| Help needed to identify a Mahogany fiddleback wall phone.
Does anyone have a phone like this one (pictures on the picture place). The following is a description of the phone and what information I have found.
I have a unique common battery mahogany fiddle-back wall telephone. I first thought the phone was an Ericsson, but when I did some research in “Knappen’s” price guide page 37 C and in his first book on page 94; Ron identifies the phone as a Western Electric.
The phone is 18 ¼” tall and 8 ¾” wide at the widest part and 6 ½” wide at the top of the backboard. The backboard has small feet at each corner to raise the phone off the wall. The phone line enters the phone from the right side of the bottom box or a hole in the back board. There are small metal straps on the rear, one on the top and the other on the bottom, I assume the line wire ran through one of them.
The parts look to me to be Ericsson. I have seen the switch hook one other Ericsson telephones. The transmitter is marked:
20
_____ No 1
4001
The ringer is marked:
W-13
______ No 1A
234
4005 A 1000
There are stamps in the wood above the wire terminals:
L1 R E TR L2
The receiver has a brass shell with a bakelite cap which I think is Erricson.
There is an instruction card above the writing shelf written in Turkish. I got on line to roughly translate it to:
ISTANBUL TELEPHONE MANAGEMENT/COMPANY
Telephone Number 36.23
1. To call the center, hold the handset to your ear and wait for the operator to respond.
2. Please tell the operator the subscriber’s number in the order.
3. Hold the muzzle of the instrument very close to your mouth when you speak.
4. Never move the handset hook up or down while speaking.
5. Replace the handset after you have finished speaking, as you cannot be called if handset is not found.
6. For each type of complaint please inform 01---E
7. In case of any malfunction please inform 05---E
I understand that Western Electric used different standards when selling in the international telephone market; I assume Ericsson was one of its major competitors. Does anyone know if Western Electric make similar phones to this phone with Western Electric parts? Because this phone has so many parts that are Ericsson; I assume this phone is an Ericsson, or is there something I am missing. I have always been impressed with the amount of great information about early telephones Ron has provided me over the years. I assume there is a Western Electric version of my fiddle-back wall phone.
Does anyone have a Western Electric version of this phone? I would appreciate knowing the differences of the Western Electric version to this fiddleback.
Thanks for any assistance
Lynn Graves |
