General Information

Serial #

N/A

Part Number

1

Total Parts

1

AKA

N/A

Patents

N/A

General Description

BAKELITE, WITH METAL (INCLUDING STEEL) COMPONENTS.

Dimensions

Note: These reflect the general size for storage and are not necessarily representative of the object's true dimensions.

Length

11.5 cm

Width

7.0 cm

Height

4.1 cm

Thickness

N/A

Weight

N/A

Diameter

N/A

Volume

N/A

Lexicon

Group

Energy-electric

Category

User site

Sub-Category

N/A

Manufacturer

AKA

Pass Seymour

Country

United States of America

State/Province

Unknown

City

Unknown

Context

Country

North America

State/Province

Unknown

Period

THIS TYPE OF RECEPTACLE PROBABLY USED C. 1950S- 1970S, AND POSSIBLY LATER.

Canada

PART OF A LARGE & VARIED COLLECTION OF ELECTRICAL ITEMS ACQUIRED BY ONTARIO HYDRO IN THE 1960S. THIS COLLECTION CONSISTS OF OVER 7500ARTIFACTS, AND IS THOUGHT TO BE THE LARGEST & MOST COMPREHENSIVE IN CANADA. IT WAS DONATED IN ITS ENTIRETY TO THE NATIONAL MUSEUM OF SCIENCE & TECHNOLOGY IN 1992.

Function

PROVIDES A POINT AT WHICH POWER CAN BE DRAWN FROM A WIRING DEVICE.

Technical

BAKELITE WAS MOST POPULAR FROM THE MID-1920S TO C. 1950. THE ELECTRICAL INDUSTRY WAS THE FIRST TO TAKE AN INTEREST IN THE LARGE SCALE USE OF BAKELITE BECAUSE IT MET THE HUGE DEMAND FOR INSULATING MATERIAL. BAKELITE WAS USED TO MAKE PLUGS, SWITCHES, RECEPTACLES, INSULATORS ETC. IN THE LATE 1920S, COLOUR PIGMENTATION WAS ADDED TO BAKELITE SO ELECTRICAL MANUFACTURERS WERE NO LONGER RESTRICTED TO BROWNS AND BLACKS. BAKELITE LOST MUCH OF ITS POPULARITY AFTER WW11, AS PEOPLE FAVOURED PSEUDO-HISTORICAL DESIGNS. THE TRADE CATALOGUES OF THE LATE 1940S AND 1950S SHOW AN INCREASED USE OF BAKELITE. (REF. 1)

Area Notes

Unknown

Details

Markings

"P&S" & "STRIP GAUGE" appear on recpetacle back.

Missing

NONE.

Finish

DARK BROWN BAKELITE FEATURES VERTICAL BANDS ON CENTRAL AREA OF PLATE.

Decoration

N/A