Art Deco English GPO 326 Mark I Desk Dial Phone - WORKS Start Price USD 194.99 Current Price USD 194.99 Time Left - Bid Count 0 Buy It Now Price USD 199.99 Reserve Price - Start Time Monday, August 25, 2008 End Time Monday, September 01, 2008 Location Pompano Beach, Florida See more about 'Art Deco English GPO 326 Mark I Desk Dial Phone - WORKS' Description Antique Ericsson 326 Bakelite Telephone With Chrome Siemens Dial ORIGINAL CLOTH Handset and Line Cords and Modular Adapter. Works.   ANTIQUE RARE GPO / ERICCSON ENGLAND 326 MARK I BLACK BAKELITE TELEPHONE WITH DIRECTORY PULLOUT "CHEESE" TRAY. CHROME SIEMENS DIAL Original CLOTH Handset and Line Cords and Modular Adapter. WORKS! Great!   Click Photo to Enlarge   You are bidding on an uber-classic English made Ericsson Model 326 Mark I Black Bakelite Rotary Desk Dial Telephone in good working condition. This phone dates to 1949. This fine telephone instrument comes with its original, brown cloth covered handset and line cords and a modular adapter plug. It works and is ready to be used in your home or office today! This telephone was produced in England by Ericsson for the English GPO or General Post Office which owned and licensed the telephone franchise. The phone was first designed by Jean Heiberg for Ericsson in 1931 (though some accounts say between 1930 and 1932) and went into production as the Ericsson Type 31 in Sweden. Siemens began producing it in England under license in 1932 for private use, though it became a staple of the BPO/GPO in 1937 for public use, replacing the BPO 232 Pyramid phone. There are a few special features about this phone which stand it apart from the standard GPO 332 set. First, it has a special numbers only dialplate which is numbered "9 through 0" which is similar to the Danish numbering system. This is especially odd because it is in fact a GPO 326, Mark I as is indicated on its schematic. The dial center card is new old stock and has the correct dial position numbering on it for ease of reference. The second thing is that this was intended to be used as a combination telephone and intercom. This explains, I think, the odd numbering on the dial plate for ringing extensions. The ringer is a direct current tremblor bell ringer rather than a straightline "magneto" ringer. This ringer is designed to be used in conjunction with a house-phone system and dial out system. Thus the marked plate on the phone which says, "Ring Extension" with the button in it. This means that an external type 26 bellset was needed to make this phone ring for all telephone calls from outside the house coming in. The internal bell rang from calls from within the house. So it will not ring unless it is operated from the 12 volt telephone system necessary to run it internally. I can provide an external art-deco Stromberg Carlson ringer for you to be used with this, but that would cost extra. Or you can pick up a mechanical ringer from Radio Shack which you can plug this into, and it will cost about $20. Another feature is the slide lamp assembly. Apparently this phone came with a slide lamp installed (it did not have one so I replaced it with a new old stock lamp), which apparently lit up when the extension was being rung or rung out or so I think. That explains the green jewel lens up front which, by the way was installed at the factory and is a part of the phone circuit. The last feature is the pullout or "cheesetray" address wallet. These were sometimes provided with GPO and BPO phones for customers. The phone comes with reproduction address wallet inserts copied from the internet. I must point out that far fewer of these were made than the standard 332 or 332L (less tray). Click Photo to Enlarge The interior of this phone is very clean and works quite well. Unlike so many of its comtemporaries, it has NOT been unfairly molested and then forcibly converted to work on the current "approved" proprietary English telephone system. No. This phone is in its original configuration and, despite a hankering to drive on the left hand side of the road, drink too much ale, smoke incessantly, hang out in pubs and watch too much soccer or as the Continentals (pick one or the other) say, "football" on the 'tele' (Manchester United!!!! Hoo Hoo Hoo!!!!) it is a cool-looking all around nice, Art Deco phone from across the Atlantic pond from an island one sixth the population of the United States. True, England evokes contradictory images of butlers on the one hand and spiked hair punk rockers on the other, but despite the stylistic differences this phone design endured from long before the outbreak of WWII until the 1960's. So in the American parlance of our day, "the phone aint bad lookin". Click Photo to Enlarge The schematic for this telephone instrument is glued to the inside of the base plate of the telephone underneath the slide out address or "cheesetray" also known as a pullout tray. Click Photo to Enlarge The handset is in good condition. It is made by Ericsson and is marked 164 48 which means it was made in 1948. The parts all date from 1947 through 1949. There is some very tiny nicking around the cradle from ordinary use. The nicking is not readily visible except upon close inspection. Otherwise the bakelite is in very nice shape. The chrome fingerwheel is in very good condition, and the dial center contains real new old stock paper and a the original celluloid window. These dial center cards are hard to get unless you get a copy. I put an original in as I was fortunate enough to buy a half dozen or so a year ago from a seller in Australia. Click Photo to Enlarge This art deco phone is so interesting and desireable as a collector's item in the US. Its an interesting design that dates back to 1931 when its first concept drawings were thought out, and I believe went into full-tilt production in 1932 in London because HRH, the Prince of Wales loved the darn thing so much. Anyway, regardless of what the late Royal Highness liked or disliked, the phone caught on and stayed in active production for decades until the late 1950's and early 1960's or so. You might say this was the Western Electric 302 of British Empire and its commonwealth. We have our "I love Lucy" phone, this would be the "Lizzie" version. Click Photo to Enlarge The phone was made between 1947 and 1949 as the parts tell the phone story. The dial is dated 1949, the handset is dated 1948, and the parts internally indicate 1947. Otherwise the phone is exactly the way I got it except nice and cleaned up with the dial lubricated and functioning well. The base plate is exceptionally clean. The feet are soft and pliable and they work fine. Click Photo to Enlarge Click Photo to Enlarge Click Photo to Enlarge Click Photo to Enlarge Click Photo to Enlarge Happy bidding and thank you for checking out this unique auction. BEFORE BIDDING PLEASE READ THE "LEGAL" PRINT! (1) This (these) item(s) are sold "as is" with all faults, no refunds and no warranties of any kind whatsoever! (2) The item(s) offered for bids are the actual item(s) in the picture connected with this listing. (3) If the terms "As New In Box" appears, it means: the item is used and comes with its original box and/or paperwork. I am not a distributor or a retailer. If the item was unused then it will also be sold as "As New In Box". If you have questions, contact me me prior to bidding. If you want more photographs, e-mail me before bidding. I won't bite and I'll answer your questions promptly so long as I have sufficient time to respond. 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