Old House Question

I have one of these on the front door and one at the top of the steps on the second floor. I think it might of been used to communicate from outside to inside, before doorbells?

Anyone know what it was used for?

The bottom part on the front door looks like it had a button you could push, but it appears to be broken.



these two are from the top of the stairs on the second floor. there is a little flapper on it

Probably a communication tube, (Like on a old ship) you talk into a long tube. Probably like an intercom.
maybe for the milk man to Ring in or whistle thru?

WNY wrote:Probably a communication tube, (Like on a old ship) you talk into a long tube. Probably like an intercom.
maybe for the milk man to Ring in or whistle thru?

we tried that before and couldnt hear anything on the other end. maybe its broken or clogged?

That's a nifty set up if it is truly an air tube communication system. Why don't you post a question on Kovel's antique site. You might get some insight on it's use there.

VigIIPeaBurner wrote:That's a nifty set up if it is truly an air tube communication system. Why don't you post a question on Kovel's antique site. You might get some insight on it's use there.

ill try that out late tonight or tomorrow. thanks for the tip

Any ghosts at your place brck? I figure with all that history there is one or two in the woodwork.

can you try some compressed air thru it to see if anything comes out. Do it front the inside out, in case something does come out, won't blow it all over the room. Probably blocked with bugs, or something.

YEs, Speaking tubes or voice pipes with annunciator for Mail or Milk Delivers or visitors.

http://www.dself.dsl.pipex.com/MUSEUM/C ... cepipe.htm

http://www.myknobs.com/bb1218pb.html

That is a speaking tube. Most old buildings in large cities had them. When I lived in Chicago(hated it) some places still had the speaking tubes still in service. There should have been a mouthpiece where the flapper is. You open the little flapper when you wish to speak or listen. The doorbell button is a standard electric door bell. Like most ideas from the 19th century. They work very well, you must speak into the mouthpiece much like a telephone and speak clearly. The person on the other end will hear you easily.

coaledsweat wrote:Any ghosts at your place brck? I figure with all that history there is one or two in the woodwork.

No ghost that i am aware of. the wife and i just watched a haunting in conneticut tonight. she was scared out of her mind. those were the only ghost ive seen so far ..

coaledsweat wrote:Any ghosts at your place brck? I figure with all that history there is one or two in the woodwork.

They're here.

This seems to be an old and an ancient kind of a door bell, which was used by the primitive owners of this old house. This bell can be utilized as an antique or as a historical part of your house or you can even change or renovate it as you think right.

I`ll take a burger, fries & a coke please.

brckwit, your picture shows exactly what I have in my 1930 house--down to what you call the little flapper. The kitchen end is intact, but the area on the wall upstairs where it should connect has been covered over. (This was not done well, so I can tell exactly where it should be.) My questions: Did you find a way to repair yours? Did you find a source that sells parts? I would love to find one of the outer parts to make my speaking tube intercom whole again.
And.....the way we used it when I was young: first you blew into the little hole without opening the flapper (This made a high pitched whistle in order to get the attention of the person on the second floor.) and then you opened the tube using the flapper and delivered your message. (Our messages were mostly things like, "Hurry up. You're going to miss the bus!"
I realize this is a reply to an old post, but I'm hoping to hear from someone......