “network” on the other black colored 500 set, was the culprit. I discuss it here, and a Facebook Live from last fall as well.

I have been talking to long lost family on my paternal side for the first time in literally ever in my life. One of the members I had video chatted on Messenger, remembered this type of set; and her children (or my blood cousins) are not old enough to remember or even understand this antiquated technology. Of course as you know my household from 1987 (remember the world begins when you’re born right? ;)) to 1996, my maternal grandmother’s house (where I also lived till 2010 ) had a green colored wall mount Model 554 which was my first exposure to the technology.

Hence why this site has been running for the most part since 2012. 🙂

Hey SEOs! We're seeking non pricky engineers/professional information services professionals, non technical people, AND girl power! females from 18 to 35 too!