RARE NYSE Trading Floor Phone 1930-32 Western Electric Bell System Wall Street

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RARE NYSE Trading Floor Phone 1930-32 Western Electric Bell System Wall Street:
$10000.00
RARE NYSE Trading Floor Phone 1930-32 Western Electric Bell System Wall Street
Background:On October 24, 1929, known as "Black Thursday", the US stock market crashed.The 1929 stock market crash was triggered by a combination of rampant speculative buying, excessive debt, and overproduction that resulted in an unsustainable economic bubble. Trading volume was so great as panic set in and investors tried to sell that the New York Stock Exchange was said to be hours behind and couldn't keep up.
In the aftermath the NYSE looked to Western Electric and Bell Telephone to outfit the trading floors with the most modern technology available at the time to help avoid that from ever happening again. This phone is one of possibly a few hundred that were installed in 1930 as part of that plan to modernize trading.
Unlike standard desk telephones of the era, these specialized communication systems were built to support the unique demands of stock exchange traders and are seldom found outside of museum collections or advanced telephone memorabilia collections. There are possibly 20 known to exist today.
Features:
- Authentic 1930s Western Electric construction
- Original New York Stock Exchange trading floor telephone +Western Electric relay for switching systems
- Heavy industrial-quality metal and wood construction
- Outstanding Art Deco / early industrial design
- Exceptional display piece for collectors, financial professionals, offices, or museums
Condition Notes:On top of the two switch hooks (or hook switch?) there would have been a metal cap that is missing on both sides. In addition, the handset on the right side does have some damage at the microphone part of the receiver (see photo 18 for a look at this). Other than that all parts are there and it's in original condition as it would have been on the NYSE trading floor from 1930-1980(ish). It has the original hanging brackets on the back so it can easily be hung on an office wall for display. There are some obvious signs of use and wear and it's a bit dirty as well but overall very nice. One thing to note is a small piece of tape stuck at the top. Ideally it would be professionally cleaned, the wood oiled and sealed, and maybe the 2 metal caps could be replaced.
Please see all 24 photos for a detailed look at all sides.
UPDATE:A very helpful user messaged me and let know a few interesting pieces of information that I wanted to add to the listing:
1. That back-board with the coils and capacitor probably is 1930 - 32, judging by the coils, (later ones were smaller, in a square box), but the Second Generation Space Saver phones didn't come out until 1938, and those handsets didn't come out until later 36. While we know these phone systems were installed between 1930-32 after the stock market crash, it is possible if not likely that they were upgraded and repaired over the years as they were not removed completely until 1980. the Western Electric company was contracted locally in NYC to do regular maintenance and repairs so it's likely that parts would have been either replaced or updated over time, while some parts survived from the original installation.
2. The missing covers over the switch hooks are metal rings that have a clear plastic disk, a backing disk, and "funny springy thing" that goes in back of that disk so it will stay solidly in place. It is the same part that goes in the center of the dial on black phones. "That same spot is where a dial head would go if desired. Perhaps these were dial units, and the dials removed after these were removed from service." I'm going to look around and see if I can find exact matching covers based on comparison photos I've found and if I do I will update the listing with new photos.
RARE NYSE Trading Floor Phone 1930-32 Western Electric Bell System Wall Street:
$10000.00
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