Umair Gaines
The Northern Electric 302 is a desk telephone that was manufactured in Canada from 1937 until the late 1950s. The 302 was one of the first phones to include the ringer and network circuitry in the same housing. Designed by Bell Telephone Laboratories engineer George Lum, the 302 was rugged and easy to repair. The majority of 302 telephones were produced in black, but painted colour sets were available by 1939 for a surcharge.
| Characteristics | Values |
|---|---|
| Manufacturer | Western Electric, Northern Electric |
| Manufacturing locations | United States, Canada |
| Manufacturing dates | 1937–1955 (Western Electric), late 1950s (Northern Electric) |
| Type | Desk set telephone |
| Ease of repair | Easy to repair |
| Colour options | Black, ivory, Pekin red, green, blue, rose pink, dark gold, statuary bronze, old brass, oxidised silver |
| Housing material | Zinc alloy, thermoplastic (Tenite) |
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What You'll Learn
- Manufacturing dates: 1937-1955 (Western Electric, US), 1937-1950s (Northern Electric, Canada)
- Designer: Bell Telephone Laboratories engineer George Lum
- Housings: zinc alloy, thermoplastic, black plastic
- Colours: ivory, Pekin red, green, blue, rose pink, dark gold, statuary bronze, old brass, oxidised silver
- Repairs and refurbishments: rarely needed repairs, routinely refurbished into the 1960s
Manufacturing dates: 1937-1955 (Western Electric, US), 1937-1950s (Northern Electric, Canada)
The Model 302 telephone was manufactured as a desk set telephone by Western Electric in the United States from 1937 to 1955. The design of the telephone began in the early 1930s, with field trials taking place in 1936 before large-scale deployment commenced in 1937. The 302 was a rugged and easily repairable desk telephone. It was one of the most widely used American combined telephone sets to include the ringer and network circuitry in the same telephone housing. The majority of 302-series telephones were produced in black, with painted colour sets available by 1939 for an additional charge. The housing was originally cast from a zinc alloy, but by 1941 production sets were increasingly made from a thermoplastic material called Tenite.
In Canada, the Model 302 telephone was manufactured by Northern Electric until the late 1950s, well after the introduction of the 500-type telephone in 1949. The sets were routinely refurbished into the 1960s.
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Designer: Bell Telephone Laboratories engineer George Lum
The Model 302 telephone is a desk set telephone manufactured in the United States by Western Electric from 1937 to 1955, and in Canada by Northern Electric until the late 1950s. The design of the 302-type telephone was conceived by Bell Telephone Laboratories engineer George Lum in the early 1930s. Lum's design was influenced by contemporary trends in Europe and the independent market in the US during the 1920s, which aimed to combine all telephone components into a single desktop unit. The 302 was the first Western Electric telephone to follow this trend.
George Lum's design for the 302-type telephone incorporated elements of contemporary technology from the early 1930s. For example, the Ericsson model DBH 1001 of 1931, conceived in 1929 by Norwegian artist and designer Jean Heiberg, and the Automatic Electric Type 34 Monophone desk telephone, introduced in 1934, may have inspired Lum's design. The design of the 302 evolved during the early 1930s, a period marked by the Great Depression, which delayed the introduction of new telephones.
The 302 was a rugged and easily repaired desk telephone. Most US telephones were leased to subscribers from the Bell System as part of their monthly service fees. Western Electric also built and sold 302 telephones to independent telephone companies. The 302 was one of the most widely used American telephone sets to include both the ringer and network circuitry in the same housing. This design feature eliminated the need for an external subscriber set, or "desk set box," that was required by earlier Western Electric telephones.
The majority of 302-series telephones were produced in black. However, by 1939, painted colour sets were available for an additional fee. The housing of the telephone was originally cast from a zinc alloy, but by 1941, production sets were increasingly made from a thermoplastic material called Tenite. This thermoplastic housing offered a range of colour options, including ivory, Pekin red, green, blue, and rose pink. However, telephone production was suspended during World War II due to military material requirements.
After World War II, telephone production resumed in 1945, with black plastic housings being the standard option. By 1949, colour sets were reintroduced, and custom colour requests could be fulfilled, including dark gold, statuary bronze, old brass, and oxidized silver. All early telephone sets featured dials with metal finger wheels, either in black or brushed stainless steel for the colour telephones.
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Housings: zinc alloy, thermoplastic, black plastic
The Northern Electric 302 telephone was manufactured in Canada until the late 1950s. The housings of these phones evolved over time, initially being cast from a zinc alloy. However, by 1941, production sets were increasingly crafted from a thermoplastic material called Tenite. This shift in material choice reflected advancements in technology and economic efficiency. The thermoplastic housings offered a range of colours, including ivory, Pekin red, green, blue, and rose pink.
During World War II, telephone production was suspended due to military material requirements. It wasn't until 1945 that production resumed, marking a return to black plastic housings. This continued until 1949, when colour options were once again introduced to the market.
The Northern Electric 302's housing evolution didn't stop there. Beginning in 1955 and extending into the 1960s, the Bell System remanufactured the 302 as the type 5302. This updated version featured a newly designed housing and, eventually, the G-type handset of the 500-type telephone.
The Northern Electric 302 telephone was known for its rugged and easily repaired nature. Its design was a significant step forward from earlier telephones, which required an external subscriber set to house the ringer and network circuitry. By contrast, the 302 model integrated both the ringer and network circuitry into the same telephone housing, making it a groundbreaking innovation in desktop telephone design.
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Colours: ivory, Pekin red, green, blue, rose pink, dark gold, statuary bronze, old brass, oxidised silver
The Northern Electric 302 telephone was manufactured in Canada until the late 1950s. The majority of 302-series telephones were produced in black. However, from 1939 onwards, painted colour sets were available for subscribers willing to pay a surcharge. The housing was originally cast from a zinc alloy, but by 1941 production sets were made from a thermoplastic material called Tenite. These thermoplastic housings were available in five colours: ivory, Pekin red, green, blue, and rose pink (or simply "rose").
Telephone production was suspended during World War II due to military material requirements, and post-war production resumed with black plastic housings in 1945. In 1949, colour sets were reintroduced, and custom colours could also be ordered, including dark gold, statuary bronze, old brass, and oxidised silver. These custom colours could be special-ordered through the Bell System. Early telephone sets featured dials with metal finger wheels, either black or brushed stainless steel for the colour telephones.
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Repairs and refurbishments: rarely needed repairs, routinely refurbished into the 1960s
The Northern Electric 302 telephone is described as a ""remarkably complex, simple device" that rarely needs repairs. Once repaired, the phone rarely needs further work. The 302 was a rugged and easily repairable desk telephone.
The 302-series telephone was manufactured in the United States by Western Electric from 1937 to 1955 and by Northern Electric in Canada until the late 1950s. The sets were routinely refurbished into the 1960s.
The Bell System remanufactured the 302 as the type 5302 in its distribution centre workshops, beginning in August 1955 and extending into the 1960s. The refurbished 302 model featured a newly designed housing and, eventually, the G-type handset of the 500-type telephone, which gave the set a similar appearance to the 500.
The 302 was one of the most widely used American combined telephone sets to include the ringer and network circuitry in the same telephone housing. This design emerged in the 1920s in Europe and the independent market in the US, combining all telephone components in one desktop unit.
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Frequently asked questions
The model 302 telephone is a desk phone manufactured in Canada by Northern Electric until the late 1950s. It was one of the first phones to include the ringer and network circuitry in the same housing.
The 302-series telephones were mostly produced in black. However, painted colour sets were available by 1939, and by 1941, thermoplastic housings were available in ivory, Pekin red, green, blue, and rose pink.
The Northern Electric 302 phone was manufactured until the late 1950s, well after the introduction of the 500-type telephone in 1949. Post-war production resumed with black plastic housings in 1945.
The 302-type telephone was designed by Bell Telephone Laboratories engineer George Lum starting in the early 1930s.
