1900s Antique Telephone Restoration

A restoration of an early 1900s bridging telephone, produced by the Stromberg-Carlson Telephone Mfg. Co. (One of the earliest competitors in the telephone market). This particular style of the phone was often used for communication in rural areas, being described as “The Farmer’s Friend” in marketing campaigns for its extra power and ability to communicate over long lines with many phones.
In our research, the serial number records aren't online, but this specific Model 112 telephone was produced around 1904 at the company’s new factory in Rochester New York. It originally sold at a price of $14.75 (The equivalent of $458.54 today!).
The actual restoration was quite involved, requiring complete disassembly of all the phone’s components. This included rust removal, woodworking, nickel plating, repainting, sanding, and lots of polishing! Everything done was to restore the piece to its original condition, and preserve all its functionality.
Thank you, Jack Ryan and all those involved at telephonecollectors.info for the preservation and scanning of the documents featured in (and used for) this video.
Thanks for watching!
We hope you enjoy the video! If you have any questions or information regarding this phone, feel free to leave a comment, your feedback is always appreciated. Also be sure to like the video and subscribe for more #restoration videos!
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Check out the Instagram:
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Chapters:
00:00 Intro
00:08 First Look
00:46 Let's See Inside
01:17 Disassembly
05:39 Deconstructed View Before
06:06 Cleaning
06:24 Transmitter Arm
07:31 Magneto Generator
13:03 Transmitter
15:34 Nickel Plating
17:15 Reassembling Transmitter
19:05 Hookswitch And Bell Ringer
21:26 Receiver
21:58 Wood Repairs
24:44 New Shelf
26:12 Deconstructed View After
26:40 Reassembly
33:32 Final Reveal

[@punchion]

I was a telephone repairman during the 70s , 80s and 90s. This was quite interesting!

[@frederichrecinski4616]

punchion, Déjà dans ces années là, c'était des téléphones en plastique avec quelques pièces encore en bakélite. PAS EN BOIS !!

[@MrCedarapffel]

So this phone can never actually be used?

[@CleveIndians]

Ha!! No you werent Punchion . Trying to one up the guy who restored the phone? You sicken me pal!!

[@punchion]

@@CleveIndians I was a repairman in Canada you dolt! Who the hell do you think you are! All I said was that I found the video interesting. And I'm not your pal!

[@CleveIndians]

@@punchionI dont know you so I assumed you knew it was a joke...relax

[@RetroJack]

Amazing to believe that this was once the absolute height of technology - thank you so much for extending the life of this fantastic device!

[@teresah7886]

I remember using one of these until I was a teenage. Mind you, it was only connected to the neighbors farm that was located 1/4 mile away. It was a great aunt. She alwayed picked up, and it was fascinating to us as kids. I'm 63 yrs. old.

[@deniseboldea1624]

I like projects like these, it really puts how far technology has advanced into perspective. Beautiful restoration. I must admit that I'm impressed you found one of these phones with nearly all the original parts.

[@BGRestore]

Thank you very much! We enjoy working on these types of older technologies, more unique projects coming soon!

[@grandmasmagic3858]

did you restore it to working order or just to be a decoration on the wall @@BGRestore, though I suppose with our modern ech it wouldn't be compatible anymore..

[@stevejohnson1685]

While the manufacturing processes have been hugely refined over the decades, it's pretty amazing to me that the fundamental technology, and its interfaces, remain compatible for 120 years. Also, can you envision the survival, and functioning, of your iPhone until 2140?

[@PrometheusV]

@@stevejohnson1685 Well, my Nokia will be found by Aliens when we are long extinct :) And it will have 2 bars of battery left

[@warthogA10]

@@PrometheusV and no signal bars... Good as new 👍 🤣

[@L0rdOfThePies]

Oh all the conversations that have been spoken through this marvel. I wonder the same about my own antique telephone sometimes, but that one is not nearly that old, only about 50

[@MBW4449]

I have a book from 1913 about telephony. After looking at that you could build a telephone company from spare bits and chewing gum!

[@battleangel5595]

I've never seen the inner workings of a telephone from so long ago. Quite impressive and humbling to boot. Thank you for sharing!

[@1stummel2]

what, no sand blasting, no vinegar, no filing? This is the best channel i have found yet.

[@unclemartin62]

I just discovered your video on this restoration and then watched the video of the typewriter. I don't know which is more amazing. Great job and heartwarming to see old technology brought back to life. God Bless what you do!

[@frankbrady8015]

Beautiful work. My grandparents had one until it was smashed to bits by a lightning storm one afternoon. Exploded it all over the room (1948). 30 years later I build a replica, after finding a pair of the bells. I still have it as a door bell in my front hallway. Thank you for the video.

[@kathimorrical9912]

I'm 72, from Ohio USA. My dad was the only lineman during WWII in a large, rural area. He bright all kinds of old and interesting items home to play with. We had 2 old crank phones, and a couple Frankenstein. Thanks for the memories!!

[@patrickfrawley6656]

Look, everybody it's Mayberry r.f.d Of communications

[@williamstyers4264]

I remember as a kid when my uncle found a magneto similar to this one in a scrapyard and brought it home. We attached two wires and some brass tubing to it and used it to drive earthworms up for fishing bait. LOL Good memories and a great restoration job.

[@JamesParks3232]

I am on a POTS repair NOC Team for my work and I find stuff like this fascinating. Thanks for putting this up.

[@samgriffith0369]

I loved that this type of phone is still around, even if they are not currently connected. I have only seen these in black and white movies, never seen one in my life. Who knows someday, we may be needing these again, and it's great to know there are people out there that knows how they work, like B&G Restore. Great Video.

[@ronalddaub9740]

There's a group of people I watched last night talk on phones just like that with the correct switch boards and everything. Including operators

[@jaspr1999]

After all this time, we still associate phone signal strength with the number of bars we have as a holdover from when this phone was introduced. Thank y'all for such an amazing video and especially the restoration of a piece of history. What is funny to me is that my grandmother still used her phone when I was a kid (70s). Operators and designations (instead of area codes) were disappearing in our area when I was a kid. Wow... Times have changed more than I thought, looking back.

[@michaeldicarlo5540]

Am I the only one getting anxiety watching him take this apart!? Lol. The amount of knowledge and skill you have is absolutely amazing, these phones are very rare and to restore one to new is amazing

[@LuisRodriguez-sc1oq]

I started working For Western electric in 1966 we fixed up quarterfew of these, It took me many years to find a Western electric Wall phone in an old barn , And a candlestick with a subset in a falling down shed, Love your work waiting for more, Take care!!!

[@noras.9774]

Nice, nice! With patina! No paint, no shiny metal!

[@galleos4663]

I like how you guys give us history lessons along the project, so us the audience can learn while enjoying the restoration.

[@chrisconway8163]

Part of the original "5G" network. Nothing could spread information faster that five grandmothers on a party line.

[@francislematt7079]

Covering the bare wires with wax was something I didn't anticipate!

[@BGRestore]

It's interesting to see how they insulated wires to use before rubber :)

[@swaffdog6521]

Great job in the restoration. Can't wait to see more restoration projects from you guys!

[@henriknordeng]

So cool to see that a phone from two fellow swedish guys gets to live on. I wish i had that one. Really beautiful work

[@TheNibNerd]

I love looking at antique machinery. So advanced for the times back then. But so primitive for modern times. It fascinates me.

[@martiwilliams8091]

The wax to seal wires was amazing. The project was so amazing. Thank you

[@pyromain]

I like imagining he actually uses this from time to time to call his friends.

[@jdzencelowcz]

I'd love to see it working, & the process of giving it new power.

[@josephharris5398]

The restoration craftsmanship sometimes rivals the original work! Well done!

[@BGRestore]

Thank you so much, we appreciate it!

[@SargeWolf010]

I remember using one of these b4 at a family members house 🤣😅

[@stevenbest6408]

Totally enjoyable! I just wish you had one or two others so they could be connected and function. Nice videography, great detail and pacing. Thanks so much for posting this!

[@BGRestore]

Thank you so much, that means a lot! We're planning to have a future videos with more telephones, so stay tuned :)

[@MisterRorschach90]

I can tell you as a vampire this was the best time to be kind of alive. You had the ability to call someone halfway across the world, and you weren’t always being watched or listened to. I ate wonderfully back then.

[@Amandavg]

My great grandparents had a phone like this in their home up until their passing in their 90’s. As far as I know it was still there when the house was sold. Seeing this brought me happy memories of them ❤️

[@mskayla7747]

That telephone takes me back a few decades. My Great-grandfather, in the mid-1960's, still had one of those in his little country store (very rural NC). How rural? Wood stove for heating, oil lamps for lighting. Thanks for the fond memories of days gone by. Nicely done restoration. I just found your channel as this was a recommended video for YT. 🙂

[@georgeshelton6281]

I already realized it so of, just how different; our telephones were built/constructed. ☎️ 📲 📴 📞 📵 📳 ☎️

[@brianbaratheon]

Was it one of those stores where people would come in and tell the clerk what they wanted, and the clerk would go in the back and get everything for the customer?

[@mskayla7747]

@@brianbaratheon no, not unless they were getting meats/cheeses to be sliced, or flour/sugar to be weighed.

[@DangerousMoonwalkerOfficial]

Might I ask what part of North Carolina because my family originated from the Newton Grove/Clinton area

[@georgeshelton6281]

@Dangerous Moonwalker Of what I first didn't know about David Graue is that: he was a Flat Rock North Carolina resident. Regarding what was first unknown to me. It's just that I've already looked at and read, most of his early black and white comic strip series. Most of his early works were created during the entire 1970s. It's this era in particular. ⚫️ 🐈‍⬛️ ◼️ ⬛️ ♟️ ▪️ ⚫️ 😳

[@HouseWinchester1874]

Europeans are truly an amazing people. The mind it takes to create something like this is incredible.

[@jparker59able]

Lovely. I like how you cleaned all the original parts and no expensive machinery to get it done.

[@JayH7745]

I remember my Grandma having a phone similar to this model when I was as young as 4 years old. Im 59 now. So that would have been around 1967. Hudson Kansas kept using them into the 1960's and early 1970's when I was still a child. I had to stand on a kitchen chair in the livingroom to reach near the mouth piece. LOL Hudson only had a population of a few hundred people. The town is still active today with the flour mill and one cafe being the only businesses left. I remember talking to my Mother on this type of phone when I'd stay at my Grandmother's home in Hudson. They worked just fine to a child back then. I really enjoyed watching your video upload. It brought back lots of great memories. Thank you very much! 🤗

[@DaleDix]

Stromberg Carlson old American 4/5 radios are still going strong today with channels restoring them. Good strong stuff.

[@allanegleston4931]

a friend of mine still remembers his ringtone from these phones when he grew up in a small town that still had these phones .

[@montyzawinski6767]

I have a 1890's Western Electric Double box with the original dry batteries from 1905. This video is going to get me starting to restore mine!

[@stef1lee]

I'm so blown away by this restoration. I have been so curious about how these worked. Thank you for this video and thank you for sharing such an amazing piece of history with us. I look forward to many more amazing projects you all come up with.

[@perha45]

I have one that is a bit younger than this (it has a handheld receiver combined with the microphone). It is not an Ericsson but it is built by the Swedish Telecom Administration (Telegrafverket). I rebuilt it with a new microphone and earpiece and I put rotary dialler in the battery box. It works beautifully today!

[@centexan]

When I was a kid in the 50s and 60s, we had friends on a farm who still used a phone much like this. I loved it. Still do.

[@gexgeko6520]

OK, That was truly magical as I was in awe at the detail and clarity of this production. 35 minutes of pure enjoyment. Wow great production.

[@nena4215]

That was so interesting how it all worked, I couldn’t believe the waxed in wires on the back and the size of the batteries you showed. Pretty cool video, thanks!

[@clifflewis-yq3lw]

Wow!!! What a transformation. Witnessing your expertise and the intricacies of the reserection these time capsule devices is such a satisfying experience. Thank you so much! ❤❤

[@STR82DVD]

Brilliant stuff. The iPhone of its time. Thanks for sharing the rebuild and restoration.

[@user-ge6hf2xs4r]

Great skill and patience is a blessing restoring this work of art. Great job!

[@oscarcsar]

My dad bought a brand new Stromberg Carlson stereo sound sistem back in the 1980's. Just by readint the brand of the phone many memories have came back to my mind 😞😞. My dad passed away nine years ago, thanks for making me remember him. Oh, btw, excelent restoration 😊.

[@Reinhard_G.1965]

Truly fascinating... in just 120 years we made a giant jump in telephone development! To imagine that this device was the latest state of technology at that time -- mind- blowing, simply mindblowing...

[@nickr1184]

Imagine it took half that time from first flight to a trip to the moon.

[@Reinhard_G.1965]

@@nickr1184 > Even more incredible, indeed; and also the technical development in general -- in the last century we've made more progress than the whole millenium before!

[@welidacosta6670]

Beatiful!

[@treeeter]

Wow! This restoration is better than perfect!

[@mannyortiz4814]

B&G Restore my darlings, it’s incredible to see a telephone from the past. When I was a small child occasionally I saw one of these telephones. The memories that are connected with the phone are stored in my head forever. Thank you for allowing me to remember those days from the past. Take care and stay safe 🌹😇🌈🌞👍🎈🕊🇺🇸❤️🙏

[@jortagena]

Surely its audio is better than a modern smartphone... and beautiful

[@armorer94]

I had a friend growing up whose dad was an engineer for the local electric company. He had one like that in their basement. His dad had rebuilt it and it worked fine. In fact, they used it as their basement extension. The only thing you couldn't do was dial out.

[@BGRestore]

Great Story, Thanks for sharing! We're planning on making a similar intercom system in the future (with another telephone) :)

[@normmcrae1140]

I also had a friend (Barney) who did exactly the same thing - although we COULD ring out - just to the Operator - who had to connect you (still happened in the 1970's). I LOVED that phone! Thanks for bringing back a great memory of an old friend.

[@chrisrichard298]

I have almost this exact model of phone hanging in my kitchen. It is 100% original, but has 2 things I added on. Unlike the model in the video, mine was field convertible to common battery (as opposed to local battery as the one in the video). I added a magnetic catch to the front cover, and inside - in the battery compartment - I mounted a touch tone pad from an 80's era 2500 type desk phone. It's just wired in parallel to the carbon transmitter, so no real modifications to the internal wiring were necessary. It still works, and I still use it. Probably my favorite of all my antique phones.

[@jazzquebec2847]

Wow, it was like a science class watching you revisit a bygone era. I was fascinated from start to finish. I congratulate you and thank you for sharing with us your passion and your love to perpetuate the beauties of the past. You have caught a new subscriber.

[@BGRestore]

Glad you enjoyed it!

[@pogostix6097]

Maybe now you and LADB Restoration can have a phone call... Lovely restoration!

[@davecardoza4762]

I just love these antiques restoration videos. Time very well invested. Thank you for your videos. 🙏🏼

[@BGRestore]

Glad you like them, our pleasure! :)

[@douglasclark9332]

My Great Uncle worked for Stromberg Carlson in Rochester his whole life. My father sold phone service in Iowa for Stromberg Carlson in the early 60's. Excellent work! It is very cool to see a restoration project with a close personal tie. Thank you.

[@BGRestore]

That's amazing, thanks for sharing!

[@bobhayhurst9536]

You did a good job. Being a retired repairman I couldn't help but think about all the history was being scratched off. I have an old Kellogg wall phone and I haven't done anything to restore. I've kept it original.

[@kjamison5951]

“5 bars allowed for a greater call distance.” I’m lucky to get three bars on my cell phone! But seriously, thank you for this! What a fascinating project!

[@BGRestore]

😂😂

[@kevinstaddon8517]

This must be 5G phone

[@perha45]

I doubt that the number of bars has anything to do with call distance since all they are used for is to generate the voltage for the ring signal from the phone to the switch board.

[@robertbullcarmichael9856]

I love my old phones. As long as the elements are working you can hook it to the system and it will work. Well answering anyways. My boys loved answering the phone with mine. I need to get it out and hook it back up. I have a nice little collection and still enjoy using them. Especially my old rotary units. Great video and awesome work.

[@hecateblackwater7589]

That sounds SO cool! Maybe you should set up an old phone museum kind of thing!

[@tushrpanchal]

We're all watching this on devices that will never be as beautiful and durable as this.

[@Subgunman]

I remember seeing a similar style phone that was modified. The area under the shelf was actually boxed in and part of the shelf was hinged allowing the shelf to lift up exposing a DTMF pad and where below was hidden the telephone network allowing the phone to work on modern lines. The magneto had been removed replaced by a false handle that could turn. The area where the magneto and the batteries once were housed was modified by removing the shelf allowing one to store a small personal telephone book. Can you imagine sitting in an old kitchen during a thunder storm and looking up at the phone to catch sparks flying between the lightning arrestor contacts caused by a nearby strike or static buildup. This was an interesting video showing how man used what technology and materials he had available to him to provide a useful tool.

[@gaiawolfwitch]

that was absolutely beautiful to watch, thank you x

[@yosephinaeda711]

Now That's Amazing! This phone was created in 1900s, And used during British Colony of Borneo Battle Squad.

[@normies0003]

Love the way you showed what was supposed to be there for the shelf, even tho the vid is 10 months old

[@nobuckle40]

Really enjoyed watching this. Very fascinating to see the old tech. Would love to see it up and functioning.

[@MadMan3498]

It's a good thing you restored this phone, I've been trying to reach you about your car's extended warranty!

[@warthogA10]

So amazing to watch. Soothing and satisfying for me. But even more amazing, is thinking of the people who figured this all out back in the day, and all the individual parts involved.

[@joyghosh5655]

Ooo man got tears in my eyes my great Granny used to had this model really thankyou for restoring this

[@janicemayer244]

Excellent! Thank you!

[@hecateblackwater7589]

So THATS where the term ‘bars’ came from! I never thought about that before! That’s so neat!

[@Torbis101]

Wow! How fascinating was this!

[@marshabroers6518]

What talent! And what a BEAUTIFUL piece of Americana!! 🇺🇸☮️♥️

[@ianmoseley9910]

I'm most impressed by the fact that it still had that small spanner with it.

[@suhayl5157]

This is a video I enjoyed watching so much. thank you and great respect to you and to our forefathers; those brilliant minds that gave us all what we have today.

[@Jim-ie6uf]

Beautiful workmanship!

[@t.r.campbell6585]

My grandma and grandpa had one of these wooden box phones. I remember it. I think I was four or five years old at the time.

[@kylejweeks]

Ive been looking for more restoration stuff that wasnt just knives and lighters and this was recommended, great work! Ive subbed and cant wait for more videos!

[@va3ngc]

Beautifully done. I am working on a Northern Electric N1300. Great to see how it is done before I finish off on my project.

[@BGRestore]

Thank you! Glad to hear that, we hope to see the finished project :)

[@hatimibrahim9220]

Opening such history boxes shouldn't be without a ceremony

[@allen_steel1236]

When you disassemble the magneto, you should have marked the position of each one of the bars, where it's at and which end faced which way. They are part of a electromagnet-based generator. Also the number of bars had nothing to do with the distance of the phone call, the bars only created the magnetic field to run the Magneto to ring the operator, which was usually located within a few miles of the person who owned that phone. As we saw on the TV show Lassie where the operator was in a lady's house. There would have been anywhere from two to four batteries in the bottom section of the telephone. The small wrench clipped inside the door was for disconnecting the lugs on the dry cell telephone battery. 1.5 to 1.7 volts each. However about 5 amp hours, but only a very small current over a long period of time could be drawn. Normally those phones operated around 35 Louis amps of rain current to as much as 90 milliamps of rain current if you were on a farm way out in the country. That was generated by the Magneto, at the telephone office bank. The batteries in the phone were used to provide the voltage to keep the circuit open for talking. You could actually connect that to a modern-day phone line You'll need 300 ohm 2 Watt resistors. Put one in series with each one of the legs of the telephone line. You will not be able to make a call but you'll be able to receive one, and the phone should ring.

[@gregorydekeyzer703]

If I recall correctly, the magnets had markings on one pole so that they could all be oriented (polarity) in the same way.

[@salsa101]

When I was watching this video, I was wondering if it could be connected to a modern line. It be really interesting to see it working.

[@Zigzagsensation]

I really read that whole thing right before I have to go to school.

[@DaveJOHAZ]

Alan, great info. Thanks! You say you could receive a call using this phone but not make one. What would you need to make a call on it? Is it just because you couldn't dial a specific number with it? Clara over in Mt. Pilot isn't there anymore to connect your call for you??

[@popeyethepirate2902]

@@DaveJOHAZ that's exactly right.

[@billieteixiera]

Beautiful! I wish mine looked like that!!

[@My_Op]

You HAVE to call Mr Carlson's Lab with it!

[@corkrandall3716]

That was awesome. Great job.

[@jorgefernandez-mv8hu]

That was a wonderful restoration!

[@yvaniannucci1143]

I love old telephones like that

[@canadian_american84]

Lol my kid just said to me "Marie Poppins phone!" Great job!

[@billding3205]

Very nice restoration. The thing that really stands out is how tight the grain is on the original wood compared to the new wood used for the shelf. It probably would have taken old-growth lumber to even come close.

[@petestaint8312]

Wow!!! Fantastic. 👍

[@tysonatkins2236]

Back when almost everything came in a wood, or metal box! Nowadays, everything is plastic! I remember seeing this type of telephone on Lassie back in the day, although I've never used one. Great restoration!

[@mndlessdrwer]

With projects like this, it's always hard to tell when you should stop trying to seek perfection and embrace the imperfections as part of the character of the thing you're restoring. Like, it's possible to keep sanding the metal to remove all of the pitting, then polish it to a mirror finish before plating, but it takes forever and the original parts weren't even that perfect.

[@normagrimstad8869]

The days before plastic. Well, maybe bake light, but every piece is made of such quality. No wonder it’s still fixable after 100 years.

[@gregorydekeyzer703]

Had a system of these set up among family members and outbuildings when I was a kid. Used electric fence wire and trees I cut for poles. Used it until the telephone company finally did away with the party lines.

[@chriscyrus2983]

Excellent work great craftsmanship a man that knows his job doing these phones I love antique phones especially the older ones back in the 1900s but excellent job way to go bro

[@Barbarra63297]

Used one of these many times on Grandma's farm, dang party line lol.

[@franciskavanagh6179]

Fantastic! it certainly does remind us of how far we have come

[@pjeaton58]

The circuit would need a little modification for a standard landline.

[@doriWyo]

Well done!

[@Bendythedancingdemon-gc7zy]

Whenever I see these kinds of phones, I think of the phone in Splatoon 2 DLC, aka the Octo expansion and I go like “that phone, that damn phone.”

[@kirillkomaroff]

Great restoration!