Several years ago, while visiting family in San Francisco, I had the opportunity to visit the Oakland Museum. Doug Pruitt of Redding, California, was along, as were my brothers, Fritz and Kenny. We took the B.A.R.T. train from downtown S.F. and zipped under the bay to resurface on the other side in Oakland. Before we got to the museum we made an agreement that a dollar from each of us would go to the first person to spot anything telegraphic. Here are some of the things we saw, any of which would be a fine go-with to show off with an insulator collection.

First item spotted was this tape register with a name tag 
which reads -- Paul Seiler Electrical Works -- San Francisco.

This early Gamewell Fire Alarm Key was kept at a business or residence close to the fire alarm box. In order to turn in an alarm you had to get the key first, run to the box and open it and start the spring wound mechanism which sent the alarm along the wires.

Key and sounder mounted on wood base.
The base is marked W.U.T.CO. (Western Union Telegraph Co.)
and the key & sounder are marked J. H. Bunnell & Co., New York.

Bright red, Gamewell Fire Alarm Telegraph Station, circa 1900.
We'll look into fire alarm apparatus in more depth in a future go-withs article.

Western Union Telegraph Company -- Stock Ticker.

Having to shoot this picture through a glass display case with a glass dome covering the instrument, makes it hard to get a good, clear look. Even though I had a camera tripod along with me, the security guards in the museum would not allow it to be set up and used, so all the photos had to be made with the camera hand held. Some of the photographs are therefore a little blurred.

This fine example of a magneto wall phone was also seen. It is manufactured by Western Electric and has an unusual glass mouthpiece embossed -- Red Cross Germ-proof Mouthpiece.

Unfortunately, not one insulator was to be spotted in the museum that day, but we did see many fascinating go-withs.