Bell system

[DGersic]

Ok, here’s a weird one for you.



I’ve had this bar stool for ~50 years now. I pulled it off of the curb from a neighbor’s house as a kid, it was in my parent’s basement, then mine again once I got a house and basement to put it in.

It has always had some sharp edges, slotted flat head screws on the bottom that are dinged up and not screwed all the way in. I finally poked myself on it one too many times, decided to fix it. Bought some new phillips head screws.

Taking the screws out, I found that the plywood top is not original. The chair originally had a wicker seat. Remains of the wicker were still there. The old screws were not countersunk, that’s why they were never all the way in.

Then I spotted this.



A Bell System bar stool?

 

[four.cycle]

pay attention at about 1:20

 

[Etchase]

pay attention at about 1:20

Amazing how you found that!

 

[four.cycle]

^ It was the only thing that made sense! What else would "Bell Systems" be doing with a revolving stool with a foot ring?

 

[wafrederick]

The Tool Bandit bought a complete Bell system kit in the case and everything was there complete

 

[DGersic]

pay attention at about 1:20

Wow. That does look a lot like it.

 

[four.cycle]

^ There are a mess of videos on YouTube of early telephone operators - pretty sure that's what you've got there.

 

[319]

Found some more items in my garage:

Two more hammers (I have at least six now)
Screwdrivers are 5" x 1/2" and 3/8" tips.
A small box of jacks, cords, & adapters.
A tool case, appears unused.
Extension cords, 2-1/2' and 12', two of about a dozen or so I have (in various lengths) here and there.

 

[smalltown]

The Tool Bandit bought a complete Bell system kit in the case and everything was there complete

 

[smalltown]

The Tool Bandit bought a complete Bell system kit in the case and everything was there complete

Tool bandit I just saw your post from Feb. at 2:21 that tool marked 553 A is a lamp puller. The lamp in question was a long skinny round with the contacts on the rear. If I can help any more just ask.

 

[smalltown]

The Tool Bandit bought a complete Bell system kit in the case and everything was there complete

Tool bandit I just saw your post from Feb. at 2:21 that tool marked 553 A is a lamp puller. The lamp in question was a long skinny round with the contacts on the rear. If I can help any more just ask.

 

[Miss the Pontiacs]

Added a new phone for what I guess is becoming a collection.

 

[Unk]

Going through my mom and dad's estate. Mom worked for Southwestern Bell for 30 years. I was sorting through Dad's tools and found these two. I asked my wife why do you think they would have tweezers, and she said "To pick out the splinters from climbing the poles." Duh!

 

[RTM]

. I asked my wife why do you think they would have tweezers, and she said "To pick out the splinters from climbing the poles." Duh!

Geez, I have a pair that look like that. Never thought to look for a maker mark on them.

 

[Outlawmws]

I asked my wife why do you think they would have tweezers, and she said "To pick out the splinters from climbing the poles." Duh!

Tweezers are very handy for small electronics and fine wires. too.

Geez, I have a pair that look like that. Never thought to look for a maker mark on them.

Owners marks actually, but yeah.

 

[Miss the Pontiacs]

Don’t believe I have ever shown these sets. The colourful ones were known as StyleLine phones. Not a great phone due to the ringers but were adequate as a bedroom set.
The other has a bit of a history. It was actually from my high school, I did quite a bit of work for different School Divisions once I was retired but did the majority in this school division which after a few amalgamations was pretty large in its footprint. I did all their data wiring work once they were good with the quality control.
The wall phone was likely installed when they did a major enlargement and upgrade probably in the early to mid 80’s. I’ve likely had this set since well before Covid.
Since I have them out I’ll probably get them cleaned up and mounted in the near future.

 

[DGersic]

 

[Miss the Pontiacs]

Mounted 2 more crank phones. All pictured are Northern Telecom except for the second one in from the right. That one is a Stromberg. That one was supposed to be traded for a coin phone but that was a couple of years ago so I guess not happening.
I never really realized that I was in collecting mode. Still have a few bakelites to hang and looks like I have room for one more crank. Found a few handsets as well tucked away. Now what I need to find is a TX horn for the one crank phone.

 

[Unk]

Mounted 2 more crank phones. All pictured are Northern Telecom except for the second one in from the right. That one is a Stromberg. That one was supposed to be traded for a coin phone but that was a couple of years ago so I guess not happening.
I never really realized that I was in collecting mode. Still have a few bakelites to hang and looks like I have room for one more crank. Found a few handsets as well tucked away. Now what I need to find is a TX horn for the one crank phone.

I think you found your calling. (pun intended)

 

[Miss the Pontiacs]

Online auction has struck again. I’ve never seen one of these in the wild. Limited numbers and before my time.
A Western Electric Candlestick phone and a Northern Electric Bell Box.
The designation Saskatchewan Government Telephones was in place from 1947-1969. My guess this set would be likely on the lower end of that spread. I’ve have a number of phones that were from the early 50s and have never seen the Bell Box label before. The outer phone case of the 50s were made from Bakelite. But that you probably already know.

 

[smalltown]

I think candlestick phones are the best! Wish I had one.

 

[Debcrow]

Triplett

 

[Miss the Pontiacs]

Dug out the rest of my wall phones, at least I believe so. Little dusty as they have been sitting for a long long time.

I really didn’t realize how many I had accumulated.
Hung up a few more slightly newer wall phones that just have a way of accumulating. The ivory rotary phone, fourth of the left used to be our cabin phone. 36 years ago I hung this on the wall at the lake. The only reason I knew this as it had 1990 stamped on the back. An ivory rotary dial 554 wall phone was known as a 1FRVA on your equipment list and was part of the monthly rental/subscription included dial tone and repairs, including the set itself. Years later that changed and repairs only as far as the demarc.

 

[Miss the Pontiacs]

. I found another wall phone it has been in my garage wedged on top of one of the wood crank party line sets. My buddy gave me this a number of years ago. I thought it was a desk phone and never even opened the box. Actually is a Ditto Plus phone of some collectibility. The set was from the Canada Games in 1989. They made 700 of these sets for the occasion and this is #6.

 

[Miss the Pontiacs]

Just remembered this set I was cleaning up today. I took for granted in was an Automatic Electric (tombstone) as I refer to them as. Turns out it was a Monophone made by Phillips Electric in Canada. I recently seen a set on an online auction that referred to a Monophone set. I wondered where they came from and who actually manufactured that set. Today I cracked open and found I was already an owner of a couple.
The guts were of a better quality than the AE but may have been an older set before they realized they could save a buck or two on the innards. Not a great pic but the handset even had nice chrome bands. Never seen that before.

 

[WisJim]

My first Bell System braces and push drill. Found them this morning at a local garage sale.

 

[Private Lugnutz]

My first Bell System braces and push drill.

Congrats!

Found them this morning at a local garage sale.

Always a great feeling in the wild.

 

[RTM]

My first Bell System braces and push drill. Found them this morning at a local garage sale.

Wow, with your 400ish braces, not a single Bell? I am amazed.

Welcome to the party.

 

[WisJim]

Always a great feeling in the wild.

And only $10 total for all 3 pieces.

 

[Miss the Pontiacs]

Mounted what I believe is the last 8 Bakelite sets in my possession. I still have some old desk phones but I’ll need some shelving.

 

[jeffmoss26]

Got these today

 

[NYBODYMAN]

Got these today

I have a pair of these (Klein I believe) that were my father's. He used them daily at NY Telephone/NYNEX/Bell Atlantic/Verizon and then handed them off to me in 1998 for my almost daily use in the body shop. I used them yesterday and they are still sharp as hell.

 

[jeffmoss26]

These are Utica but I have many Klein and Crescent.

 

[NYBODYMAN]

I

These are Utica but I have many Klein and Crescent.

I just checked and they're Crescent

 

[GarageHobbyist]

Here are a few non-tool Bell things I’ve come across.
First, an Illinois Bell 1949 pocket calendar


Some matchbook covers.
The pink and yellow are salesman samples/proofs and never had matches in them. They did make it into production because I have a few full ones. Third is a Pacific Telephone cover


Here are some Illinois specific ones, and the second photo is the inside of the covers, Bell center is blank inside, the two blue covers are the same inside.

 

[Private Lugnutz]

^ Nice ephemera!

 

[GarageHobbyist]

^ Nice ephemera!

Thanks, I'm not sure if I ever shared anything here, but I ended up with thousands of matchbooks and covers, There are some pretty neat ones for some other tool/supply houses as well.

 

[INSP380]

Saw this one fairly local to me, I may have to go save it this weekend…

 

[Outlawmws]

But... What's in the box... [/Brad Pitt, crying tone]