Late 19th Century Cast Iron Telephone Pay Station 1900 Vintage advertising chalkboard menu sign

Vintage advertising chalkboard menu sign

connected to a handle

Exhibits minor signs of wear including tarnish and some dust build-up

5" H x 11" W

Late 19th Century Cast Iron Telephone Pay Station 1900 Vintage advertising chalkboard menu signGray Automatic Telephone Pay Station Co. Hartford, CT Antique cast iron telephone pay station. This piece was designed and manufactured by William Gray and his eponymous pay station company in 1898. The coin operated mechanism was used to prepay for outgoing calls and would have been connected to a bank of telephones. An electronic signal would be sent to a central operator who would be notified of the prepayment and patch the call through. The