A switch between phones

Origin: ATEA, +/- 1930

Obtained in 2013

 click on a picture to enlarge it
  Entry in ATEA catalog  

In the 1930s it was common to have two phones in the house, sharing an outside line to the public exchange. This line could be changed from one phone to the other by means of this switch. Before switching the line, the user could see if the line was busy, by a device (at the left side of the switch)  giving the status of the line:busy or not.

I obtained this as a gift from a Dutch collector.


Last changed on 03/12/22 by  Jan