Lot 616: A Vintage British Police Duty Helmet and a Candlestick Telephone

This collection comprises two historical items of British interest: a duty helmet and a pedestal rotary dial telephone. The helmet is constructed from cloth-covered cork or pith, featuring a black twill fabric exterior. It is designed with a decorative stamped metal rose-style ventilation piece at the apex and two metal ventilation eyelets on each side. The brim is leather-bound, and the interior contains a brown leather sweatband stitched to the lining along with a thin black leather chin strap. The telephone is a pedestal candlestick model with a black-finished metal stem and circular base, a brass receiver arm and body, and a black mouthpiece and earpiece. The rotary dial features a chrome-finished finger plate and a central paper instruction label. This label is printed in red and black and reads EMERGENCY CALLS FOR FIRE POLICE AMBULANCE DIAL 999 STOCKSFIELD 3306. The dial numbers and letters are arranged as 2 AB, 3 DE, 4 GH, 5 JK, 6 MN, 7 PRS, 8 TUV, 9 WXY, and 0 OQ. The telephone retains braided textile cords for both the handset and the line connection.