19th Century BELL TELEPHONE CO. Antique Wooden Sign -Rare Piece of Phone History

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19th Century BELL TELEPHONE CO. Antique Wooden Sign -Rare Piece of Phone History:
$728.11

Exceptionally RARE Piece of Telephone History - 19th Century 2-Sided Wooden BELL TELEPHONE CO. SignThis is truly a rare survivor! *Despite extensive searches including U.S. and Canada Bell/AT&T Archives, I\'ve been unable to find another surviving wooden Bell Telephone sign... anywhere! As per Collector\'s Weekly, \"Most Bell signs were made of porcelain, but some early pay station and booth signs were made of wood or glass.\" and \"From the 1880s until the 1950s, one of the most dominant forms of outdoor advertising signage was durable, weather-resistant porcelain.\"*I\'ve also been unable to find another sign of any material that just says \"Bell Telephone Co.\" as all signs I\'ve seen reflect the merger or licensed entities e.g. \"Bell Telephone Co. of Pennsylvania\", \"Bell Telephone Co. of Canada\", \"Bell Systems\", etc., with a logo picture of a bell. (logo adopted c1880\'s)As per AT&T Archives, the Company name history is as follows:
\"Holding Companies (controlling Alexander Graham Bell’s telephone patents)
-The first Bell Telephone Company, a Massachusetts association, was formed in Boston on July 9, 1877. This is the earliest predecessor to AT&T.
-The second Bell Telephone Company, a Massachusetts corporation, succeeded the first on July 30, 1878 and lasted until March 13, 1879, when National Bell Telephone Company replaced it.
*Licensees (of the second holding company and its successors)
-Bell Telephone Company of New York was formed Aug. 14, 1878 to operate a telephone exchange in New York City. It existed until May 12, 1880.
-Bell Telephone Company of Philadelphia was established Sept. 18, 1878 to operate a telephone exchange in Philly. It was renamed Bell Telephone Company of Pennsylvania in 1907.
-Bell Telephone Company of Illinois was founded on Jan. 4, 1879 to operate a telephone exchange in Chicago. It was replaced by Chicago Telephone Company on Jan. 14, 1881.
-Bell Telephone Company of Buffalo was formed April 25, 1879 to operate a telephone exchange in Buffalo, NY. It existed into the early 20th century.
-Bell Telephone Company of Missouri was formed Dec. 3, 1879 to operate a telephone exchange in St. Louis. It changed its name in March 1913 to The Southwestern Telegraph and Telephone Company.
-The Bell Telephone Company of Canada, Limited was incorporated on April 29, 1880 to operate the telephone business throughout Canada and to manufacture telephones and associated equipment. Renamed Bell Canada, Inc. in March 1968, its progeny includes the now defunct Nortel.\"*This sign was obtained from barn storage of an estate years ago in Ontario, Canada. It\'s been suggested it originates from Hamilton, Ontario, the city of the first telephone exchange in the British Empire; however, I\'ve been unable to confirm its origin.
*Measures approx. 24.5\" wide, 17.5\" high, 2\"deep*Please note this is an antique item and as such shows wear, paint loss, etc.; however, this historical sign is original, intact and exceedingly rare in any condition.
*Please use \'s photo zoom feature to view condition and should you require larger photos, don\'t hesitate to ask.*To aid in sale success, please read about automatic offerding in \'s help section. Best of luck and thank you for your interest!