Old 'candlestick' telephone

[V-S-F-H-L]

Hello all. I am new to this forum, so let me explain. I have inherited an old telephone and would like to know more about it, and how I should clean it up. I am not electronically minded and have been given a link to your forum by a good friend who is a vintage radio enthusiast. I would not dream of trying to 're-commission' it!
If I have managed to attach some pictures you will see that it does not have a dial, but just a clear plastic disc behind which one's own number would be written, so my guess is that it may be a fairly early model. On the base is embossed an indistinct reference which may (or may not) be 'PO391'.
My father was an auction addict; why he acquired it I do not know, but I remember it being in his shed when I was a teenager (I am now 70) and this would be when it rusted. Any information would be very welcome.

Thanks.

[PJL]

Looks like a model 150 without dial and looks to be original. On the swivel bracket that holds the microphone (transmitter) you should see some numbers and letters on either side. That will tell us the model, date and manufacturer (of that part as they did get repaired/refurbished by the GPO so the individual components did get mixed up).

It's not much use without a dial and strictly needs a Bellset to go with it although this can be worked around.

[Pellseinydd]

You'll find the GPO Model number of the telephone, the manufacturer's code letters and year of manufacture stamped on either side of the microphone mounting on top of the column. It is fitted with a 'Transmitter No 22' which will have been fitted after 1929. It is probably a Tele 150 i.e. '150' on the column. But many Tele 150's were converted from No 2's and hence may have '150' plus a '2' stamped out.

[V-S-F-H-L]

Thanks guys. Sorry for the delay, but the forum had to 'vet' me (understandably). The only mark I can see on the microphone cradle is a letter 'F' stamped upside down (see photo).
In the light of your comments I have looked again at the stamp on the sheet steel base, which could be 'PO 391' (see 2nd photo). It has been roughly painted, making it difficult to read, and I am tempted to try to remove this. The number does not look like '200' though.
Since the microphone is brown Bakelite whilst the speaker is black it does seem that it is not as it left the factory, and a refurb by the PO may well be the answer
Thanks again.

[keithinuk]

If it has it, see if it has a number here, it this:

brown Bakelite
I don't think its Bakelite, I think its an older version, like rubber, which turns brown from age.
Like my one, it has a stamp crossed out and new model stamped on when it got refurbished.

Sorry about the dust.

[dagskarlsen]

If it is rubber, it will have a smell after holding a warm hand on it for a minute or two.

dsk

[AC/HL]

It appears to be Ebonite (vulcanised rubber): https://www.vintage-radio.net/forum/...ad.php?t=98996

[Pellseinydd]

Originally Posted by V-S-F-H-L

The only mark I can see on the microphone cradle is a letter 'F' stamped upside down (see photo).
In the light of your comments I have looked again at the stamp on the sheet steel base, which could be 'PO 391' (see 2nd photo). It has been roughly painted, making it difficult to read, and I am tempted to try to remove this. The number does not look like '200' though.
Since the microphone is brown Bakelite whilst the speaker is black it does seem that it is not as it left the factory, and a refurb by the PO may well be the answer

I think you are getting the microphone and receiver (speaker) confused. The 'microphone' (usually reference to as the 'transmitter') is the black Bakelite unit with 'No 22' on the rear. The 'Bell Receiver' is the part which hangs on the 'Switchhook F' which is marked with an 'F'. They originally had a thin jet back ebonite coating which turns brown with age. Check the location at the top of the column behind the transmitter as shown in the photograph in the other posting of a similar telephone for the stamped numbers/letters. They will identify the model number date and manufacturer of the telephone if it is a former GPO one.

[V-S-F-H-L]

Firstly, apologies for mixing up microphone and receiver. Secondly, it may (or may not) be relevant that I am from Hull, which I believe is the only area still to have its own telephone system. No doubt the Hull Corporation Telephone Department (now Kingston Communications) would source its customer's phones from the same manufacturers as the Post Office, but I guess they may possibly have had different markings.

Thanks to keithinuk for pointing me to the marking on the stem top behind the microphone. Mine was so covered in crud I was not aware it was there, but it some fine wire wool has revealed that it is 'E26', with a line under, then below that '235'. It does seem that the speaker is Ebonite (thanks for the link, AC/HL) and those earlier postings explain the strange channel in that speaker.

Finally, I must stress that I have no intention of trying to bring the phone back into use, but if it could be satisfactorily cleaned up it might make an interesting ornament.

I must stress that I have no intention of trying to bring the phone back into use

Aw, go on and make it work! These 'phones had a separate 'bell box' containing most of the gubbins, it would be quite easy to tap into a modern 'phone, Argos do quite good ones for less than a fiver.

[cheerfulcharlie]

John Steed had a mobile version in his car

[BigClick]

Originally Posted by V-S-F-H-L

Finally, I must stress that I have no intention of trying to bring the phone back into use, but if it could be satisfactorily cleaned up it might make an interesting ornament.

It was quite popular for the elderly subs app&line techies to make bedside lamps out of non-auto candlestick teles

[Pellseinydd]

Originally Posted by cheerfulcharlie

John Steed had a mobile version in his car

I ad a working dashmounted Tele 121 in my car back in the early 1990's - I was then associated with a preserved railway that adopted the '1920's look' so I went the whole hog by using an early Tellular 'premicell' to connect to Vodafone ! I was told it would never work but I proved them wrong! Never got stopped for using the phone when driving - you needed too many hands and it was too far away to reach anyway.

[ianm]

Just a small point, picking up on the pictures above, but the receiver should actually hang the other way up in the cradle.

the receiver should actually hang the other way up in the cradle

At least to save dust getting in your ear.

[mawdsjeff]

The candlestick phones that Hull used did not have the markings crossed off and others put in, that was the GPO factories did that! If the owner wants some cordsdone, I make them Thanks Geoff [email removed]