| This is a chrome WE 302 I found at an antique store in St. Louis. It is similar to the one pictured on page 155 of Mountjoy’s "100 Year of Bell Telephones", except mine has an ivory handset and the one in Mountjoy has a chrome handset. The caption in Mountjoy says "originally issued to telephone company executives."
Other than Mountjoy, the only reference to chrome 302s are in some TCI yahoo group messages. If anyone has a chrome 302 in their collection or in a museum, I would be interested in knowing how many are out there, and how they differ from my set. Were these ever issued to the general public, as special orders or as a standard choice for color sets? Were these issued to the public along with the "Silver Continental" and "Imperial" 202 sets? Or were these only issued to telephone company executives (which is what Mountjoy and the TCI messages say)?
The baseplate has stampings: 302 GT (GT difficult to read), 2R-II-53, 4R-III-55 (difficult to read, looks like stamp slipped), 5R-II-57, inside 3-38. The metal case is chrome plated, only two very small dents on edge by 4 and below 1 looks like chrome undamaged or was plated over dents, no stampings, insert under switchhook pickup is black plastic. Ivory handset discolored, cracked and glued by transmitter, marked "Bell Sysltem Made By Western Electric F1" and a raised dot right of F1 (what does the dot indicate?), shell stamped 2-59, transmitter element 4/55, receiver element 9-51. Looks like the black case dial may have been replaced as it is mint condition stamped 6A-3 9-69, fingerstop not chrome marked 6, but the chrome fingerwheel appears to be older as the back side is dirty around the fingerholes two small scratches under 1 hole and two under fingerstop, chrome card holder, plain card 546-5412. Ringer 7-56, coil 101-A I-38, screwed on leather feet, HS cord is for a 500 (no screw down cord stay) and line cord is modular.
If any color collectors are interested, I may consider offers to sell it. |
