The following are representative pictures of Automatic Electric Telephones.
The Strowger company was formed in 1891, founded by Almon Strowger (inventor of the dial telephone and the Strowger Step by Step telephone switching system). In 1901 the name was changed to Automatic Electric. In 1957, General Telephone (later becoming GTE) purchased Automatic Electric but kept the name. In 1989, AT&T and Automatic Electric merged to form AGES. What was left of Automatic Electric later became part of Lucent, then Alcatel-Lucent, and now Nokia.
Webmaster’s Note: We do NOT own any of these phones. We do NOT sell any of these phones. We find pictures on the Internet and show you what we find. Please do NOT ask us where to purchase these phones (hint: try eBay!).
Move your mouse cursor over each picture for a detailed description.
AE Model 1 or 11
Years Made: 1925
AE Model 1A or 11A
Years Made and Notes: 1925 to 1938, Uses an inductor, 11A - Uses a unique receiver and does not have an inductor coil, requires external subset
AE Model: 2 or 12
Years Made and Notes: 1925 to 1933, 2 - Uses an inductor, 12 - Uses a inductive coil receiver unit and does not have an inductor coil
AE Model 3 or 13
Years Made: 1926 to 1934
Same wiring and setup as the 2 & 12
AE Model 4, 14 or 17
Years Made and Notes: 1929 to 1930s.
4 - Common battery with inductor, 14 - Common battery with inductive coil type receiver & no inductor, 17 - Magneto operation
AE Model 7 or 19
Dates Made and Notes: 1930's, 7 - Common battery, 19 - Magneto operation - the inductors are different
AE Model 8
Years Made: 1928
AE Model 21 Wall #1
Years Made: 1920's - 1930's
AE Model 21 #2
Years Made: 1920's - 1930's
AE Model 21 Candlestick
Years Made: 1920's - 1930's
AE Model 34
Years Made: 1934-1938
AE Model 35
Years Made: 1935-1937
AE Model 40
Years Made: 1938-1956
Automatic Electric Model 43
Years Made: 1938-1950s
AE Model 47
Years Made: 1938
Notes: Three line phone
AE Model 50
Years Made: 1938-1956
AE Model 80 - Black
Years Made: 1954-1975
Very common desk phone, made to compete with Western Electric model 500 phones. Known colors: Black, White, Seafoam, Blue, Red, Green, Pink, Yellow, Beige, Ivory, Gray
AE Model 80 - White
Years Made: 1954-1975
Very common desk phone, made to compete with Western Electric model 500 phones. Known colors: Black, White, Seafoam, Blue, Red, Green, Pink, Yellow, Beige, Ivory, Gray
AE Model 80E
Years Made: 1975-1986. Successor to the AE 80 series. Both rotary and Touch Tone models were made.
AE Model 80E - Beige
Years Made: 1975-1986. Successor to the AE 80 series. Both rotary and Touch Tone models were made.
AE Model 80E - Brown (Touch Tone)
Years Made: 1975-1986. Successor to the AE 80 series. Both rotary and Touch Tone models were made.
AE Model 83
Years Made: 1950's.
AE Model 88
Years Made: Late 1950s. Speakerphone version of AE 80 series.
AE Model 90
Years Made: 1956-1973. Very common wall phone companion to AE 80 series. Known colors: Black, Yellow, Seafoam, Red, Beige, Ivory, Blue, Gray
AE Model 182 - Pink
Years Made: 1960 - ?. "Starlite" desk series to compete with Western Electric "Princess" model. Made in both rotary and Touch Tone models.
Known colors: Seafoam, Blue, Pink, White, Beige, Black, Green, Blue, Aqua
AE Model 182 - White
Years Made: 1960 - ?. Starlite" desk series to compete with Western Electric "Princess" model. Made in both rotary and Touch Tone models. Known colors: Seafoam, Blue, Pink, White, Beige, Black, Green, Blue, Aqua
AE Model 183 - Green
Years Made: 1958-1983. "Spacemaker" series. Successor to AE 83 series.
AE Model 183 - White
Years Made: 1958-1983. "Spacemaker" series. Successor to AE 83 series.
AE Model 192 - White
Years Made: Late 1970s, early 1980s. "Starlite" wall mount series, replaced the AE 90 series. Both rotary and Touch Tone models were made.
AE Model 192 - Yellow
Years Made: Late 1970s, early 1980s. "Starlite" wall mount series, replaced the AE 90 series. Both rotary and Touch Tone models were made.
AE Model 880
Years Made: Late 1970s? Speakerphone, replaced 88T series. Both rotary and Touch Tone models were made. Known colors: Black, Beige, Green, Black, Ivory
AE Model 980 - Green?
Years Made: Late 1970s to early 1980s? "Styleline" series to compete with Western Electric's "Trimline" series. Both rotary and Touch Tone models were made.
AE Model 980 - Orange
Years Made: Late 1970s to early 1980s? "Styleline" series to compete with Western Electric's "Trimline" series. Both rotary and Touch Tone models were made.
