American Electric Pencil Shaft
American ElectricAmerican ElectricFounded in 1894 by P.C. Burns in Kokomo, Indiana, American Electric Telephone Company was among the wave of independent manufacturers that emerged after the Bell patents expired. The company moved to Chicago in 1897 and produced magneto wall phones, potbelly desk sets, candlestick phones, and switchboards for the independent telephone market. Filed for bankruptcy in 1911 but continued operating into the early 1930s, diversifying into radio equipment in the 1920s. A mid-tier independent, substantial enough to produce catalogs through 1929 but smaller than rivals like Kellogg or Stromberg-Carlson. · Circa: 1896
About This Phone
Very early American Electric pencil shaft with watch case receiver. The nickel plating is gone but this candlestick is in remarkable original condition. The heavy cast base is marked as well as the face of the transmitter. If you look at the Telephone Magazine article, you'll see the date 1898. That was the later pencil shaft with the Burns style receiver. This pencil shaft is the earlier version from 1896 with the watch case receiver.
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