I have noticed phones with a handset (like the one in the image) have a little cover that resembles something like a cold camera shoe under the bottom of the handset’s top speaker holder. Is there a use for it? It has a line bump in the middle, but it doesn’t go all the way from both sides, it leaves a gap. I have also seem some of them have extra space on the top of the cover, and some don’t.
Much better than the older design which cannot be mounted on the wall.
Well, cannot be wall-mounted like the one in your picture but those phones did get wall-mounted in slightly different shape.
Interesting. I’ve never seen a phone like that. Usually the wall mounted versions of the Model 500 had a hook for the handset in the front of the base to hang the handset vertically. This one looks like a different company than Western Electric though. I’m guessing it’s a UK company, because it’s 999 for emergencies (or at least it’s not US). You’ve got me curious enough I feel like I’m about to go down a rabbit hole.
Edit: yep, it’s a UK company called GPO. This is their model 741:
https://www.britishtelephones.com/t741.htm
https://gpospares.co.uk/gpo-spares-gpo-bt-741-wall-dial-telephone-two-tone-grey.html
What a cool design! I would love one for my collection.
Not just a U.K. company, the GPO were the General Post Office and ran the entire phone network and more: https://en.m.wikipedia.org/wiki/General_Post_Office
We had a yellow one like that hanging on our kitchen wall in Ohio, so they were definitely around.
Oh, I was not aware you are into this as a collector, now I feel honored to be able to show you something new!
I live in Europe, not the UK though, so maybe that explains why these are familiar to me. Although another user said they saw one in Ohio.