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BELL SYSTEM PUBLICATIONS

The Bell System produced numerous publications to communicate news, product features and technical details to a variety of audiences.  This page highlights a few of the ongoing publications and some reference books by or about the Bell System that are of particular interest to telephone collectors.

Bell System Practices (BSPs) are especially interesting sources of technical details,
and are described on a separate page.  Follow the BSP link below.

Information was gathered from collector observations.
Please send additions and corrections.

©2008-20 paulf.  All rights reserved.
Before copying anything from this site, follow this link.



ON THIS PAGE:     PERIODICALS    CATALOGS    BOOKS AND BOOKLETS   ALMANAC
 
RELATED PAGES ON THIS SITE:     BSPs       COLORS      WE SETS (Links on Home Page)  


PERIODICALS
Bell System Organization
 Publication Name
 Content and Audience
 Start Year*
AT&T
 Bell System Technical Journal
Bell Telephone Quarterly
  (became Bell Telephone Magazine)
AT&T Annual Report
Telephone Almanac (annual)

 Paid Subscription
News and product info for
  Bell System Management
News for Stockholders
Info for Subscribers

 1922
1922 - 1940
   1941
1900
1922 - 1963
 (except 1945)
Western Electric
 WE News
The Microphone
The Dial Tone
WE Magazine

WE News Features

The Engineer (quarterly)
 Employee News
Hawthorne Works Employees
Indianapolis Employees
News and product info for
  Employees and PR Staff
News and product info for
  Editors and Bell System PR
Paid Subscription
 1912 - 1932
1931 - 1985
1949
1949

 --

1957
Bell Telephone Laboratories
 Bell Laboratories Record
The Reporter
 BTL "Members" and external
BTL "Members"
 1923
1952


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 Bell of Pennsylvania and
Diamond State Telephone (Delaware)
 The Telephone News
The Bell Ringer
PBX Call
 Employee News
Sales Department News

 1905
 -
1943
New England Telephone
 Telephone Topics
 Employee News 1907
Wisconsin Telephone
 Wisconsin Telephone News
 Employee News 1907
Pacific Telephone and
Nevada Bell (Subsidiary of Pacific Tel)
 Pacific Telephone Magazine
 Employee News 1907, July
Southern New England Telephone
 The Telephone Bulletin
 Employee News 1908
New York Telephone
 Telephone Review
 Employee News 1910
Cincinnati Bell
 Cincinnati Telephone Bulletin
 Employee News 1910
Indiana Bell
 Indiana Telephone News
 Employee News 1911
Mountain States Telephone The Monitor Employee News 1911
Illinois Bell
 Bell Telephone News
Telenews (biweekly) 		Employee News
Employee News
 1912
~1965
Chesapeake & Potomac Telephone
   C&P of Virginia
 The Transmitter
News Topics
 Employee News
Employee News 		1913
-
Southern Bell
 Southern Telephone News
Bell Telephone News
 Employee News
Employee News
 1913
1925
Southwestern Bell
 Southwestern Telephone News
Scene
Telephone Times (biweekly)
 Employee News
Employee News
Employee News
 1913
1963
< 1968
Michigan Bell The Michigan Bell
Tie Lines (biweekly)		 Employee News
Employee News
 < 1920
1965
Northwestern Bell The Northwestern Bell
Northwestern Bell News
 Employee News
Employee News
 1921
1970
Ohio Bell Ohio Bell Employee News 1924
New Jersey Bell
 New Jersey Bell
 Employee News 1928
Pacific Northwest Bell
  (Split from Pacific Tel on 2/1/60)** 		Cascades Employee News 1961
South Central Bell
  (Split from Southern Bell on 12/20/67)**
 -
 Employee News -
Publications are monthly unless noted otherwise.
 
Bell System employee publications typically include local interest stories plus articles from press releases issued by AT&T, Western Electric and Bell Telephone Laboratories.
 
Much of the info was found from my library and internet searches, with additions from John Andrews, Steve Cichorsky, Russ Cowell, Frank Harrell and Richard Romanko.  Thanks!
 
* Start Year shows the year and month of Volume I, Number 1 issue (if known). 
    Otherwise, the Start Year is calculated by subtracting the volume number from the publication year of a found later issue and adding 1
      (and possibly modifying the result based on the starting month of the publication year).
** Organization dates are found in "Events In Telecommunications History," AT&T, 1992.


CATALOGS


Major Western Electric (WE) and Graybar telephone and full line catalogs.

Presented in chronological order for ease in locating a catalog to find a phone of known date.

WE Telephone Apparatus and Supplies Catalogs: 2,3,4,5,6,7,8 (1930-31), 9, 10 and 11.
Graybar General Catalogs: 100, 101, 102, 103, 104, 105 and 106.
Graybar Telephone Catalogs: 10S, 11S and 12T.

In addition, many specialty catalogs and bulletins were published.

WE Electrical Supply "Yearbooks" were published in (at least)
1915, 1916, 1917, 1918, 1919, 1920, 1922 and 1924.
 
A Graybar Electrical Supply Yearbook published for 1926-27
introduced the name change from the WE Supply Department to Graybar Electric Co.

Catalog
 Publication Date
 Notes
- -
 1882
 Western Electric catalog - includes Gilliland acquisition, 24 pages
- - 1883
 General Descriptive Circular - Telephone Apparatus and Supplies
"Catalog 2"
 (unmarked)
 1907,
1908 (2nd ed.)
 Western Electric Telephone Apparatus and Supplies, 107, 169 pages;
     (There was also a 1908 full line WE catalog, 838 pages)
Catalog 3
 1916
 Western Electric Telephone Apparatus and Supplies, 404 pages
Catalog 4
 1922
 Western Electric Telephone Apparatus and Supplies
Catalog 5
 1923
 Western Electric Telephone Apparatus and Supplies, 336 pages
Catalog 6
 1925
 Western Electric Telephone Apparatus and Supplies, 350 pages
Catalog 100
 1926
 Graybar Catalog, 1085 pages  (1926 - 1930 ?)
Catalog 7
 1929
 Western Electric Telephone Apparatus and Supplies, 398 pages
  - Some with and some without Graybar logo
Catalog 8
 1930
 Western Electric Telephone Apparatus and Cable
 --
 1930-31
 Western Electric Telephone Apparatus and Cable and Graybar Supplies, 360 pages
Catalog 101
 1934
 Graybar Catalog, 733ages
Catalog 9
 1935
 Western Electric Telephone Apparatus and Cable,  Graybar logo, 389 pages
Catalog 10
 1939
 Western Electric Telephone Apparatus and Cable, NO Graybar logo, 299 pages
Catalog 10S
 1940
 Graybar Telephone Supplies Catalog, 180 pages
Catalog 102
 1941
 Graybar Catalog, 1072 pages
Catalog 11S
 1947
 Graybar Telephone Supplies Catalog
Catalog 103
 1948
 Graybar General Catalog, 1116 pages
Catalog 11
 1950
 Western Electric, 332 pages
Catalog 104
 1952
 Graybar General Catalog, 1352 pages
Catalog 105
 1953
 Graybar General Catalog, >1600 pages   (1958 ?)
Catalog 12T
 1957
 Graybar Telephone Catalog, 482 pages
Catalog 115
 1958
 Graybar General Catalog, 1628 pages
 --
 1963
 WE Telephone Apparatus and Cable - Defense Activities Division (for US Government), 340 pages
Catalog 13
 1966
Catalog 106
 1967
 Graybar General Catalog, 1116 pages
Catalog 14D
 1969
Catalog 32
 1973
 Graybar Catalog
Catalog 15C
 1975
 --
 1970
  WE Telephone Apparatus and Equipment - Defense Activities Division (for US Government), 824 pages
Catalog 35
 1977
 Graybar Catalog, 277 pages
Catalog 17C
 1979
Catalog 19C
 1987
 Graybar Telecom Products


BOOKS AND BOOKLETS
Title
 Publication Date(s)
 Notes
Timeline of short profiles of AT&T achievements by year
    Events in Telephone History
    Events in Telecommunication History (name change)
 various, including (content pages, excluding index):
    1958, 1964 (52 pp), 1970 (66 pp), 1974 (70 pp).
    1979 (76 pp), 1992 (176 pp).
 AT&T, PR Department
A History of Engineering & Science in the Bell System
  1: The Early Years, 1875-1925
  2: National Service in War & Peace, 1925-1975
  3: Switching Technology, 1925-1975
  4: Physical Sciences, 1925-1980
  5: Communications Sciences, 1925-1980
  6: Electronics Technology, 1925-1975
  7: Transmission Technology, 1925-1975
 
Engineering and Operations in the Bell System
1975
1978
1982
1983
1984
1985
1985
 
1977, 1983
 Bell Laboratories
ISBN: 9781114515130
ISBN: 0-932764-00-2
ISBN: 0-932764-02-9
ISBN: 0-932764-03-7
ISBN: 0-932764-06-1
ISBN: 0-932764-07-X
ISBN: 0-932764-08-8
 
ISBN: 0-932764-04-5
Mission Communications: The Story of Bell Laboratories
 1975
 by Prescott C. Mabon
Bell System Almanacs
 1922-44, 1946-63
 (see below)
Western Electric and the Bell System
 1964
 by Albert B. Iardella
Bell Laboratories
 1972
 by Arthur Gregor

Telephone Almanac

Published annually from 1922-44 and 1946-63.
Bell System Telephone Almanacs - 1922 & 1963

The almanac was one of many marketing brochures that were published to increase public awareness and promote the accomplishments, history and progress of the Bell System. Its purpose, modestly stated on the title page of the 1922 issue, is as follows:

  • Containing valuable information for the guidance of Farmers, Navigators, Business Men, Housewives and other users of the Telephone.
  • Including the Phases of the Moon and like Astronomical Data.
  • Together with certain biographical and historical Facts relative to Men and Events of importance in the Arts, Sciences and Literature.
  • And also a chronicle of twelve Historical Events in the History of these United States which serve to illustrate the importance of Communications in shaping the Destiny of the Nation and in bringing its several Commonwealths together into a single united National Community.
  • To which are added sundry Facts, which will be found profitable for perusal relative to the development of the Science of Communications in general.
  • And more particularly, a Compendium of fascinating Information in regard to the Telephone, its Invention, its Development and its present Importance; Descriptive Matter as to the Bell Telephone System, the Men and Women who compose it, and the Buildings, Poles, Wires, Cables and divers other Mechanical Contrivances and Instruments which constitute its Material Equipment.
  • And various authoritative Items which will be found useful to all who seek secure and remunerative Investment for their Monies.
Information Department
American Telephone and Telegraph Company
195 Broadway, New York

This introduction was gradually shortened in following issues.

The front covers were labeled either Bell System, AT&T or with the name of one of the operating companies (e.g. New England Tel. & Tel.)

1956-60 and 1961-63 issues included a color four-page center spread featuring promoted services and color phones -- notably 1956 (two- and four-color 500 sets), 1958 (color and experimental telephones), 1960 (Princess introduction), 1962 (Interphones) and 1963 (card dialer).

Color image from the 1958 Almanac
from the 1958 Almanac


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©2008-20 paulf.  All rights reserved.