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Offered here is an original vintage Bell System reflective decal dating to 1979, featuring the classic Bell logo from the pre-divestiture era.
IMPORTANT: The decal shown in the photographs is the EXACT decal you will receive. I have a small group of these vintage decals, and each is being listed individually so buyers can see the specific condition of the decal they are purchasing. This is not a stock photo or representative example.
DETAILS
Organization: Bell System
Type: R4 reflective decal
Date: 1979
Manufacturer: Mar-Kol Products Corp.
Material: 3M Scotchlite reflective sheeting
Size: Approximately 4.5" x 4.5"
Condition: New old stock / unused
Backing: Original liner remains attached with printed application instructions
Quantity: ONE decal — the exact example shown in the photographs
PROVENANCE
This decal came from the estate of a former Bell System employee who later worked for Verizon. It appears to have been retained as unused company material or memorabilia.
It is a genuine period piece from the final years of the unified Bell System, before the court-ordered divestiture that took effect in 1984.
CONDITION
Original unused new-old-stock decal with its original application/premask material and backing still in place. The original printed application instructions remain visible, including the period warning, “FOR BEST RESULTS USE WITHIN ONE YEAR.”
As expected for an item dating from 1979, there is age toning/discoloration to the paper materials, some curling/warping from long-term storage, and scattered marks/ink transfer visible on the backing and premask. Please examine the photographs closely.
The photographs in this listing show the EXACT decal you will receive. This is not a stock photograph or a representative example.
Because the manufacturer's own instructions specified use within one year, no claim is made regarding the present-day strength or usability of the adhesive. It is being sold as a vintage collectible rather than as a guaranteed functional decal.
HISTORICAL INTEREST
The Bell System's familiar bell-in-circle logo is one of the most recognizable symbols in American telecommunications history. This example dates from only a few years before the 1984 breakup of the Bell System and the creation of the regional "Baby Bell" companies.
The reflective Scotchlite construction was intended to make Bell System identification highly visible, including in low-light conditions.
A great original piece for collectors of:
Bell System and "Ma Bell" memorabilia • vintage telephone and payphone equipment • AT&T history • Bell Atlantic / NYNEX / Verizon history • lineman and telephone-company memorabilia • industrial graphics and
signage • vintage decals and stickers • telecommunications history
You will receive the ONE original 1979 decal shown in this listing. No reproductions and no stock photographs.
Seller inventory note #013
