Gray Model 75 Three-Slot
Gray Telephone Pay Station Co.Gray Telephone Pay Station Co.Founded by William Gray in Hartford, Connecticut in 1891, Gray Telephone Pay Station Company pioneered the coin-operated payphone. Gray received the first practical payphone patent in 1889, inspired by being refused use of a factory telephone during a family emergency. The company's first payphone was installed on a Hartford street corner outside a bank. By 1902 there were 81,000 payphones across America, many built by Gray. The company was renamed Gray Manufacturing in 1939, and the pay station division was acquired by Automatic Electric in 1948. · payphone, Canadian · Source: Tom Adams
About This Phone
This three slot pay station was the precursor of the three slot payphones that were common well into the 1950s and 60s. This phone is a 'pre-pay' model, and has the old-style transmitter and receiver (pre single-piece handset days) and an extra fancy 'mercedes' dial. This particular phone (photo at left) is a Canadian version, outfitted to accept Canadian coins.
Circa 1920.
Circa 1920.
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