July 21, 2006, Newsletter Issue #6: The Humble History of Doorbells
Tip of the Week
With the advent of the front door, came the need to alert those inside when a visitor arrived. A simple knock on the door or ring of a hanging bell worked fine, until electricity came along. The market was ripe for an electronic doorbell! The first electronic doorbells were buzzer models that elicited a noisy buzzing or clanking sound when used. In the early 1930’s, there was a surge of patents filed for musical door chimes. Many of these early designs featured bells or chimes that were struck by solenoids when activated. As with many innovations, these pleasant-sounding doorbells were considered fashionable luxury items that should be displayed prominently in a home or even given as a gift.
By the late 1960’s, doorbells had lost much of their novelty and the only large producer left in the chime business was Nutone Doorbells. Today, there are numerous manufacturers who make basic and decorative doorbells including:
• Air King
• NuTone
• Rocky Mountain
• Rocky Mountain Hardware
• Broan
• Baldwin
• Rusticware
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