Attached: 4 images Today’s yard sale find is an old radio jack. The jack had been with a bunch of costume jewelry.
This isn't my find, but what a find at a yard sale by Dr. A on Mastodon!
"Radio jack" is an old but still occasionally used term for a 1/4" TS (or TRS) plug, the "big" style headphone jack, a.k.a. a "phone plug." The plug - as perfect as it is in well-stored new-old-stock condition - isn't particularly ephemeral, but that cardboard box label absolutely is, and holy crow what a gem! FIGHTIN' UNCA SAM is ready to CONNECT CABLES for YOU!
Federal Telephone and Telegraph advertised heavily in old tech media, when tech media meant the latest amazing invention - RADIO! Which was amazing and did change the world. The "telephone and telegraph" in the name was absolutely legitimate, too - they got started operating telephone services in New York State, particularly but not only Buffalo.
The best sources I can find say they were bought by and absorbed into International Telephone and Telegraph, later ITT Corporation, later ITT, in the mid-1920s. ITT, of course, continues to exist as a specialty component maker for aerospace, industrial, and similar customers - not unlike what Federal was doing back in 1922.
There are more photos at the link, and yes, if this sort of thing interests you at all, it is worth the click.
