Telephone receivers

Telephone receivers (2), wood / metal / electrical components, maker unknown, place unknown, 1876-1882. Pair of wooden telephone receivers, each consisting of a round wooden casing attached to a straight, cylindrical wooden handle. The casing is curved with a hole in the centre and acts as an earpiece. A metal plate is screwed to the inside of the casing and can be viewed through the hole. Two plated brass screws are attached to each receiver handle. Blue and black electrical wires are attached to the screws of one receiver. The receivers were used with an early Wheatstone ABC instrument.