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WAlker 5-2985. John De Lorenzo & Bro.
STillwell 4-4100. Beardslee Transmission.
EVergreen 8-7068. W.H. Christian & Sons, Greenpoint
NIghtingale 9-3839. Michael Cerverizzo & Sons.
ESplanade 5-4670. Rotary dial phone at a 2nd-hand shop
Discarded Umbrella Carcasses, NYC
Discarded Umbrella Carcasses, NYC
Discarded Umbrella Carcasses, NYC
Discarded Umbrella Carcasses, NYC
Discarded Umbrella Carcasses, NYC
Discarded Umbrella Carcasses, NYC
Discarded Umbrella Carcasses, NYC
Discarded Umbrella Carcasses, NYC
Discarded Umbrella Carcasses, NYC
Discarded Umbrella Carcasses, NYC
Discarded Umbrella Carcasses, NYC
Discarded Umbrella Carcasses, NYC
Discarded Umbrella Carcasses, NYC
Discarded Umbrella Carcasses, NYC
Discarded Umbrella Carcasses, NYC
Discarded Umbrella Carcasses, NYC
Discarded Umbrella Carcasses, NYC
Discarded Umbrella Carcasses, NYC
Discarded Umbrella Carcasses, NYC
Discarded Umbrella Carcasses, NYC
Discarded Umbrella Carcasses, NYC
Discarded Umbrella Carcasses, NYC
Discarded Umbrella Carcasses, NYC
Discarded Umbrella Carcasses, NYC
Discarded Umbrella Carcasses, NYC
Discarded Umbrella Carcasses, NYC
Discarded Umbrella Carcasses, NYC
Discarded Umbrella Carcasses, NYC
Discarded Umbrella Carcasses, NYC
Discarded Umbrella Carcasses, NYC
Discarded Umbrella Carcasses, NYC
Discarded Umbrella Carcasses, NYC
Discarded Umbrella Carcasses, NYC
Discarded Umbrella Carcasses, NYC
Discarded Umbrella Carcasses, NYC
Discarded Umbrella Carcasses, NYC
Discarded Umbrella Carcasses, NYC
Discarded Umbrella Carcasses, NYC
Discarded Umbrella Carcasses, NYC
Discarded Umbrella Carcasses, NYC
Discarded Umbrella Carcasses, NYC
Discarded Umbrella Carcasses, NYC
WOrth 6-5758. A&A Coffee Shop/Porto Rico Importing Company
I happened to spot A&A Coffee (a.k.a. the Porto Rico Importing Company) on Thompson Street, and not only do I love their sign with its old school phone number (I said so to the cashier) but I also think the coffee was first-rate. I do not know how long this exact location has been a coffee shop but I could see how it would have been in business a long time, surviving against a Starbucks on every corner and other corporate manifestations of the timeless beverage. The place reminded me of the old Siberia Bar, which used to be inside a midtown subway station. According to the Telephone Exchange Name Project, the WO in A&A's old phone number probably stood for WOrth, but in these modern times the WO.6-5758 phone exchange number would be 212-966-5758.
Regent Sign Company
CHelsea 2-3033. Avignone Pharmacy.
Magnasign. BAinbridge 9-4088.
I do not know where Magnasign of N.Y. Inc. was based, but it was probably the Bronx, where the BA in their phone number stood for BAinbridge.
TRafalgar 5-6400. Boro Sign.
Discarded Umbrella Carcasses, NYC
Discarded Umbrella Carcasses, NYC
Discarded Umbrella Carcasses, NYC
Discarded Umbrella Carcasses, NYC
AStoria 8-0733. Florida Signs L.I. City
Discarded Umbrella Carcasses, NYC
San Francisco Seen Through a Treo 700p. February, 2010.
San Francisco Seen Through a Treo 700p. February, 2010.
San Francisco Seen Through a Treo 700p. February, 2010.
San Francisco Seen Through a Treo 700p. February, 2010.
San Francisco Seen Through a Treo 700p. February, 2010.
San Francisco Seen Through a Treo 700p. February, 2010.
San Francisco Seen Through a Treo 700p. February, 2010.
San Francisco Seen Through a Treo 700p. February, 2010.
San Francisco Seen Through a Treo 700p. February, 2010.
San Francisco Seen Through a Treo 700p. February, 2010.
San Francisco Seen Through a Treo 700p. February, 2010.
San Francisco Seen Through a Treo 700p. February, 2010.
San Francisco Seen Through a Treo 700p. February, 2010.
San Francisco Seen Through a Treo 700p. February, 2010.
San Francisco Seen Through a Treo 700p. February, 2010.
San Francisco Seen Through a Treo 700p. February, 2010.
San Francisco Seen Through a Treo 700p. February, 2010.
San Francisco Seen Through a Treo 700p. February, 2010.
GArfield-1-1817. Chinatown, San Francisco
I spotted this old GArfield phone exchange in San Francisco's Chinatown.
San Francisco Seen Through a Treo 700p. February, 2010.
San Francisco Seen Through a Treo 700p. February, 2010.
San Francisco Seen Through a Treo 700p. February, 2010.
San Francisco Seen Through a Treo 700p. February, 2010.
San Francisco Seen Through a Treo 700p. February, 2010.
San Francisco Seen Through a Treo 700p. February, 2010.
San Francisco Seen Through a Treo 700p. February, 2010.
San Francisco Seen Through a Treo 700p. February, 2010.
San Francisco Seen Through a Treo 700p. February, 2010.
San Francisco Seen Through a Treo 700p. February, 2010.
San Francisco Seen Through a Treo 700p. February, 2010.
San Francisco Seen Through a Treo 700p. February, 2010.
San Francisco Seen Through a Treo 700p. February, 2010.
San Francisco Seen Through a Treo 700p. February, 2010.
San Francisco Seen Through a Treo 700p. February, 2010.
Woo Cleaner and Laundry in San Francisco
The Woo Cleaner and Laundry in San Francisco appears to be closed, but its GR exchange name number still shines on its window. The GR appears to stand for either the GRant or GRaystone phone exchange.
San Francisco Seen Through a Treo 700p. February, 2010.
San Francisco Seen Through a Treo 700p. February, 2010.
San Francisco Seen Through a Treo 700p. February, 2010.
San Francisco Seen Through a Treo 700p. February, 2010.
San Francisco Seen Through a Treo 700p. February, 2010.
San Francisco Seen Through a Treo 700p. February, 2010.
San Francisco Seen Through a Treo 700p. February, 2010.
San Francisco Seen Through a Treo 700p. February, 2010.
San Francisco Seen Through a Treo 700p. February, 2010.
San Francisco Seen Through a Treo 700p. February, 2010.
San Francisco Seen Through a Treo 700p. February, 2010.
San Francisco Seen Through a Treo 700p. February, 2010.
San Francisco Seen Through a Treo 700p. February, 2010.
San Francisco Seen Through a Treo 700p. February, 2010.
Discarded Umbrella Carcasses, NYC
San Francisco Seen Through a Treo 700p. February, 2010.
San Francisco Seen Through a Treo 700p. February, 2010.
DEwey 9-6464. Arthur Blum Signs.
Discarded Umbrella Carcasses, NYC
Discarded Umbrella Carcasses, NYC
Discarded Umbrella Carcasses, NYC
ESplanade 5-5020. Central Sign.
Discarded Umbrella Carcasses, NYC
EMpire Phone Exchange, Very Faded Sign
Can you see the EMpire phone exchange in this picture? I can, but one needs to stand at just the right angle to see the old phone number lurking almost invisibly in plain sight. From across the street or from any other angle this phone number is virtually impossible to see but at this angle, and with just slight image enhancement, it becomes clear that an air conditioner company once occupied this space, and was reachable at EMpire-1-1818.
WY phone exchange, midtown.
According to the Telephone Exchange Name Project the WY exchange seen here is either a no-name exchange or else WYoming or WYandotte, the latter of which was a Bronx telephone exchange.
J De Martino Sea Food, COlumbus phone exchange
The COlumbus phone exchange can be seen on this old sign at the J. De Martino Seafood on 9th Avenue in Manhattan. How many times had I seen this sign before cracking the code and noticing that the phone number started with letters and not numbers?
DEwey 9-6464. Arthur Blum Signs.
Discarded Umbrella Carcasses, NYC
TWinings.4-9228 - Laurel Manufacturing Company in Maspeth
The Laurel Manufacturing Company in Maspeth used to be reachable at its old TWinings number (TW.4-9228) but today you could try them at (718) 894-9228. The TWinings exchange was new to me when I saw it, and before looking it up I imagined it might mean a lot of things: TWinkletoes. TWister. TWiddle-dee-dee. Time-Warner.
LOngacre 1-8010. Triboro Neon.
Discarded Umbrella Carcasses, NYC
Discarded Umbrella Carcasses, NYC
Discarded Umbrella Carcasses, NYC
Discarded Umbrella Carcasses, NYC
Discarded Umbrella Carcasses, NYC
Discarded Umbrella Carcasses, NYC
Discarded Umbrella Carcasses, NYC
Discarded Umbrella Carcasses, NYC
Discarded Umbrella Carcasses, NYC
Discarded Umbrella Carcasses, NYC
O'Loughlin Florist. STillwell Phone Exchange.
The O'Loughlin Florist is on Laurel Hill Boulevard, next to Second Calvary Cemetery and across the street from Third Calvary. Their old STillwell phone exchange name number actually rises twice in this picture -- once at top center and again (barely visible) on the bottom left.
Riley Bros. Mausoleums. STillwell Phone Exchange.
Riley Bros. is a maker of tombstones and funerary art. I have seen the Riley name on countless grave markers at all the Calvary cemeteries, old and new. This picture, taken through an opening in a fence, shows how half of their sign still stands, with an incomplete STillwell phone exchange number. Riley Bros. has been in business since 1883 -- before exchange names and telephone numbers even existed!
TWining 8-7610. Acropolis Realty.
My inspiration to collect exchange name sightings came from two sources. One was D., who first drew my attention to how unusual it was to see these old numbers still posted here in the 21st century. The second source came from a bus trip to upstate New York. On that trip I noticed that some real estate agents in the area had advertised themselves using exchange-name formatted phone numbers. I don't recall which two-letter combinations appeared but at the time I imagined that these real estate companies were inspired by the Telephone Exchange Name Project web site (a long-time favorite of mine). Whatever the reasons I found the retro-chic use of exchange name phone numbers to be intriguing, and I was reminded of those upstate New York billboards when I spotted this "For Rent" sign in Astoria. The Acropolis Realty Corp., located in Flushing, uses the old-fashioned TWining phone exchange for its phone number: TW8-7610. Potential clients in the know will recognize this code and they will wisely call Acropolis at (718) 898-7610.
RAvenswood 8-3510. J. Sgroi & Sons.
Discarded Umbrella Carcasses, NYC
Discarded Umbrella Carcasses, NYC
Discarded Umbrella Carcasses, NYC
Discarded Umbrella Carcasses, NYC
Discarded Umbrella Carcasses, NYC
Discarded Umbrella Carcasses, NYC
Discarded Umbrella Carcasses, NYC
Discarded Umbrella Carcasses, NYC
Discarded Umbrella Carcasses, NYC
Discarded Umbrella Carcasses, NYC
Discarded Umbrella Carcasses, NYC
Discarded Umbrella Carcasses, NYC
Discarded Umbrella Carcasses, NYC
Discarded Umbrella Carcasses, NYC
Discarded Umbrella Carcasses, NYC
Discarded Umbrella Carcasses, NYC
Discarded Umbrella Carcasses, NYC
Discarded Umbrella Carcasses, NYC
Discarded Umbrella Carcasses, NYC
Discarded Umbrella Carcasses, NYC
Discarded Umbrella Carcasses, NYC
Discarded Umbrella Carcasses, NYC
Discarded Umbrella Carcasses, NYC
Discarded Umbrella Carcasses, NYC
Discarded Umbrella Carcasses, NYC
Discarded Umbrella Carcasses, NYC
Discarded Umbrella Carcasses, NYC
Discarded Umbrella Carcasses, NYC
Discarded Umbrella Carcasses, NYC
Discarded Umbrella Carcasses, NYC
Discarded Umbrella Carcasses, NYC
Discarded Umbrella Carcasses, NYC
Discarded Umbrella Carcasses, NYC
Discarded Umbrella Carcasses, NYC
Discarded Umbrella Carcasses, NYC
Discarded Umbrella Carcasses, NYC
Discarded Umbrella Carcasses, NYC
Discarded Umbrella Carcasses, NYC
Discarded Umbrella Carcasses, NYC
Discarded Umbrella Carcasses, NYC
Discarded Umbrella Carcasses, NYC
Discarded Umbrella Carcasses, NYC
Discarded Umbrella Carcasses, NYC
Discarded Umbrella Carcasses, NYC
Discarded Umbrella Carcasses, NYC
Discarded Umbrella Carcasses, NYC
Discarded Umbrella Carcasses, NYC
Discarded Umbrella Carcasses, NYC
Discarded Umbrella Carcasses, NYC
Discarded Umbrella Carcasses, NYC
Discarded Umbrella Carcasses, NYC
Discarded Umbrella Carcasses, NYC
Discarded Umbrella Carcasses, NYC
Discarded Umbrella Carcasses, NYC
Discarded Umbrella Carcasses, NYC
Discarded Umbrella Carcasses, NYC
Discarded Umbrella Carcasses, NYC
Discarded Umbrella Carcasses, NYC
Discarded Umbrella Carcasses, NYC
Discarded Umbrella Carcasses, NYC
Discarded Umbrella Carcasses, NYC
Discarded Umbrella Carcasses, NYC
Discarded Umbrella Carcasses, NYC
Discarded Umbrella Carcasses, NYC
Discarded Umbrella Carcasses, NYC
Discarded Umbrella Carcasses, NYC
Discarded Umbrella Carcasses, NYC
Discarded Umbrella Carcasses, NYC
Discarded Umbrella Carcasses, NYC
Discarded Umbrella Carcasses, NYC
Discarded Umbrella Carcasses, NYC
Discarded Umbrella Carcasses, NYC
Discarded Umbrella Carcasses, NYC
Discarded Umbrella Carcasses, NYC
Discarded Umbrella Carcasses, NYC
Discarded Umbrella Carcasses, NYC
Discarded Umbrella Carcasses, NYC
Discarded Umbrella Carcasses, NYC
Discarded Umbrella Carcasses, NYC
Discarded Umbrella Carcasses, NYC
Discarded Umbrella Carcasses, NYC
Discarded Umbrella Carcasses, NYC
Discarded Umbrella Carcasses, NYC
Discarded Umbrella Carcasses, NYC
Discarded Umbrella Carcasses, NYC
Discarded Umbrella Carcasses, NYC
Discarded Umbrella Carcasses, NYC
Discarded Umbrella Carcasses, NYC
LOngacre 9-8843
Superintendent Richard Reyes, PLaza9-2284
In the foyer of the Ambassador Terrace in Manhattan (which shows a LOngacre phone exchange on its front-facing placard) is this sign showing an old PLaza exchange name phone number (PLaza9-2284, or (212) 759-2284 in modern usage). I don't know if Richard Reyes is still Superintendent at this building but if this sign is as old as it seems then he would have been in that job for a long, long time.
ORegon-9-6060
In the past you might call ORegon-9-6060 if you were interested in living at this apartment building on 39th Street and Third Avenue. Today the same number -- (212) 679-6060, in modern notation -- belongs to Fight For Sight. I wonder if Fight for Sight is aware that a primitive version of its phone number is barely seen on the side of this apartment building.
Discarded Umbrella Carcasses, NYC
Discarded Umbrella Carcasses, NYC
FAirbanks 4-5000. Gun Hill Fence Company.
FAirbanks 4-5000. Gun Hill Fence Company.
Discarded Umbrella Carcasses, NYC
Permacut Hair Stylists
Permacut Hair Stylists on East 14th Street shows its roots (hair pun intended) with this ORegon exchange name on its sign. ORegon.3-4786 in modern parlance would be (212) 673-4786
Regent Sign Company. ALgonquin 4-9116.
Bugs like this for the Regent Sign Company and other signage makers are among the most commonly seen Telephone Exchange Name Sightings. They are tucked in the corners of larger signs.
ALgonquin Telephone Exchange Sighting. Emil Talamini Real Estate.
Emil Talamini Real Estate used to be at 450 Sixth Avenue. Their phone number was ALgonquin 4-1817.
Higdon Elevator Company
I am not certain what the TO stands for in this old phone number. A cursory web search shows a Higdon elevator company that was recently based in Hackensack, NJ. If the company was always based in New Jersey then the TO might have stood for TOms River, though that seems like a long shot. If Higdon was based in the 5 boroughs of NYC then TO might have stood for either TOmpkins, TOmpkins Square, or TOttenville.
STillwell 4-4100. Beardslee Transmission.
I spotted a STillwell Exchange name at Beardslee Transmission in Long Island City. Months later I noticed this second STillwell phone number on another side of the building.
IN CASE OF NECESSITY CALL INdependence-1-8642
This might be my favorite exchange name sighting yet. An open-ended entreaty to those in need, this placard directs people to call INdependence 1-8642 "IN CASE OF NECESSITY". This sign is probably directed to those who might need access to the building on which this and 2 duplicate signs are displayed. Or maybe it was a religious message, and if one went to a payphone and called INdependence 1-8642 they might hear a calming recorded program or a religious exhortation. I have never seen or heard the expression "IN CASE OF NECESSITY" until now but it sounds like it is directed at those individuals in need of a restroom.
Carlos Pizza, Maspeth
Carlos Pizza in Maspeth, Queens, shows that it has been around a long time with its old school TWinings Telephone Exchange number
CAnal 6-3790
Pictures like this have a way of making this series look like a collection of hoary old faded signs. D. spotted this CAnal Telephone Exchange at the corner of Spring and Wooster Streets. Today this phone number (212-226-7390) belongs to a company called Opening Ceremony, at 33 Howard Street. I wonder if Opening Ceremony knows that a primitive version of their phone number lingers on the side of this building at Spring and Wooster streets.
ILlinois 7-1122. Party Time on Queens Boulevard
This ILlinois telephone exchange number lingers somewhat mysteriously over a garage door on Queens Boulevard. It is the old format phone number for Party Time, a party supply store which has evidently been at this location a long time. The modern version of their phone number is (718) 457-1122?.
Hedgecock Florist, Rego Park
I spotted this old phone number on the falling-apart sign of Hedgecock Florist on Queens Boulevard in Rego Park. According to the Telephone Exchange Name Project HA stood for HAvemeyer. In today's numbering this phone number (HAvemeyer 9-9400) is (718) 429-9400.
EVergreen.6-4343, Middle Village
I spotted this EVergreen.6-4343 number at the Queens Instrument Company at 62-15 Fresh Pond Road in Flushing. In today's parlance the number would be (718) 386-4343.
Discarded Umbrella Carcasses, NYC
STillwell 4-7138. O'Loughlin Florist
I had seen an O'Loughlin Florist sign with a STillwell Exchange before. This other sign was on the side of the building.
181 Everywhere
181 Everywhere
NAvarre-9-0400, Sign World
This NAvarre Exchange Name is hidden in the corner of the sign for Phil's Stationery in Midtown. Sign World made this sign, and this phone exchange number advertised that company. I endeavored to buy something at Phil's but the only item I could find that I actually needed that day was a small notepad. That little notepad would have cost me $22! That seemed a steep price for a small pad of paper, though the paper itself felt of a higher grade than most, and the cover felt elegant. Luxurious. Decadent. Normally I spend about 33¢ on a notepad of similar size as one on sale for $22 at Phil's Stationery. Maybe I should get the notepad not despite its price but because of its price. Maybe the extravagant capital outlay for a tiny notebook will ennoble and inspire any thought material I deposit therein, and motivate me to get my money's worth out of the investment. Phil's also offers "ZEROX COPIES".
ALgonquin-4-2700, near Union Square
I have passed by this building over a hundred times, so I was chagrinned to pass by in mid-2010 and see this old ALgonquin telephone exchange name phone number sitting in plain sight on the side of this old building. I was relieved to find that my observations skills were not as poor as I thought. This old number was revealed after a demolition of a building next door.
UL-5-6463, Joe's Superette
At first I thought this establishment was weirdly named "Joe's S Perette." Alas, missing a letter U, this old sign for "Joe's Superette" is cornered by a sign showing what is either its old ULster or ULysses telephone exchange phone number.
Hoop Mobile
AStoria-8-5791
This sign, listing business hours of a dentist's office, still shows the old AStoria telephone exchange name instead of the modern all-number-dialing format. I imagine that most people who see this sign are unaware what that AS.8-5791 is a telephone number. Similar to the Millionaire Realty sign in Astoria I think that this old phone number in modern times looks more like some kind of license or certification number.
DAvenport Phone Exchange, Griff's Fence, Inc.
HAVemeyer-4-9436, Charles Hoelzer Iron Works
If you look at enough metal doors on New York City sidewalks you will eventually see one of these old medallions from the Charles Hoelzer Iron Works company. I think I've seen about a dozen of these HAVemeyer exchange names around town. This is the only sighting I can recall which uses a 3-letter shorthand for the telephone exchange name. UPDATE, August 2014: Dave Cook, from EatingInTranslation.com, shares his photo of a VIRginia exchange name sighting in Richmond Hill, Queens.
1961 or 1962 Cadillac Sedan DeVille in Glendale
Dacia, Glendale
Dacia, Glendale
Fiat, Grand Avenue, Maspeth
Rolls Royce, Astoria
Taxi
Taxi
AXtell-7-4270, Kulka's Fine Baking
This photo is from DE, who first inspired me to commence this collection of Telephone Exchange Name Sightings. Kulka's Fine Baking in Jamaica, Queens, makes retro-chic use of its old-style AXtell telephone exchange name.
Chevrolet, Upper West Side
Hudson
SPring Valley and FAirbanks
2-for-1 on this one, though the appearance of the corresponding area codes appears to indicate that this is a retro-chic use of the old exchange names, however old the sign might look at first blush. The Pioneer Fence Company appears to have become the Alpine Fence Company. You can not see it very well but the top number is a SPring Valley Exchange number, and the bottom number is another FAirbanks exchange as seen earlier in my Gunn Hill Fence Company sign sighting.
NEwtown, NEvins, or NEptune 9-9389. Murphy Fence Inc.
I do not know which NE exchange this sign displays, but it is probably NEwtown, NEvins, or NEptune.
Lincoln Continental Mark III
EDgewood 4-5503
I spotted this old rotary at a second hand shop in Queens, and assumed this phone had been used in New York City, and the the ED exchange letters stood for EDgecombe. Then I noticed the 516 area code, indicating that this phone was from Long Island. That being the case, the ED exchange letters are for EDgewood, the exchange used for Carle Place and Westbury.
RAvenswood 6-1358
The 212 area code on this phone seems to indicate that this RAvenswood-6 phone was used in Queens before the 718 area code was introduced.
HO-7-2250, O. Colonna Interior & Exterior Marble, Philadelphia
This exchange name sighting from Philadelphia was sent to me by Ivy Nguyen, and is what inspired me to revive this project, which disappeared form the Internet after a disk failure. Read a little more about this here
1956 Corvette in Astoria
Discarded Umbrella Carcasses, NYC
