GPO c.1920s Type B Telegraph Relay (U.K. General Post Office)

Antique telegraph equipment: this United Kingdom GPO (General Post Office) Standard Type B brass telegraph relay, hinged brass cover with thick bevel-glass top, on a wooden base.

Seven terminals marked: D, Ⓓ, U, Ⓤ, S, T, M. On the side of cylinder is a knob that rotates to set either SPACING or MARKING functionality. Lightly impressed into the edge of the wooden base is the number “100” (in 2 places, faint and difficult to see). Under the cover, engraved into the brass top-plate: a large letter “B” and “G.P.O. 17212”. Underneath, hand-scratched into the wooden base is the number “48”. Measures 130mm diameter by 145mm tall (5.1" diameter by 5.7 inches tall), weight is 3 lbs 5 oz. Small chip in the edge of the thick glass top, and the top-surface is near pristine condition, one small 4mm long scratch, see the close up photos.

For the aficionado collector of 19th and 20th century electrical telegraph equipment, or as vintage Steampunk decor.

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REFERENCES

1. Before the Phone, by Professor Nigel Linge, University of Salford, scroll to Figure 6: Post Office Standard Type B Morse Relay.

2. Telegraph relays at the Smithsonian that appear to be identical to the one in this listing: #332193 –and– #331622

3. From New Zealand and marked “No 542 H. W. SULLIVAN LONDON” but otherwise identical to the one in this listing, see item# 164 in this long compendium, Index of telegraph components (PDF)

4. Wikipedia — The telegraph came into widespread use in the mid-19th century. In Great Britain, the Telegraph Act 1868 granted the Postmaster General the right to acquire inland telegraph companies in the United Kingdom and the Telegraph Act 1869 conferred on the Postmaster General a monopoly in telegraphic communication in the UK. The private telegraph companies that already existed were bought out. The new combined telegraph service had 1,058 telegraph offices in towns and cities and 1,874 offices at railway stations. 6,830,812 telegrams were transmitted in 1869 producing revenue of £550,000.