General Information

Serial #

N/A

Part Number

1

Total Parts

1

AKA

N/A

Patents

N/A

General Description

bakelite

Dimensions

Note: These reflect the general size for storage and are not necessarily representative of the object's true dimensions.

Length

11.5 cm

Width

7.0 cm

Height

N/A

Thickness

N/A

Weight

N/A

Diameter

N/A

Volume

N/A

Lexicon

Group

Energy-electric

Category

User site

Sub-Category

N/A

Manufacturer

AKA

Pass Seymour

Country

United States of America

State/Province

Unknown

City

Unknown

Context

Country

Canada

State/Province

Unknown

Period

mid 20th century

Canada

An example of a switch cover of a type used in Canada. Part of a large and varied collection of over 7500 electrical items acquired and documented by Ontario Hydro in the1960s. The collection was thought to be the largest and most comprehensive of its kind in Canada and was donated to the National Museum of Science and Technology in 1992.

Function

A cover for a wall switch box, exposed wiring and the opening around a switch

Technical

Switches & receptacles can not be mounted in walls leaving untidy openings around them, nor can the terminals be left exposed for that would not be safe. Therefore they are covered with wall plates or face plates after installation (Ref. 2)./ Bakelite is phenol formaldehyde plastic patented in1907. It was most used from the 1920s to the 1950s, especially during the 1920s and 1930s. The electrical industry was the first to take an interest in bakelite since it met the demand for an insulating material. Plugs, sockets, switches, insulators and accessories were often made of brown, black or simulated wood grain bakelite until other colours were introduced in the 1920s (Ref. 3).

Area Notes

Unknown

Details

Markings

raised lettering on back reads "P & S DESPARD LINE" and "MADE IN U.S.A."

Missing

appears complete

Finish

dark brown

Decoration

rows of incised longitudinal parallel lines/ incised linear decoration around edge