BRITISH WESTERN ELECTRIC COMPANY
TELEPHONE No. 40047

No. 40047
Fitted with four-magnet Generator and is equally suitable for long or short lines.

Framework is of metal throughout and is finished in polished black japan with gilt ornamentation and nickel-plated fittings.

Complete with Microtelephone, Terminal Block and Cords.

Note: The above types can be modified for tropical climates, prices on demand.

Dimensions - 11.5" x 8" x 5.75".


Taken from the Western Electric Co. Ltd. Catalogue 2nd Edition (Circa 1910)


Notes
This model is known as the "Eiffel Tower" in Australia because of the leg arrangement. It was probably produced as a response to Ericsson's Skeletal phone, but was not as successful. It was widely exported and was used by a number of Government departments in Australia.

Two handsets were available - the plain model on the phone at right and the ornate embossed model shown at top right. The handset seems to have been the phone's weak point, and many phones are found with Ericsson handsets. The transmitter and receiver shells were polished aluminium in most cases, and fitted with an early capsule version of White's Solid Back transmitter.

Eventually a new model improved handset (shown at top left) introduced in the late 1890s, appeared. It seems to have solved most of the reliability problems and was used with minor modifications throughout Europe.

A double generator crank version was also made available but not sold in great numbers.

The British Post Office called this their Telephone No. 8.

Last revised: May 14, 2026