Object Record
Images
Metadata
Object Name |
Telephone |
Object Number |
2020.015.001 |
Description |
Rotary Telephone Black rotary telephone with attached receiver; two vent-like openings on right and left-side of phone base; light brown cable connected to back of phone with jack on free end; thick black cable connects receiver to phone base; receiver rests horizontally above base on two metal springs; circular black rotating dial plate with ten finger holes on front of phone; white coloured face plate with printed numbers and letters visible in each finger hole; letters are uppercase, grouped into threes, and printed in black ink; numbers 0-9 printed below letters in red ink; tenth finger hole reads: "OPERATOR," between letter Z and number 0; curved metal finger stop sits above dial plate; circular dark brown coloured panel at centre of dial plate; light brown banner on panel printed with Elk Creek Waterworks Company Limited telephone number and exchange name reads: "SYcamore 4 / 5201." Underside of phone base is exposed silver metal; three large metal screws, two small metal screws, and one circular black screw visible on base; stamp on right-side of base underside reads: "Monophone/ PRODUCED BY/ PHILLIPS ELECTRICAL WORKS LIMITED/ BROCKVILLE, ONTARIO, CANADA;" serial number stamped in blue ink on upper left-side of metal reads: "PN4023K0;" repair tag adhered to bottom left-side of underside reads: "Can. (B.C.) Telephones & Supplies Ltd./ WORK DONE BY BT/ INSPECTED BY AH/O.K.'D BY/ OCT 5 1956." |
Provenance |
Rotary telephone was used until approximately 1975 at the main office of the Elk Creek Waterworks Company Limited (1905 - 1981) located at 116 N Young Road in Chilliwack. The donor collected the telephone from the office of Elk Creek Waterworks where they worked from 1972 - 1981. The telephone is a Type 40 Desk Monophone produced between 1953 - 1964 by Phillips Electrical Works Limited of Brockville, Ontario, a subsidiary company of the Automatic Electric Company (1901 - 1983). This model of telephone could be customized by the buyer with cord length, ringer volume, dial plate, and colour options available upon ordering (Automatic Electric, "Monophones and Substation Accessories, Catalog 4055-F"). The Elk Creek Waterworks Company Limited was established in 1905. Elk Creek Waterworks installed and operated a water system in the Fraser Valley that served both the City of Chilliwack, the Township of Chilliwhack, and adjoining areas. After 76 years of private ownership, Elk Creek Waterworks was purchased by the District of Chilliwack in 1981 (The Chilliwack Progress, 19 August, 2001, p 31). From 1985 to the present, the waterworks system has been operated by the District's Engineering Department. |
Year Range from |
1953 |
Year Range to |
1975 |