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#152822 02/22/06 02:17 AM
Joined: Jul 2002
Posts: 8,443
Likes: 3
Trumpy Offline OP
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Image and info submitted by hemingray:

Quote
Found in Cave City, AR, in a well-frequented antique store, an old 2-Way Edison plug adaptor. Made of porcelain with a brass upper shell, the two porcelain rings on top of the brass shell are removable. (adaptor is positioned almost upside-down). Adaptor has a patent date of 3-3-03 (1903), and a 2nd date of 5-17-04 (1904). Has the standard rating of 660W/250V, and on one side, "Western Electric" is stamped into the brass between the two sockets:

[Linked Image]


Thanks Cliff. [Linked Image]

#152823 02/22/06 02:31 AM
Joined: Apr 2005
Posts: 200
H
Member
Almost forgot to include the following:

The adaptor is made by Benjamin.


Cliff
#152824 02/22/06 09:55 AM
Joined: Aug 2001
Posts: 7,520
P
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Quote
on one side, "Western Electric" is stamped into the brass

Hmmm..... So was this made for Ma Bell?

#152825 03/05/06 08:40 PM
Joined: Feb 2003
Posts: 368
M
Member
I am not sure about Western Electric being diversified but I was reading a book on Northern Electric (before they became Nortel) when they were still owned by Bell Canada and they made a number of non telephone products for consumer sale. Home radio's and home organs are two of the products I remember off the top of my head being in the book.

#152826 03/06/06 11:54 AM
Joined: Aug 2001
Posts: 7,520
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I guess I should have thought about that a little more. After all, Western Electric also made a lot of sound equipment for the movie industry, didn't it?

#152827 03/06/06 08:04 PM
Joined: Nov 2002
Posts: 456
C
Member
Yes, I remember reading an article somewhere talking about refurbishing WE theatrical sound equipment for the then infant Home Theater/audiophile movement.

#152828 03/06/06 10:25 PM
Joined: Oct 2004
Posts: 806
Member
Indeed, there is still a good market for the old Western Electric theatre sound equipment, I know of a few folks who'll pay top dollar for the old stuff, sometimes regardless of condition!! Mainly audiophiles, no cinemas seem to want it anymore. Too bad, too. A properly aligned W/E mono system will run circles around most of the garbage in cinemas today. The onl thing that would be lacking with the old stuff is the rumbly bottom end.


Stupid should be painful.
#152829 03/12/06 02:39 AM
Joined: Feb 2003
Posts: 687
A
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I had some family near Omaha that worked at Western Electric until the end of the 80's. They made telephone materials. I want to say something with large cables. When the phone companies broke up they had lay offs.
Here's some interesting history of WE sence the 1872: http://www.bellsystemmemorial.com/westernelectric_history.html

Just read there that Graybar was a spin off of WE electrical supply department.

The main web page looks like they don't have much going on: http://www.westernelectric.com/

Tom

#152830 03/12/06 12:57 PM
Joined: Aug 2001
Posts: 7,520
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The Bell System Memorial site, along with
http://www.telephonetribute.com/

has some great information. Highly recommended, but be warned you'll end up reading them for the rest of the day instead of getting any work done! [Linked Image]

Quote
Just read there that Graybar was a spin off of WE electrical supply department.

I found a couple of files a while ago which are taken from a satellite radio technical talk show of a few years ago, and in one of the telephone-related discussions the subject of Graybar came up.

The old-time switchman said that at one time Graybar was the only source of Western Electric telephone equipment for the independent (non-Bell) companies.

There's actually a lot of interesting nostaligic telephone and radio/TV talk on those links. Go to
http://www.centralofficeonline.com/

and you'll find two separate links about halfway down the page (the Tom & Daryll show).

Make sure you have plenty of time though -- Each clip is about an hour and a half!

#152831 03/13/06 04:29 PM
Joined: Nov 2002
Posts: 174
K
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