Here are a few beautiful examples of some Western Electric sets you may not often see in these colors.
This is an early Western Electric 500D in the rare dark-blue color. This color was only made between 1954 and 1957. (Info thanks to paul-f.com)
Notice the straight handset cord was not made in a matching color, a generic grey cord was used. This is also a nice shot of the 6-hole receiver cup, indicative of the earlier soft-plastic 500 set variation.
Another early Western Electric 500D, this one in the rare mahogany-brown color, also discontinued in 1957.
Another view of this mahogany-brown 500D. This set is dated from a little later than the above set, as it has a matching mahogany-brown coiled handset cord
An interesting detail from the inside of this phone. This is the reverse of the 7C dial, notice it's marked 7C-54. 54 was the Western Electric color code for the discontinued mahogany-brown color.
They made 5302's in color?
Yes! This is a rare Western Electric pink 5302 set. Note the non-matching white dial and the lack of black dots under the finger-holes.
If there was any doubt this is 5302 and not a 500, here is the side view, clearly showing the 5302's shorter footprint.
I suspected this was a black 5302 painted pink, especially since the dial color didn't match. But here is an inside view, proving the body is truly pink.
Further evidence the body was not painted, here is a detail of the rear of the body, its Western Electric markings clear and sharp.
A close-up of the strange white dial and the lack of black dots under the finger-holes.
