The Model 302 was invented in 1937 by the renowned industrial designer Henry Dreyfuss. During its initial years of production it was cast out of metal, until 1941, when the critical wartime need for metal required production to switch to alternate materials. Western Electric retooled thier factory to make the 302 from moulded thermoplastic.
The 302 was the first Western Electric telephone to have all of the circuitry, as well as the ringer contained within the body of the phone, without requiring an external box.
Advice for collectors
Naturally there is strong demand for the original pre-war metal version of the phone, which is usually in black, but can also occasionally be found in red or green (watch out for repainted phones).
For the later thermoplastic versions there were several colours: black, red, green and ivory. As usual, we would strongly advise collectors to pick phones based on their condition rather than colour (unless fitting into a large existing collection).
