Posted 7 years ago
AnythingOb…
(1778 items)
This is a BULLDOG brand (electrical) safety switch, dating from the late 1920's. It originally served as the main DC power (generator) disconnect switch for the first pipe organ installed in a historic Baptist church in downtown Houston, TX (the cornerstone of which is dated 1928, I believe) which itself is only now being replaced as the final portion of a large capital funds "renewal/restoration" campaign instituted by the church within the past half decade or so.
I rescued it from the attic of said church (where it was good and dusty but otherwise non-molested over its lifetime, still retaining its awesome shiny black paint and cool embossed mfr's nameplate under the dirt) shortly before it would have fallen victim to the "demolition/scrapping" crews in the early phases of their project. It measures approx. 7"w x 11"h x 5.5"d.
Thanks very much to brunswick, fortapache, pw-collector, and blunderbuss2 for the loves!!!
I realized after posting that I should have mentioned this is a somewhat 'unusual' old switch, as instead of the more typical 2 ON/OFF positions, this one actually has *3* positions -- ON/OFF/ON. In "electrician-speak", this means that this switch could be (and was) wired to allow it to "reverse the polarity" of the 10-12VDC feed which it originally controlled, instead of simply turning it on or off. [and think of that, for instance, as what'd happen if you swapped the cables on your car battery around -- wouldn't be good for a car at all, but old pipe organs actually needed such treatment every so often...]
Interesting piece. Nice graphics!
Thanks for commenting buckethead -- I agree with ya, absolutely love the 'door art' on this switch! This 'orange bulldog' now keeps watch over my computer room from his perch on the bookshelf, instead of a hot dusty church attic... :-) :-)
More THANKS to freon, Caperkid, buckethead, antiquerose, and Newfld for tapping the <love it> button!! :-) :-) :-)
I saved one just like it last year at the scrap yard but never brought it home, I hope it's still there so I can get it.