GPO Telephones - Type 121

Type 121

During the early days of telephones, in the UK, a motley collection of instruments were produced, in low volume and crude stylings. Known simply as 'type 1, 2, 3 etc.' these were often used on simple, internal links, sometimes taking the place of the 'speaking tube' in large houses. There were no dials and signalling was taken care of by a hand cranked 'magneto generator'. Often the bell at the other end would just be 'tinkled' by simply rattling the switch hooks up and down. From these developed the first, serious, GPO instruments, the 100 series. This comprised a wall phone, the Tele. 121 and a desk phone, the Tele 150.

Both were based around the same handmade, wooden case, containing the telephone circuit and bell, but unlike the bellset, shown with the Tele 150, below, the Tele 121 had the transmitter mouthpiece screwed onto the front of the box and the switch hook, holding the receiver, protruding from the left hand side. Below the mouthpiece was a dial-mount, which either contained a dial(L) or a blanking plate (CB). This made it a true, one-piece telephone which was available either 'stand alone', mounted on a handsome, wooden, back-board, with integral writing desk or, as a Tele. 123, combined with the original, Button A & B coin-box.