Vintage ITI Black Rotary Telephone Indian Posts Telegraphs Desk GPO Phone DJL
£43.00
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Vintage ITI Black Rotary Telephone Indian Posts Telegraphs Desk GPO Phone DJL
£43.00
Item Overview
• Type: Rotary Dial Desk Telephone / Vintage Office Telecommunications Prop
• Designer: GPO Engineering Standard / Indian Telephone Industries
• Brand: ITI (Indian Telephone Industries Ltd.)
• Manufacturer: Indian Telephone Industries Ltd. Bangalore
• MPN: Model DJL 11044-A8
• Place of Origin: Bangalore, India
• Style: Mid-Century Industrial / Retro British GPO Telecom Design
• Colour: Classic Jet Black
• Design Era: Mid-20th Century (c. 1950s–1960s)
• Material: Solid Compression-Moulded Bakelite
• Set Includes: Complete Base Unit with Handset, Coiled Cord, and Line Wire
• Features: Internal Mechanical Brass Bells, Original Underside Paper Tag
• Condition: Vintage Condition (Honest Wear, Earpiece Rim Chip - See Photos)
• Size: Approx. H 15 cm x W 19 cm x D 15 cm (Standard 300 Series Footprint)
Dating & Historical Context
• Dating: This iconic item dates strictly to the mid-20th century (c. 1950s–1960s). The heavy, solid compression-moulded Bakelite casing and early numeric rotary layout are textbook diagnostic signatures of mid-century administrative telecommunications hardware.
• Historical Note: Manufactured in Bangalore by the historic Indian Telephone Industries Ltd. (ITI), this telephone was commissioned directly for the Indian Posts and Telegraphs Department. Produced using the highly resilient, military-grade moulds shared across the Commonwealth from the British General Post Office (GPO) 300-series design, it represents a remarkable era of global social and industrial history. Complete with its original, aged paper specification label on the baseplate, this phone preserves its authentic dual-bell internal chassis that once delivered the iconic, resonant metallic chime of vintage offices.
Description
A wonderful collector's piece of global telecommunications history, this genuine black Bakelite telephone showcases a classic, stark modernist shape. The sweeping geometric lines of the heavy main body terminate in the definitive dual-cradle design, holding an authentic matching handset wired with its historic coiled handset cord and rear line wire.
Expert Identification & Design Features:
• Authentic Bureaucracy Tag: The underside of the baseplate features its genuine, original paper inventory label detailing the Indian Posts and Telegraphs Department production stamp and its official model verification [Farley].
• Tactile Rotary Wheel: The vintage dial wheel spins smoothly against standard mechanical spring-back resistance, offering an exceptionally satisfying tactile response.
• Solid Pyramid Silhouette: This variant features a clean, un-drawered front base profile that accentuates the pure, uninterrupted Art Deco geometric lines of the phone's heavy shell.
• Authentic Bureaucracy Tag: The underside of the baseplate features its genuine, original paper inventory label detailing the Indian Posts and Telegraphs Department production stamp and its official model verification [Farley].
• Tactile Rotary Wheel: The vintage dial wheel spins smoothly against standard mechanical spring-back resistance, offering an exceptionally satisfying tactile response.
• Solid Pyramid Silhouette: This variant features a clean, un-drawered front base profile that accentuates the pure, uninterrupted Art Deco geometric lines of the phone's heavy shell.
Condition Report
This telephone is in honest, untouched vintage condition and displays a highly desirable historic character. The main Bakelite body shell is solid with an excellent deep lustre, free from large structural splits or cracks. The rotary dial wheel functions smoothly and returns cleanly. As detailed in the close-up gallery images, there is an authentic historic chip to the outer rim of the handset's circular earpiece cover, along with minor surface pitting and light cosmetic wear commensurate with its age. The rare underside paper label has aged beautifully over decades, showing a rich amber patina that proves its historical authenticity. The internal wiring remains intact. This unit is sold as an untested display piece, theatrical prop, or restoration project.
Shipping & Logistics
• Domestic Shipping: FREE UK TRACKED DELIVERY.
• International Shipping: We proudly ship worldwide via the eBay Global Shipping Programme (GSP). Note: The Global Shipping Programme seamlessly transitions to eBay International Shipping (eIS) protections as regional rollouts update.
• Packaging: Because vintage Bakelite is inherently brittle, this item will be heavily swaddled in multi-layered, high-density bubble cushioning, packed inside a rigid double-walled shipping container, and completely insulated against impact to safeguard the earpiece and tag during transit.
• Dispatch: Order before 12.00pm and we ship same day.
Returns & Payment Policies
We want you to be delighted with your heritage find.
• Not as Described: In the unlikely event of an error in our listing, we will provide a full refund and cover the return postage costs.
• Change of Mind: We accept returns within 30 days; however, in these instances, the buyer is responsible for the return shipping costs.
• Payment: Secure checkout via eBay Managed Payments (Credit/Debit, Apple Pay, Google Pay, PayPal).