
The History of the Blue Bell Telephone Sign as implemented by
New England Telephone and Telegraph
By Larry Larned
(Click on the thumbnails below to see a larger
version of the signs)
While strolling down New York's lower Broadway during 1888, Angus
Hibbard observed that trade signs painted blue and white seemed to stand out the
best. At the time Angus Hibbard was the general superintendent for American
Telephone and Telegraph Company (AT&T) then referred to as the Long Distance
Company. AT&T was established during 1885 as an American Bell Telephone Company
subsidiary. Its purpose was to connect distant cities with long distance lines.
Three years had gone by since AT&T's founding and public pay phones were
becoming more widespread. But the company had no standardized signing for
marking long distance payphone locations. Having noticed signs painted blue and
white attracted the eye, Angus had a thought. Many vendors and stores at the
time advertised their wares or services by displaying large symbolic examples
above the sidewalk. Why not symbolize Bell telephone service using the outline
of a bell?
Advertising is often related to the American consciousness through subliminal
cultural themes. The Bell interests released its first telephone advertisement
in May 1877 referring to Prof. Bell's “Speaking and Singing Telephone.” An image
of The Liberty Bell came to Angus' mind coinciding with The American Bell
Telephone Company named for the Bell patents and Alexander Graham Bell. Angus
Hibbard set to work sketching renditions of an appropriate advertising sign. His
first attempt included adopting the Liberty Bell shape in blue and attaching a
set of wings indicating the flight or speed of modern telephone transmission. On
the bell he included the words in white “LONG DISTANCE TELEPHONE.” The bell was
set on a white background and Angus showed his sketch to Theodore Vail, then
president of AT&T.
Following a brief discussion about the merits of symbolism and what
would influence the public to not only locate a Bell telephone pay station but
to actually use it, the decision was made to remove the wings and to adopt a
simpler design. This was accomplished during the spring and summer of 1888. A
letter dated August 17, 1888, not 1889, signed by Angus Hibbard and offering
“iron enamel signs” bearing the blue bell symbol is preserved in the Southern
New England Telephone Co. archives. The Great Blizzard of March 1888 during
which Angus A. MacDonald is shown patrolling the Boston-New York Main Line (open
wire toll) in West Boylston, MA. is a singular event that convinced Angus
Hibbard of the need for developing a meaningful symbol reflecting the “SPIRIT OF
SERVICE.”
Not far away in Wrentham, Massachusetts during autumn 1888, in
New England Telephone & Telegraph Co. territory, a long distance public
telephone station was placed in the local drug store looped to the
Providence-Boston long distance line owned by AT&T. This became one of the first
if not the first recorded locations for displaying the Blue Bell sign. Within a
short period of time, the Blue Bell sign appeared in the states where AT&T built
long lines and established long distance public telephone stations. The “LONG
DISTANCE TELEPHONE” signs became available in etched glass for use as windows in
early long distance telephone booths and in iron enamel. Glass signs measuring
6”x10” were offered by the Marsland Co. of NYC. Marsland also provided the same
message on its iron enamel signs often affixed to a wooden signboard hanging
from a bracket over the sidewalk. Another set of “LONG DISTANCE TELEPHONE” signs
were produced for AT&T by a firm in England. These signs usually, but not always
included a side- mounting bracket.
Local Bell operating companies did not have the benefit of the Blue Bell sign
before 1895 when the word ”LOCAL” was added to the wording “LONG DISTANCE
TELEPHONE.” This was done to indicate that exchange as well as long distance
service was available wherever the sign was displayed. The original “LONG
DISTANCE TELEPHONE” signs often remained displayed in locations where non-Bell
operating Companies provided local service well into the 20th century.
Theodore Vail being an astute businessman decided the Blue Bell symbol should
be registered. Unknown to Vail and others in the Bell organization, using the
likeness of the liberty bell was a popular theme. Upon application to the US
Copy Right Office they discovered a similar trade -mark had been registered to a
fish dealer in Boston. It would be many years before the Blue Bell image became
registered as a service mark.
New England, being the home of the American Bell Telephone Co.,
became the breeding ground for early Bell licensed companies. The Southern New
England Telephone Company became an early player not only in exchange service to
Connecticut but in toll service to eastern New England as well. Its toll lines
extended into Massachusetts and through Rhode Island. A key figure involved in
New England telephone history was Marshall Jewell who served as President of the
Southern New England Telephone Company. His plan was to create one Bell
operating company for all of New England. His untimely death during early 1883,
thwarted the consolidation of the Southern New England, the Connecticut, the
Inter State, the Providence, the Boston and Northern, the National Bell
Telephone Company of Maine, the Bay State, the Granite State, the Suburban, the
Ingham, Glidden and Downe and the Southern Massachusetts Telephone Company. From
the turmoil following Marshall Jewell's death and the loss of his great personal
prestige and political influence emerged New England Telephone & Telegraph
Company. New England Telephone & Telegraph Company was chartered on October
19,1883 under the laws of New York State. It consolidated the Telephone Dispatch
Company, the National Bell Telephone Company of Maine, the Boston and Northern
Telephone Company, The Granite State Telephone Company and the Bay State and
Suburban Telephone Company. Bell operating companies in Southeastern
Massachusetts, Rhode Island and Connecticut were not included.
A little known company, New England Telephone & Telegraph Company of
Massachusetts was chartered during 1888 for the purposes of maintaining "pole
rights" with the Edison Electric Illuminating Company of Boston. It's parent
company was NET&T.
In essence NET&T became the “home” regional operating company for
American Bell Telephone controlled by Boston financiers. Being chartered in New
York provided NET&T with additional capital and led to the AT&T takeover of
American Bell during 1900. Employees working for American Bell referred to the
Bell licensed companies as the “System.” Although the term “Bell System” was
adopted for use in the national media during 1908, there is considerable
evidence that “Bell System” was used on signs before 1908 by NET&T possibly as
early as 1900 when AT&T became the mother company. American Bell was dissolved
by decree during 1921 when the next series of Bell System signs appeared.
Realizing its image had become tarnished over complaints about poor service
and predatory business practices regarding independent telephone companies, AT&T
during 1903, retained the services of a public relations and advertising firm in
Boston called The Publicity Bureau. This company attempted to create a new image
for the Bell interests including AT&T. It is very probable that a new signing
style was adopted following 1903. One of the most significant styles to emerge
during this period was the circular band or wreath sign. The NET&T version
included the familiar Local and Long Distance bell in the center surrounded by a
blue band containing New England Telephone & Telegraph Company in the top
portion and Bell System in the lower portion. The circular band has remained in
different forms ever since. The Publicity Bureau continued to serve the Bell
interests until 1907 when Theodore Vail returned as President of AT&T. He
terminated the services of the Publicity Bureau and established his own PR
department in the Company. Almost immediately he adopted the term “Bell System”
for media advertising.
The 1921 redesign had its start during 1911 when Theodore Vail
President of AT&T, announced a consolidation of local Bell operating companies
into a much smaller number of state and regional operating companies. Hundreds
of independent telephone companies had been acquired by AT&T during the previous
fifteen years. Many independents had faltered financially and lacked capital to
update their plant. With 1912 dawning, AT&T faced anti-trust action by the
Department of Justice. Theodore Vail had been totally against allowing
independent telephone companies the right to physically connect with Bell System
toll circuits. This all changed during 1913, under terms of the “Kingsbury
Commitment” by AT&T to make “arrangements promptly under which all other
telephone companies may secure for their subscribers toll service over the lines
of the companies in the Bell System.”
As AT&T's Publicity Department was designing the '21 logo, an era of
standardization was sweeping the US. Highway signing was being standardized and
manufacturers were standardizing parts. Western Electric decided to standardize
the Bell System's telephone signs and numbered the '21 sign set. The 8” round
became No.1. The 11”x11” flat square became No.2 and its flanged counterpart
No.3. The 2 �”x10” flat “Coin Telephone” became No.4. The 5 �”x19” single faced
became No. 5 and its counterpart double faced with arrow became No. 6. The Blue
Bell lamp shade became No. 7 and the canteen glass sign became No.8. As
additional signs were needed such as the 18” round for use under awnings, they
were numbered too. Each operating company was granted a unique set of numbered
signs beginning with the 100 series. NET&T's 16”x 16” flat was granted No. 101
and its counterpart flanged style No. 102. Pacific Tel's No 102 was a gold
lettered hand painted sign.
The '21 sign set, reflecting the colonial revival period of
architecture, was implemented by 1921 and the Bell System enjoyed sustained
growth until 1932 when the full effects of the great depression were felt in
particular by Western Electric the Bell System supply company. Over 80% of
Western's employees lost their jobs. In an effort to cut costs the Bell System's
advertising budget was slashed. A revised logo was designed and put into service
by 1939. Its message was clear: PUBLIC TELEPHONE/BELL SYSTEM. However, regional
identity had lost out to efficiency. Instead of stocking and ordering 8
different signs for 27 different companies, only 10 different signs or less
required stocking. The '39 sign was introduced by the Southern New England
Telephone Company during 1938 and appears in photos taken during the great New
England hurricane. The '39 date appears to be arbitrary or a ”not later than
date.” Some operating companies managed to preserve their regional identities.
NET&T, perhaps the most prolific operating company in terms of different styles
of telephone signs, chose to keep its '21 signs in service as long as possible
and added its name to at least four '39 signs.
Postwar changes to the Blue Bell occurred during 1964 and again
during 1969. Both changes simplified the logo with the first eliminating the
words “American Telephone and Telegraph Co. and Associated Companies and the
second eliminating the wording “Bell System.” The 1969 logo remains with us
today in very limited use by the remaining Baby Bells who choose to use it. For
those of us who remember the days when the Blue Bell was the Bell System the
term “Spirit of Service” remains in our hearts.

BIBLIOGRAPHY
- Author's interview with Mary Lyons, AT&T Archivist 1977.
- AT&T Archives. 1978. “Memoirs of Angus G. MacDonald.” 195 Broadway New
York, New York
- Brooks, John. 1975. “Telephone-The First Hundred Years”
- Dommers, John.
1983. “The Telephone Book.” Madison, CT: Sachem Press
- Larned, Larry. 1978.”The Blue Bell Legend.” “Insulators Crown Jewels of
The Wire” Chico, CA
- Larned, Larry. 1982. “American Telephone & Telegraph Company Born Under
Non-Regulation Matured Under Regulation” MPA candidate Barney School of
Business, University of Hartford, West Hartford, CT.
- Walsh, J. Leigh. 1950. “Connecticut Pioneers In Telephony.” New Haven,
CT Telephone Pioneers of America

FOR MORE INFORMATION
If you have a questions about a telephone sign, advertising, globe or are interested in selling please feel free to send me an email at [email protected] and I will be glad to assist!
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Created: June 12,
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