Receiver, Sound
Object number2016.38.5
Manufacturer
Western Electric Company
Date1939-1945
MediumRubber; Fabric; Metal; Electrical wire; Plastic
Credit LineIn memory of John F. Leahy
DescriptionWiretapping phone receiver.DimensionsLength x Width x Depth (Handset): 8.75 × 2.375 × 3 in. (22.2 × 6 × 7.6 cm)Length (Cord): 56.25 in. (142.9 cm)
InscriptionsBack of receiver has dial with white numbers "0 9 8 7 6 5 4 3 2 1" and white letters "Z W T P M J G D A".
Proper right side of receiver has black plastic toggle switch labeled "TALK" above and "MON." below.
MarksRaised text on interior side of receiver at center "MADE BY / Western Electric"; area above the maker's mark appears to have had the top layer of material removed, possibly removing additional text.
Historical NotesFederal Bureau of Investigation (FBI) agent John Francis Leahy used this equipment to test and tap phone lines, investigating cases of industrial sabotage in Pittsburgh during World War II. Technically, Leahy’s actions were illegal. The 1934 Communications Act federally outlawed phone taps; the U. S. Supreme Court upheld this ruling in 1939. But in 1940, President Franklin Roosevelt issued a secret executive order allowing wiretapping for “subversives” and spies. The FBI, which maintained a field office in Pittsburgh since 1914, used the order to investigate suspected enemy agents in western Pennsylvania, a fear that was especially high during the early years of the war, c. 1942 - 43.
Related institution
Federal Bureau of Investigation
(founded 1908)
Previous owner
John Francis Leahy
Terms
On View
Not on viewCollections
1879-1900
Houze Glass Company
