1950 Ivory Western Electric 302
See base comparisons of early models versus late models
One of the most identifiable and stereotypical phones of the modern era, this phone was introduced in 1937 and continued production into the 1950's with only a few changes. During the early 1940s the phone was produced with a black thermoplastic body and in 1950 the phone was introduced with colored thermoplastic bodies and receivers. Those models are very rare. In the summer of 2005 I was fortunate enough to find this ivory model for $20 at a flea market in Midland, Michigan.
The design of the Western Electric 302 won an award for
modern art and was designed by Henry Dreyfuss. It was the
first phone to have all of its components for operation inside it and was thus modular
and could be easily moved from room to room. It did not require a subset like phones made
previously. The set shown here is thermoplastic with a bakelite
receiver. It is considerably lighter
than the cast zinc model.
Photos of colored 302 and other sets: Old Phone Man’s website
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