What is this?

[4runner]

My daughter and her husband were painting one of the spare rooms in their late 1950s era house and came across a small electric/warning box attached to one of the walls near the ceiling. It was wired with light duty wires into the wall. A picture is below. Does anyone know what it was for? A type of heat/smoke detector?

Thanks.

 

[Hooked_on_HP]

Innercom?? phone ringer?
Bill

 

[MossRoad]

Is that a speaker cone inside of it?

 

[MossRoad]

Also, which end is up? :laughing:

 

[4runner]

Which end is up? I'm not sure... but the picture was taken with it mounted. So from the paint drip, I would think the round opening would be towards the top.

As far as it being an intercom, they said it was mounted near the ceiling and not within reach of someone standing.

 

[Kays Supply]

It looks alot like an early door bell ringer like my Grandmother had in her house many years ago. Buzzer would be closer.

 

[MossRoad]

I was thinking buzzer of some type, too.
Here it is rotated 90 degrees.

 

[Redgoatea]

Looks like a phone control box and ringer from back when you rented all your in house equipment from Ma Bell. Cut the paint, open it up and see if it's still live. I'm betting not.

 

[alchemysa]

If it has bell inside its probably a telephone ringer extension. My Gran had one in her big old house. The phone was in the 'good room' but everyone was always in the kitchen at the other end of the house.

Or an early doorbell ringer.

 

[dcyrilc]

I'm thinking doorbell ringer.