INTERCOM

Description: LIGHT BROWN METAL; RECTANGULAR. ON FRONT IS CONTROL PANEL FOR INTERCOM. AT TOP OF PANEL ARE TWO ROWS OF LEVERS, WHICH CAN BE PUT INTO THREE DIFFERENT POSITIONS, LABELLED "COM", "OFF", AND "ON". ABOVE EACH ROW OF LEVERS IS A STRIP OF PAPER WITH NAMES AND LOCATIONS TYPED ON IT, BEHIND A PIECE OF CLEAR PLASTIC. IN THE MIDDLE OF THE BOTTOM ROW OF LEVERS, IS A ROUND, CLEAR PIECE OF GLASS, THAT IS HALF COVERED BY A ROUND PIECE OF METAL. IN CENTRE OF PANEL IS A ROUND SPEAKER, COVERED WITH STRIPS OF DARK BROWN, PLASTIC. TO THE LEFT OF SPEAKER IS ANOTHER LEVER; BELOW THIS LEVER IS A LABEL THAT READS "WEBSTER ELECTRIC TELETALK CONSOLETTE WEBSTER ELECTRIC CO. RACINE WIS". TO THE RIGHT OF SPEAKER ARE TWO BLACK SWITCHES, THAT CAN BE MOVED INTO DIFFERENT POSITIONS, WHICH ARE LABELLED "ALL CALL" "OFF" "ON" "PROGRAM" "LISTEN" "TALK". BELOW SPEAKER IS A ROUND KNOB LABELLED "MONITOR VOLUME". BELOW THIS IS A RED LABEL THAT READS "WEBSTER ELECTRIC COMPANY". ON BOTTOM OF PANEL ARE SIX KNOBS THAT ADJUST VOLUMES AND TREBLE AND BASS CONTROL. TO THE RIGHT OF THIS IS AN ON SWITCH. THERE ARE THREE PIECES OF MASKING TAPE BELOW VOLUME KNOBS. THERE ARE VENT HOLES ON SIDES, TOP, AND BACK OF INTERCOM. ON BACK IS A BLACK ELECTRICAL CORD, AND MANY WRAPPED WIRES ALL WRAPPED TOGETHER IN BROWN THREAD. ATTACHED TO THIS IS A CLEAR PLASTIC BAG CONTAINING TWO PIECES OF PAPER, WITH WRITING IN BLUE PEN ON THEM.

History: INTERCOM WAS BOUGHT AT AN AUCTION AROUND 1980, TO BE USED AT A HUTTERITE COLONY, BUT WAS NOT USED. IT ORIGINALLY CAME FROM A LETHBRIDGE SCHOOL THAT WAS TORN DOWN (MCKILLOP SCHOOL). INTERCOM IS STILL OPERATIONAL. DONOR WAS AN ELECTRICIAN AT M&S COAL MINE, NEAR ESTEVAN, SASKATCHEWAN, IN THELATE 1950'S. HE WAS RESPONSIBLE FOR DISMANTLING MINE. THIS PIECE OFEQUIPMENT WAS USED IN THE MINES AND SALVAGED BY DONOR. DONOR MOVED TOLETHBRIDGE IN 1970 FOR A BETTER PAYING JOB; ALREADY HAD MANY RELATIVES LIVINGHERE. DONOR IS AN ELECTRICIAN AND OWNS QUEST ELECTRIC & ALARM. DONOR HASALSO BEEN A HAM RADIO OPERATOR SINCE 1961.