I’m now the proud owner of a GPO Telephone No. 150. It’s a classic British candlestick telephone: a heavy, upright black telephone with a mouthpiece at the top, a separate earpiece on a hook and, on dial models, a rotary dial in the base. The GPO introduced the model in 1924, as automatic exchanges made dialling increasingly useful.
The No. 150 came in different versions. A dial model let the subscriber call an automatic exchange directly; one for a manual exchange might have a blank or dummy disc instead, because an operator connected the call. The bell and much of the telephone’s circuitry were usually housed in a separate bell set nearby, so the candlestick itself could look remarkably simple.
Something collectors often look for is whether a phone is an original dial model or an older candlestick adapted for a dial. The No. 150 designation may appear on the transmitter head or collar, and parts can carry maker and date marks. Many examples were later refurbished or rebuilt, so a phone’s components may not all be from the same year. My telephone is stamped 235 and F26, and there’s also an X below the 150 stamp.
Below, the receiver, microphone and candle stick body.
Below, the receiver hook assembly, contacts and the cast iron base.
Below, what’s left of the rusty bell box and the candle stick body treated with Nitromors. On the right is the receiver, restored, cleaned and polished, with its new twisted cable ready to go.
Good news! A friend is giving me a mahogany bell box. Not only is he donating the box, but he’s delivering it! Thanks, John. Photos to come once the bell box has arrived. Below is the restored telephone in our 1940s corner in the hall.
And here is the mahogany bell box. I’ll clean it up and restore the wood to its original shine before mounting it on the wall above the candle stick telephone.
Finally, here is the telephone with the bell box on the wall. The phone isn’t connected to a line. However, I have installed a battery in the bell box so the bell tinkles when the receiver is lifted.
