Phones in Color!

(What's this copyright notice?)

Although black was the most common color, early phones were sometimes painted in colors to blend with the customer's decor.

When bakelite and plastic were used instead of metal and wood, it became possible to actually make the phones in colors. The obvious advantage was that the color was in the material and did not wear off with frequent use.

Collectors keep asking the question, "What colors was it made in?"
and losing or forgetting the answer.

This page is a place to help keep track of what we've found.

Colors are divided into "standard production colors" found in the manufacturers' literature, and "other colors" that were available on a special order or custom basis. Other colors also includes sets that are in collections, but haven't been found in catalogs yet.

The source column refers to the standard production colors.

This page does not include colors that were apparently added by homeowners or third party refurbishers. For some outrageous examples of phone decorating, see the page, Why did they do that?

Most info here is from manufacturer catalogs and ads plus discussions on the ATCA and TCI listservs. No claim is made regarding accuracy or completeness.

If you're enjoying looking at this level of detail, and haven't joined one of the phone clubs yet, see the links page.

This is a work in progress. Please send comments, additions and corrections.

Last update: 20 June 2008

Shortcuts to: Automatic Electric Kellogg Leich North Northern Electric Stromberg Carlson
Western Electric Models: 200&300 5300 500 Princess Trimline Headsets

Phone Model Family	Standard Production Colors	Other Colors	Source
Automatic Electric Monophones 1A thru 50	black, mahogany, chinese red, orchid, nile green, royal blue, maroon, walnut, old ivory Models 34, 40, 50 only - jade green	butterscotch, transparent	AE brochure
AE 80 desk, 90 wall, 95 panel, 182 Starlite, 183 Spacemaker, 192 Starlite Wall, 880 Speakerphone, 980 Styleline	Link to AE Colors Chart		GTE GSPs Listservs
Kellogg bakelite 700, 900, 925, 990, 9917	black walnut (brown)		Catalog 10
Kellogg 1000 "Redbar"	black walnut (SelectOPhone system)	white, blue, pink ("given to salesmen")	Catalog 10 Catalog 11
Kellogg 1000 "Clearbar"	--	black, green, red white/purple_swirl	Listservs
Kellogg DK500 500	00 Black 02 Red 03 Brown (Dark, Discontinued in 1957) 04 Yellow 05 Green 06 Blue (Dark, Discontinued in 1957) 07 Beige (Dark, Discontinued in 1957) 08 Gray (Dark, Discontinued in 1957) 09 Ivory (After 1957) 10 Turquoise 11 Rose Pink 12 Aqua Blue 13 Light Beige 14 Light Gray 15 White 16 Sea Green 43 Orange	Note: 2-tone sets were available for several years in the mid-1950s with colored housings and black handsets and dials.	Listservs 1972 Catalog
Leich 1xx "Convertible"	black red, gray, yellow, light blue, white, beige, green, turquoise, pink, ivory	dark gray, rose beige, dark blue and clear. Note: 2-tone sets were available for several years in the mid-1950s with colored housings and black handsets and dials.	Leich Catalog, 1961 Listservs
Leich North 7H6 Conversion (Makes a North H-series set look like an AE80)	-- Black (no suffix) A Ivory C Beige H Turquoise J White L Pink		Leich Catalog, 1961
North H-series "Galion"	black, ivory, green, maroon, mahogany, royal blue, chinese red	White, tan	Brochure
North 541	Black Emperor Blue (B) [dark] Tawny Green (G) [dark] Chartreuse Yellow (Y) Indian Ivory (J) Coral Sand (T) [like WE rose beige] Executive Gray (GR) [dark] Richland Red (R) Note: 2-tone sets were available for several years in the mid-1950s with colored housings and black handsets and dials.	pink, white	North Sales Guide - 3/56 Listservs
Northern Electric Uniphone	black brown		Catalog T7
Northern Telecom Contempra	almond, beige, biscuit, black, brown, burgundy, cafe au lait, clear, dark blue, pale blue, harvest gold, moss green, ivory, mauve (MD73), burnt orange, red, sienna (rust), dark turquoise (MD73), white, light yellow. dark brown leather, light brown leather, white leather swirl.	American Club Limited Editions Granit series (Looks like rock or marble): White, Ivory, Black, Green Woodgrain series: Light Burlwood (Ivory), African Burlwood (Dark Brown), Oak	Listservs
Stromberg Carlson 119x-series	black	ivory, red, dark brown, lavendar, green, blue and clear	Ads Listservs
SC 1543-series	black (like WE early 500-series colors) 101 Desert Beige (dark) 102 French Blue (dark) 103 Chestnut Brown (dark) 104 Dove Gray (dark) 105 Olive Green 106 Antique Ivory 107 Chinese Red 108 Canary Yellow Note: 2-tone sets were available for several years in the mid-1950s with colored housings and black handsets and dials. (like WE 1957 500-series colors) pink, white, light beige, light grey, light blue		SC Catalog Listservs
SC 500 2500 Miniwall (rotary) Slenderet (Similar to WE Trimline below)	BLK Black BLU Blue GRN Green LGR Lime Green CBR Cocoa Brown CRD Cherry Red ORG Orange HGD Harvest Gold BGE Beige ASH Ash IVY Ivory WHT White (Limited Edition Swirl Sets in Slenderet Desk models only -- ca. 1978-82) CRS Cherry Swirl (red/white) CHS Chocolate Swirl (brown/white) BSS Butterscotch Swirl (yellow/white) MTS Mint Swirl (green/white)	Other Slenderet swirl colors: Orange/white Swirl Blue/white Swirl Black/white Swirl Brown/yellow Swirl Blue/yellow Swirl	SC Catalogs T916 Issue 1 3/78 Listservs
Western Electric 200 & 300-series metal, painted (-xx = WE color code) WE Color Code Chart D1 mounting (1930-38) 300-series (1936-54) Model numbers see: WE 300-series types	-3 Black -4 Ivory -6 Old Brass -7 Statuary Bronze -8 Oxidized Silver -12 Dark Gold After early 1930s: -16 Old Rose -18 Dark Blue -19 Gray-Green -20 Pekin Red 2-tone Metal 302s refurbished and painted in early 500-series colors (1954-57) -50A Ivory -51A Moss Green -52A Gray -53A Red -54A Brown -55A Beige -56A Yellow -57A Blue Late 211s only: -50 Ivory -51 Moss Green -53 Red -56 Yellow -58 White -59 Pink -60 Light Beige -61 Light Grey -62 Aqua Blue -64 Turquoise	- - - - - 75th Anniversary Reissue: (~1951) D1 base with F1 handset, plastic fingerwheel, matching subset. From service centers. "Continental" Painted in 302 colors "Silver Continental" - silver base with ivory painted or plastic handset, ivory subset. "Imperial" - Gold base with ivory painted or plastic handset, ivory subset. - - - - - 300-series: ( '37 only) Yale Blue Medium Brown	C30.011, I6 Addendum, I2 C32.502, I8 Listservs
WE 300-series thermoplastic	-3 Black -4 Ivory -16 Old Rose* -18 Dark Blue* -19 Gray-Green* -20 Pekin Red* *desk set only	-29 Transparent (1939 World's Fair) - - - - - Late 302 shells in 500 colors with painted handsets (1954): -50 Ivory -51 Moss Green -53 Red -55 Beige	C30.011 Late 302s reported on Listservs
WE 5300-series (1955-) Model numbers see: WE 300-series types	-3 black	pink, aqua, biege, white, red, green, clear (With G3 handsets)	C32.567 C32.568 502-400-101 Listservs
WE 500-series (1949-86) Model numbers see: WE 500-series types 1500-series (1964-67) 2500-series (1968-)	-3 Black *New in 1953* (Black handset, dial & cord): -50 Ivory -51 Moss Green, Mistletoe Green -52 Dark Gray, Oxford Gray (MD* 1957) -53 Cherry Red *New in 1954* (full color or two-tone): -54 Mahogany Brown (MD 1957, continued for keysets for several years) -55 Dark Beige, Rose Beige (MD 1957) -56 Pastel Yellow -57 Dark Blue, Mediterranean Blue (MD 1957) *New in 1957* (two-tone MD): -58 White -59 Rose Pink (MD ca. 1978) -60 Light Beige -61 Light Gray (MD ca. 1978) -62 Aqua Blue *New in 1964* -64 Turquoise (MD ca. 1978) Late Production (80s, 90s) -93 Lemon Yellow -104 Chocolate Brown -105 Dark Green, Hunter Green -106 Lime Green -115 Royal Blue, Dark Blue -123 Butter Yellow -124 Rust -145 Blue, Teal (almost identical to -305) -305 Country Blue (almost identical to -145) - ?? Gun Metal Grey (Oxford Gray) - ?? Peach - ?? Salmon *MD = Manufacture Discontinued	-29 Transparent - - - - - - - - - - Note: Two-tone sets were available for several years in the mid-1950s with colored housings and black handsets and dials. They used the same color codes with the suffix A. (e.g. -53A for two-tone red.) Sets have also been found that have matching shells and handsets, but black dials with metal fingerwheels. After the MD date, continued demand for 2-tone sets was satisfied by conversion of black sets using colored housings. Work was performed at the Distribution Centers.	C14.002 Listservs AT&T Press Releases
WE Princess (1959-)	-58 White -59 Rose Pink -60 Light Beige -62 Aqua Blue -64 Turquoise New in 1963 -3 Black -51 Moss Green -56 Pastel Yellow -61 Light Gray New in 1967 -50 Ivory -53 Cherry Red Late Production (80s) -145 Blue, Teal -255 Cameo Green - ?? Peach	-29 Transparent "Imperial" - Gold or Chromed base with ivory or black handset.
WE Design Line	Colors by model included in the table at: WE Design Line Sets
WE Trimline (1964-)	-3 Black -50 Ivory -51 Moss Green, Mistletoe Green -53 Cherry Red -56 Pastel Yellow -58 White -59 Rose Pink -60 Light Beige -61 Light Gray -62 Aqua Blue -64 Turquoise -104 Chocolate Brown -105 Dark Green, Hunter Green -111 Harvest Gold -114 Bright Red -115 Royal Blue, Dark Blue -124 Rust -139 Charcoal Gray -142 Midnight Blue -143 Burgundy Red -144 Cinnibar Red -145 Teal Blue (almost identical to -305) -146 Dark Teaberry Pink -147 Creamy Apricot Pink -170 Mocha -302 Green, Forest -303 Yellow, Sunny -305 Blue, Country (almost identical to -145) - ?? Peach	-29 Transparent	Listservs
WE Merlin	-03 Black -58 White -104 Chocolate Brown -139 Charcoal Gray -142 Midnight Blue -143 Burgundy -144 Cinnabar		Listservs
WE Headsets	52-type in -3 Black, -51 Moss Green, -53 Cherry Red, -56 Pastel Yellow, -58 White 53-type in -3 Black (clear or black caps) 60 and 61-types in -3 Black, -50 Ivory	-50 Ivory, -60 Light Beige	Listservs 028-360-501 028-361-501 028-362-501 028-363-501

To view 1983 Western Electric Color Charts, follow these links:
For Phones , or For Components .

(Thanks to Todd Bernstein and David Massey for providing these charts!)

Please send comments or photos of your favorite phones to:

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