solid receiver -- Couch house telephone
Datecirca 1905
Inventory Number8092b
ClassificationTelephone
Subject
Maker
S. H. Couch Company
1894 - 1985
Cultural Region
Place of Origin
Dimensions3 × 6.1 × 6.1 cm (1 3/16 × 2 3/8 × 2 3/8 in.)
box: 12.7 × 24.8 × 13.3 cm (5 × 9 3/4 × 5 1/4 in.)
box: 12.7 × 24.8 × 13.3 cm (5 × 9 3/4 × 5 1/4 in.)
Material
Accessoriestelephone wall unit
DescriptionThis receiver is part of a brass wall-mounted house telephone made by the Boston-based company S.H. Couch, a maker of in-house or local closed circuit telephone systems. The telephone was intended to connect buildings and departments of Boston's City Hospital.
The telephone receiver, known as a watchcase style due to its rounded, compact shape, has a painted brass cylindrical case with a molded hard-rubber earpiece on one end. The earpiece is dish-shaped, with a circular opening in the base of the dish. Part of a diaphragm may be seen through the opening.
The top of the receiver has a brass eyehook for hanging the device; from the opposite side, a pair of electrical cords with wire bound ends emerges from the receiver and is merged into one covered cord that connects to the base unit.
See 8092a for a description of the base unit.
The telephone receiver, known as a watchcase style due to its rounded, compact shape, has a painted brass cylindrical case with a molded hard-rubber earpiece on one end. The earpiece is dish-shaped, with a circular opening in the base of the dish. Part of a diaphragm may be seen through the opening.
The top of the receiver has a brass eyehook for hanging the device; from the opposite side, a pair of electrical cords with wire bound ends emerges from the receiver and is merged into one covered cord that connects to the base unit.
See 8092a for a description of the base unit.
Signedsigned: Couch TRADEMARK
Inscribedon back: SOLID PAT'D AUG. 14. 1900;
each of 2 magnets: SOLID PAT'D
Curatorial Remarks8092a and b are in the same blue-board tray.
FunctionConversion of electrical impulses to sound for output by telephone
ProvenancePrivate Donor, Cambridge, MA.
Historical AttributesUsed at Boston City Hospital.
S. H. Couch Company
Date: circa 1905
Accessories: solid telephone receiver
Object number: 8092a
S. H. Couch Company
Date: circa 1906
Accessories: Black earpiece, wood wall mounting
Object number: 1998-1-0098
Fritz Köhler
Date: circa 1892
Accessories: Ivory signaling rattle
Object number: 8098a
Fritz Köhler
Date: circa 1892
Accessories: ivory signaling rattle
Object number: 8098b
