Folder Historian's Corner

Help preserve the history of telephony. Send your original writing works including research projects, interviews, anecdotes & stories, etc.

Categories

Folder AT&T Chester Telephone Pole Farm

In 2015-16 TCI provided background info for a visitor center display for the site of the "Outdoor Laboratory" - managed by the Chester Historical Society. Reference the Singing Wires, June 2016 article "What Happened at AT&T’s Chester, NJ Open-air Laboratory?" Here are some of the documents referenced in the article.

Also see this AT&T video: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=NcrjTFDUt9E

And for more on pole farms: https://youtu.be/tkfEBX87NX0

 

Folder PATENTS: Telephones and Components

Lists of patents by topic that have proven useful in telephony research.

This is a group project and is under development. Send lists for your area of research - e.g. sets, dials, receivers, transmitters, prototypes, accessories, etc.

Folder Ralph Meyer References

Ralph Meyer's popular book, Old-Time Telephones is currently in its Third Edition. Revision history is here: http://pws.goeaston.net/oldtimetelephones

Articles by Ralph O. Meyer and Russell A. Flinchum

Bell, Watson, Soft Iron, and the Insight that Commercialized the Magneto Telephone (2020)
   https://ieeexplore.ieee.org/document/9264835

Henry Dreyfuss and Bell Telephones (2017)

 

Folder Tales from Vienna

Tales from Vienna

Born in the USA and currently living in Vienna, Austria, EU, TCI member Herbert Schwarz writes about a wide variety of telephone related topics.  His topics include the Bell System of the 1960s, military telephone equipment, European outside plant and a few surprises along the way.

Folder Telephone Dials and Pushbuttons by Stanley Swihart

Telephone Dials and Pushbuttons by Stanley Swihart

Updates Wanted.  This monumental two-volume reference work was started as a planned 32-page book with mainly photos and little text. Great collector interest gave it a life of its own, growing to 584 pages and with over 150 contributors in 22 countries. It covers not only the dials themselves, but also their use – including the evolution of numbering schemes in different parts of the world. Needless to say, info was still pouring in at publication time in 2010.

TCI members will find George Howard’s review in the July 2010 issue of Singing Wires, highlighting many of the book’s strengths. Unfortunately, Stanley’s passing eliminated plans for a second edition.

In the years since its publication, contributors and collectors have wanted to fill some of the remaining gaps and add their comments, corrections and related original research.

This page provides a place to post additional material that may be helpful to readers. Send your comments!

While comments in any reasonable format are welcome, a Word document is provided as a guideline for those who are submitting primarily errata or minor changes.

Documents

pdf 17feb WE 6002A - Donut Phone - Photo Collection and Survey Popular

By 1361 downloads

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17feb_WE_6002A_Donut_Photo_Collection_and_Survey_BK_r2a_tci-ocr.pdf

17feb WE 6002A - Donut Phone - Photo Collection and Survey

Compiled and contributed by Bobby Koch. Processed by Paul Fassbender.

pdf Connecting Induction-Coil Handset to 1A Monophone Desk Sets - r1 - Ralph Meyer Popular

By 1633 downloads

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1403mar18_AE_Induction_Coil_Handset_ Notes_r1_Meyer_tci.pdf

Connecting Induction-Coil Handset to 1A Monophone Desk Sets - r1 - Ralph Meyer

Contributed by Ralph Meyer in support of a Listserv discussion on March 18, 2014.

"A few people expressed interest in this subject, so I put together a pdf file with notes and diagrams.  There is one caveat on my notes. I have not actually tried everything that is described, but I have done most of it. So I would welcome any feedback on mistakes (I don't think so) or additions that would be helpful."

pdf Grover 1924 Dial Service in Toronto Hicken tci ocr Popular

By 2816 downloads

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Grover_1924_Dial_Service_in_Toronto_Hicken_tci_ocr.pdf

Grover 1924 Dial Service in Toronto Hicken tci ocr

48 pages. By Len Hicken. "This narrative describes a significant episode in the history of The Bell Telephone Company of Canada (BTCO). It is the story of the beginning of BTCO’s evolution from manual telephone service to automatic telephone service. I am telling this story now (2024) in recognition of the 100th anniversary of BTCO’s first telephone exchange to be equipped for automatic (rotary dial) service."

pdf NANPA Turns 56 (in 2003) Popular

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NANPA_Turns_56_tci_ocr.pdf

NANPA Turns 56 (in 2003)

The NANP (North American Numbering Plan) Turns 56, by Mark Cuccia, 2003. Evolution of NANP from inception to 2003. Contributed by Gary Goff. Formatted by Paul Fassbender.

pdf Octatherp octotherp i3 Dec14 by Douglas Kerr Popular

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Octatherp-octotherp_i3_Dec14_Douglas Kerr_tci_ocr.pdf

Octatherp octotherp i3 Dec14 by Douglas Kerr

The names “octatherp” and “octotherp” for the symbol “#” by Douglas A. Kerr, Issue 3, Dec. 8, 2014. Also called octothorpe. Contributed to the TCI Library. Processed by Paul Fassbender.

See also the previous article, The ASCII Character ‘Octatherp’ (Singing Wires, May 2008), by Douglas Kerr.

pdf Repairing the D mounting Base Attachment tci JL Popular

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Repairing_the_D-mounting_Base_Attachment_tci_JL.pdf

Repairing the D mounting Base Attachment tci JL

Contributed by Jeff Lamb.

Reference Singing Wires, Feb. 2017

pdf SxS Demo Notes - John Jones - Jan 2018 Popular

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SxS_Demo_Notes_John_Jones_Jan_2018_ocr_tci.pdf

SxS Demo Notes - John Jones - Jan 2018

Contributed by John Jones. Provides simplified connection diagrams produced while building a single link SXS demo system.  Contains details of several variations of  L/CO Line/Cutoff circuit, Western Electric Central Office  33013 Linefinders, 30976 and 32183 first selectors, 30215 and 31739 connectors as well as the 30978 reverting selector.  It also contain information on the 31779 outgoing trunk and a ringback trunk designed by Rick Walsh as well as simplified alarm circuits 

Keywords:  SXS, Demo Switch, L/CO, Linefinder, First Selector, Connector, Ringback Trunk, Alarm Circuits

pdf SxS Demo Switch - Len Hicken Nov16 Popular

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SxS_Demo_Switch_Len_Hicken_Nov16_tci.pdf

SxS Demo Switch - Len Hicken Nov16

43 pages. Describes Len's switch and its construction. Referenced in Singing Wires, December 2016. Contributed by Len Hicken. Processed by Paul Fassbender.

pdf SxS Demo Switch - Len Hicken Nov16 - hi res Popular

By 1320 downloads

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SxS_Demo_Switch_Len_Hicken_Nov16_tci_lg.pdf

SxS Demo Switch - Len Hicken Nov16 - hi res

43 pages. Describes Len's switch and its construction. Referenced in Singing Wires, December 2016. Contributed by Len Hicken. Processed by Paul Fassbender.

pdf The Rise and Fall of Exchange Names in Toronto, Canada Popular

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The_Rise_and_Fall_of_Exchange_Names_in_Toronto_r2_tci_ocr.pdf

The Rise and Fall of Exchange Names in Toronto, Canada

81 pages. 23MB. Revised Feb. 2023. With its detailed research and vintage images, Len’s history shows, in detail, how names progressed through the dial conversion process, how some exchanges had to be renamed, and how Bell Canada handled subscriber training. The chronology ranges in time from the introduction of public switched telephone service in 1879 through to the final establishment of All Number Calling in 1966. Includes sketches and photos of CO buildings. Contributed by Len Hicken. Processed by Paul Fassbender.

pdf WE Type 1001 Hand Set Photos and Repair Popular

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WE_Type_1001_Hand_Set_Repair_tci.pdf

WE Type 1001 Hand Set Photos and Repair

Great photos of an early 1001 handset, marked No. 1. Shows parts and a transmitter repair. Contributed by Jeff Lamb. Bookmarked by Paul Fassbender.

pdf WECo Lamps Reference Table Popular

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WECo_lamps_ocr_tci.pdf

WECo Lamps Reference Table

Compiled and contributed by Sam Etler. Processed by Paul Fassbender.

New User?

Read the articles under "Introduction" in the black menu bar above.

Recent Contributors

Thanks for new documents from Jim Hurtle, Ed Palazzo, Paul Fassbender, Bruce Patterson, Remco Enthoven, Jon Kolger, Paul Ivester, Len Hicken, Fred Haynes, Kurt Rudolph, Wade ("Kellogg KITT"), the Connections Museum, Rick Walsh, Jeff Lamb, Jeremy Walters, Alan David, Dennis Hock, and Tim Griffin.

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