Servant Call System from the Charles F. Brush Residence, Cleveland, Ohio, circa 1885

THF156895 / Servant Call System from the Charles F. Brush Residence, Cleveland, Ohio, circa 1885
01

Artifact Overview

Annunciators were call systems that alerted servants to the needs of the household in which they worked. Each room contained a button to trigger the annunciator housed in servant's quarters. Primitive 18th-century bell systems evolved with the rise of battery power, telegraphy, and home electrification. This device was from the Charles F. Brush mansion, inventor of the arc lamp.

Artifact Details

Artifact

Annunciator

Date Made

circa 1885

Location

Not on exhibit to the public.

Object ID

30.723.1

Credit

From the Collections of The Henry Ford.

Material

Wood (Plant material)
Copper (Metal)
Paper (Fiber product)
Textile materials

Dimensions

Height: 28.75 in
Width: 7 in
Length: 21 in

02

Related Content

  • TWA Experimental Anti-Snow Static Loop Antenna, 1937
    Set

    Top Twenty: IMLS Communications Grant

    • 20 Artifacts
    Airport radio navigation beacons required pilots to listen for Morse code patterns to hold the correct course--notoriously difficult during storms. In 1936, Transcontinental & Western Air introduced an anti-snow directional antenna which could be used, in high-static situations, to "home in" on airport radio signals. This loop was housed in a sleek metal enclosure, protecting it from the elements.