Vintage Phones

[dhermann1]

Phonez-vous Francais

My girlfriend's dad is getting rid of stuff (in a big way) and he gave me this. (He also has the WW II Easy Talky phone that he carried around southern France, while fighting the Germans there. See previous post.)
Anyway, he stayed in France for several years after the war (many cool stories there, but another time for that.) This device has a label in the front that says "TPL PICART-LEBAS 40 Rue Nord Louis Blanc 08-35, and along the very edge it says Photal Damien. The labels at the left say OPERA 90-50, OPERA 94-38, and AUTOMATIQUE.
The box on the right has a bunch of connectors, and the middle opens to show little holes in back, maybe for making connections between the connectors on the front. Or something. I imagine it's designed as a phone for within a building, with extensions. So waddaya ya think, gang? Something ya don't see every day, eh?

 

[SamMarlowPI]

My girlfriend's dad is getting rid of stuff (in a big way) and he gave me this. (He also has the WW II Easy Talky phone that he carried around southern France, while fighting the Germans there. See previous post.)
Anyway, he stayed in France for several years after the war (many cool stories there, but another time for that.) This device has a label in the front that says "TPL PICART-LEBAS 40 Rue Nord Louis Blanc 08-35, and along the very edge it says Photal Damien. The labels at the left say OPERA 90-50, OPERA 94-38, and AUTOMATIQUE.
The box on the right has a bunch of connectors, and the middle opens to show little holes in back, maybe for making connections between the connectors on the front. Or something. I imagine it's designed as a phone for within a building, with extensions. So waddaya ya think, gang? Something ya don't see every day, eh?

holy cow thats incredible...

 

[Mr. K.L.Bowers]

Here is the wall phone in my radio room. It works and is used daily.

 

[dhermann1]

Here is the wall phone in my radio room. It works and is used daily.

Do you have a gadget to convert the dial to digital? How does it work?

 

[Mr. K.L.Bowers]

I installed the phone just as I received it. All internal components are original as they are dated 1941. No changes were necessary. Someone who is more telephone savvy could better answer your question.

 

[dhermann1]

I installed the phone just as I received it. All internal components are original as they are dated 1941. No changes were necessary. Someone who is more telephone savvy could better answer your question.

So, do you dial out on it? I assume you could receive calls, but the outgoing bip bip bip has to be turned into tones to work on a modern touch tone line, right? (You can tell how technical I am.) LizzieMaine mentioned something about having a black box on the wall that works as an adapter.
This thread has me just crazed to get an old style phone!
BTW, I also see those Philco ads. 613?

 

[Starius]

Dial tones still work on existing phone lines for dialing numbers. The exception is in offices that have a internal digital phone network system. Also, you can't navigate automated phone systems with them, these situations require touch tones.

But for dialing numbers the rotary phone still works just fine. For the time being, anyways.

 

[Mr. K.L.Bowers]

I can dial out on it. Our phone system accepts touch tone and pulse (dial) phones, at least for now. The only problem I have is when I pick up the phone to dial, all the other phones in the house go dead. Also if someone in the house answers a call and tells me it is for me, as soon as I answer on this phone, theirs will go dead.

One of my friends is a phone nut and tells me there is a website that you can buy phones at ½ the eBay prices. I will try to find it and email you.

The ads all have the 37-116 on them. I have about 30 ads around the room and all except one features the 37-116.

 

[Josephine]

One of my friends is a phone nut and tells me there is a website that you can buy phones at ½ the eBay prices. I will try to find it and email you.

::cough CanIHaveItTooPlease?Thanks cough::

 

[~*Red*~]

Here is the wall phone in my radio room. It works and is used daily.

I'm so envious. That phone is gorgeous. And is that a button lightswitch? My favorites.

 

[Mr. K.L.Bowers]

::cough CanIHaveItTooPlease?Thanks cough::

I'll post it

 

[Josephine]

I'll post it

Thank you! I so want a Western Electric 202, with the ringer box, and my friend picked up an Automatic Electric AE50 Wall phone and they are spiffy, I'd like one of those too... I need to make out a Wish List for Santa.

 

[dhermann1]

37-116

The ads all have the 37-116 on them. I have about 30 ads around the room and all except one features the 37-116.

Doi. That's what I meant. You have one, right? Great radio.

 

[Dominic]

Seeing all your phone pics makes me want to run out and grab me one. I've seen a few in antiquarian shops but they never were in good condition. Maybe I'll be more lucky in my next outing. Who knows?

 

[SamMarlowPI]

I'm so envious. That phone is gorgeous. And is that a button lightswitch? My favorites.

im with you on that one...man...

 

[SamMarlowPI]

the candlestick phones around this town are no less than $150 and thats for one that needs alot of work...one in working condition is like $300 or so at a local shop...jeez...

 

[Mr. K.L.Bowers]

37-116, push button switch

Yes I do have a 37-116. I posted a picture of it in vintage radios I think. It is a great radio. It is the only one of my 37’s that earned a place in our living room. The 37-116 was the flagship of Philco in 37 and 38, even though the 690 was a better radio. The 690 was out of the price range for the average family in 1936, 37 & 38, costing about 2/3 the price of a new Chevrolet. By the way the only ad I have that does not feature the 116 features the 690.

Also that is a push button light switch. I salvaged it from a home that was scheduled for demolition. When I remodeled the room I have my Philco collection in, I thought it belonged there. I also have an office door with a splatter glass panel (a la Spade & Archer), that I found on the sidewalk in the trash. I altered it and used it as a closet door. I like to dumpster dive.

 

[scotrace]

Can you please tell us what model that is?

 

[RetroToday]

Can you please tell us what model that is?

Looks like a Western Electric model 553A, circa 1931.
Funny, some other companies brought out VERY similar phones around that time, but they flipped the dial / mouthpiece arrangement around. Maybe to avoid copyright infringement?

By the way, that's a great phone! Great find.

 

[Mr. K.L.Bowers]

Retro,
That is exactly right. They must have been used up until the mid to late 50's. This one has a date of 41 in it. It had some green paint on it when I first got it, but it was easy to remove. If you are ever watching an early Andy Griffith episode, there is a 553A in his kitchen. Except he had to ring Clara to make a call?