ATOZ copy of Vibroplex, with type 1 Albright plate
As soon as Horace Martin started producing his "Vibroplex" telegraph key, others began copying it. But between about 1911 and 1915 or so, James Eugene Albright, a typewriter and telegraph instrument shop owner located at 235 Broadway, and Martin's "sole selling agent," threatened and prosecuted the manufacturers of these illegal bugs.
Albright might also have sued the individual owners of these "bastard bugs," but he had a better idea: He allowed the operators to use their bugs if they paid a two dollar license fee. Upon payment, a plate was affixed to the instrument allowing its continued use.
Because the maker's tag was removed from the bug when the Albright plate was attached, determining the maker of these keys can be difficult. The most common one was the "Improved Vibroplex" made by Max Levy's ATOZ Electric Novelty Company. And there were many others.
But the maker of an illegal bug is not as important to the Vibroplex collector as the license plate on it. Such a key makes an historical addition to a collection of Vibroplex keys. These are commonly called "Albright bugs" today, with the understanding that Albright did not (as his nameplate says) make them, but that they are only licensed by him.
There are at least two types of the Albright license plate. Here is a photo of the most common, and probably the first, type:
A typical first type plate reads:
The underlined number in the fifth (last) line is a stamped serial number. All the other information on the plate is engraved as an original part of the plate.
Here is a photo of a second type Albright plate:
The second type plate reads:
Note that the principal difference in the two types of Albright plate is in the wording of the first two lines. And there are variations in the fifth line, as seen below.
Here are some of the plates with their serial numbers that I am aware of (again, the underlined information is stamped on the plate):
(Latest update or addition August 2006)
TYPE 1 ("this machine is NOT guaranteed ..."):
W.U.T.CO. No. 1310
W.U.T.CO. No. 1378 ... (probably an ATOZ; eBay 5/08)
W.U.T.CO. No. 1414
Special No. 2021 ... (on a right angle Mecograph SN 07102)
Special No. 2029
Special No. 2553
Special No. 2626
Special No. 621 W.U.T.CO. ... (ATOZ [?] with nickel plated base, Ebay 11/05)
Special No. 622 W.U.T.CO.
Special No. 679 W.U.T.CO.
Special No. 808 W.U.T.CO.
Special No. 854 W.U.T.CO. ... on a copy of a 1907+ Original (ebay, 10/06)
Special No. 857 W.U.T.CO.
Special No. 1029 W.U.T.CO. ... [WUT ?]
Special No. 1049 W.U.T.CO.
TYPE 2 ("this machine is licensed"):
No. 510 C
No. 585 C
No. 8 W.U.T.CO.
No. 68 WUTCo ... (on an ATOZ bug)
No. 169 WUTCo photo of last line
No. 352 W.U.T.CO.
No. 458 W.U.T.CO. ... (also has the original ATOZ plate SN 5300)
No. 466 WUTCo ... (on an ATOZ bug)
It appears that on the type 2 plate the company for which the operator worked (or which owned the key?) is stamped on the plate, following the serial number space (see above photo). I have no idea what company "C" might stand for.
