Western Electric 30550-A Transmitter

Western Electric Co. Ltd. (London) was incorporated in 1910 to take over a business which had already been trading for some years. The British arm of the business existed in other forms from around 1898 onwards. In 1925, Western Electric's international operations were acquired by the ITT corporation, and the name of the British subsidiary's name was changed to Standard Telephones and Cables Ltd.* who continued to build several microphones under license from their former parent company, such as the STC 4021 and 4033 models.

Our microphone is stamped Western Electric Co. Ltd. (London) and so must have been manufactured between 1910 and 1925. It would originally have been suspended in a ring by four springs to reduce vibrations.

You can read more about the Western Electric Co. Ltd at the British Telephones website and at Graces Guide.

History of the Western Electric Company, USA