Hello Jan,
I believe what you have is a Western Electric (WE) 20AL desk stand (candlestick)
with a 300L magneto desk set box (ringer).
The 20AL was released in about 1912 or 1913 and was the first WE candlestick to
be insulated from the telephone line. The patent dates on the base ("foot")
relate to the original 20 series desk stand (the 20B and the 20S). These were
not insulated and used a cast perch (lug holder) and there was a visible wire
between the perch and the rear of the older type transmitter.
Your transmitter is a type 323 which is insulated. The patent date on the
transmitter reflects, amongst other improvements, the insulated transmitter.
The 300L magneto desk set box is also insulated meaning that its connections are
inside the box rather than outside. I'm not sure when it was first released -
shortly before the 20AL desk stand. This model desk set box is specified for
"medium duty". The high impedance bell motor (bell mechanism) and 5 bar magnet
was suited to quite long lines including rural party lines using code ringing.
The batteries tended to be kept "out of the way" - sometimes in a basement or
other service area.
There are other 20 series models of this type but the 20AL (black japan) and the
20PC (nickel) seem to be the most common.
Your phone could have been made as early as 1913. Because of a shortage of brass
during WW1 production of the 20 series telephones was halted. It was replaced by
the 40AL which was made of steel and finished with a process called Bower-Barff.
In 1919 the 50AL was released to support a dial and automatic working. Although
the candlesticks were superceded in the late 1920s with the introduction of the
A and B handset mountings, they continued to be used and recycled. In the late
1930s new receivers (706A) and transmitters (635A - Bulldog) were produced to
take advantage of more effecient handset elements. The updated telephones were
called the 120AL , 140AL and 151AL - they were not produced as new items, just
refurbished items.
I wrote an article for the Journal a little while ago about the development of
the British candlestick and the development of the 20AL is mentioned in it as it
is closely related.
Regards
Jack Ryan
PS:
Your phone is an early example as it has a patent pending statement on the
base cover. The words are "Patent applied for". Others call that "Patent
pending" meaning that the patent is applied for but has not yet been granted.
Later 20 type candlesticks do not have those words on the base cover.
Last changed on 30/05/11 by Jan