Vintage telephone came equipped with a crank

By Joan Janzen

Shortly after a photo of this vintage telephone was posted, comments poured in describing how it worked. It was reported to be a 300 series manual wall phone originally designed by the British Post Office. The crank handle was called a magneto. Turning it caused a shutter indicator on the plugboard to notify the operator you wished to make a call. The operator would then plug a cord into the individual's line socket and ask who you wished to speak to, so she could connect the call.

This antique phone was made from the 1930s to the late 1950s. You turned the crank five times, then picked up the handset and waited for the operator to respond and connect your call. Vintage and Antique Telephones FB

This particular model was introduced around 1940, while other models were made from the 1930s to the late 1950s. The phone had a flat diaphragm magnetic earpiece, and the crank produced about 90V AC, which dropped an indicator on a manual telephone switchboard.

You simply turned the crank five turns, lifted the handset and waited to hear from the operator. When it was used for a manual exchange, you had to hang up and crank when you finished the call, sending a signal to the operator to disconnect from the other party. It was reported that a crank system from one of these phones could light a 100-watt light bulb.