Conference 7.286::maynard

389.0. "Old Telephone Operator's Box - Need Information" by AKOCOA::PILLIVANT () Wed Sep 09 1992 14:53

This week-end Mom needed a small repair job on her automatic garage door
opener.  While in her garage I noticed a very unusual item resting peacefully.
It appears to be an antique telephone operator's control box.  I will
try to describe it as best I can.  Diagram (from memory) is below:


			__________________________________ 
			|                                 |
			|  ____________________________   |
			|  | 1    2    3    4   5   6  |  |
			|  |			       |  |
			|  | 7    8    9   10  11  12  |  |
                        |  |                           |  |
			|  |13   14   15   16  17  18  |  |
			|  |                           |  |
			|  |19   20   21   22  23  24  |  |
                        |  |                           |  |
			|  |25   26   27   28  29  30  |  |
			|  |                           |  |
			|  |___________________________|  |
			|  | 1    2    3    4   5   6  |  |
			|  | o    o    o    o   o   o  |  |
			|  | 7    8    9   10  11  12  |  |
                        |  | o    o    o    o   o   o  |  |
			|  |13   14   15   16  17  18  |  |
			|  | o    o    o    o   o   o  |  |
			|  |19   20   21   22  23  24  |  |
                        |  | o    o    o    o   o   o  |  |
			|  |25   26   27   28  29  30  |  |
                        |  | o    o    o    o   o   o  |  |
                        |  |                           |  |
                        |  ____________________________   |
                        |                                 |
            		__________________________________



Believe box is made of oak (extremely dirty - so I could be wrong)
Large face plate of glass - top half has numbers 1 to 30 arranged (I think)
as above.  Bottom half has "plug-in" holes directly under the numbers.
At the bottom of the box are five fabric wrapped cords with brass plugs that
evidently were meant to place in the holes to connect the caller to the
appropriate extension.  There is a mouth piece in the front of the box,
cannot remember the exact location. There is also  a place for an earpiece or 
earphone set up to hang onto on the side of the box but that piece is missing.
At the top there is a another brass "hanger of sorts" not sure for what.

The box is hinged and the "guts" appear to be intact.  

There are no names, i.e. NET&T or American Woolen Mills (Where I think it
may have come from) anywhere on the box.  Neither are there any serial 
numbers. 

I think it would make a great "conversation piece" - pun intended.

I plan on taking it home and cleaning it up.  I would appreciate any help
that anyone could give me on what the missing pieces might be, where
replacements might be obtained and any other information.  

I was going to post this in the antiques_collectable file but it is 
temporarily out of order (once again pun is intended).

Thanks in advance for any help.

Thanks,

Alice

p.s. I forgot to mention that Dad always brought home more from the dump than
he brought (when they were both alive!).  I'm sure that is where it came from
prior to its present resting place.  Unfortunately I have no idea where it
was prior to it's "almost" timely demise!

suggest you ask about this in BTOVT::TELEPHONES.

Suspect the top panel has a light when the caller wanted to make a call,
the operator spoke with the person and then connected them with the cable
on the bottom panel.

-Mike

Thanks Mike -  

I should have known that there would be a notes
conference on telephones - there seems to be one
for every subject.  

Regards,

Alice

    For future reference on quick location of NOTES files, use the VTX
    EASYNOTES infobase, which is reference infobase of the EASYNOTES.LIS. 
    I believe it is updated more than once per week.
    
    Type VTX EASYNOTES from DCL or use the EASYNOTES keyword from within
    VTX.  Once in the infobase, use the KEYWORD function (generally the
    FIND key on the LK keyboard or <GOLD>7 on the keypad.  Then type the
    short phrase of your choice followed by an "*".
    
    For example, at the keyword prompt, type "PHONE*".
    
    This method of referencing NOTES conferences is significantly faster
    than referencing the EASYNOTES conference and doing directories or
    keyword searches there....and more reliable than paper lists.
    
    Jim

    Gee, Mom, haven't you worked at Digital long enough to know how to use
    VTX!!  I think you just posted that note in here to show off to all the
    ol' Maynardians that you found a treasure in Nanny's garage!
    
    Your Loving Daughter,
    
    Linda

Actually, what Alice described sounds like the old switchboard console the 
Maynard Motel had years ago when I worked there. 

I'm not sure, but I would assume a more up to date system has been 
installed since then (~1972).

Norma (Dwinells) Donahue