Older looking metal fences are great places to look out for old-style telephone exchanges. This is the second time I've found one from Albatross Fence, which operated from the 1950s to the 1990s. This sign dates back to at least the 1970s, probably earlier. This sign is on the property of Lincoln Orens Middle School in Island Park, NY.
Albatross was the fencing division of Albert Bros. Hardware of Bellmore, NY. Albert Bros. Hardware operated from at least the 1950s until sometime in the 1990s; owner Artie Albert died in 2000. I'm not sure how long the fencing operation lasted; the only mentions I saw were from 1950s newspaper ads. The main hardware business does seem to have kept the alpha-numberic phone number in their advertising through the early 1980s, as many New York businesses were particularly protective of that style. (SU stood for SUnset, an apparently random designation.) Clearly this fence, and the sign, have lasted for decades.
No comments:
Post a Comment