extraordinary late 19th or early 20th century rare and highly sought after solid ornamental cast brass switchboard voltmeter case or housing designed and fabricated by or for the western electric mfg. co., chicago, il. the tombstone-shaped housing contains a nicely aged surface patina, left untouched. remarkably, the original baked black enameled inlay used to accentuate the lettering and design elements remains in great overall condition. the "volts" scale and clear glass cover plate are likely original to the case. the internal components were removed long ago, although the switchboard case was discovered with a pointer or indicator arrow that may or may not be original. a total of three screw holes protruding from the case are for mounting purposes. the western electric company traces its roots back to 1856, when george shawk purchased an electrical engineering business in cleveland, ohio. in 1869, he became partners with enos m. barton and, later the same year, sold his share to inventor elisha gray. in 1872 barton and gray moved the business to clinton street, chicago, illinois and incorporated it as the western electric manufacturing company. they manufactured a variety of electrical products including typewriters, alarms, and lighting and had a close relationship with the telegraph company western union to whom they supplied relays and other equipment. in 1875, gray sold his interests to western union, including the caveat that he had filed against alexander graham bell's patent application for the telephone. the ensuing legal battle over patent rights, between western union and the bell telephone company, ended in 1879 with western union withdrawing from the telephone market and bell acquiring western electric in 1881.early on, western electric also managed a thriving electrical equipment distribution business, furnishing its customers with non-telephone products made by other manufacturers. this electrical distribution business was spun off from western electric in 1925 and organized into a separate company, graybar electric company, in honor of the company's founders, elisha gray and enos barton. in 1915, western electric manufacturing was incorporated in new york as a wholly owned subsidiary of at&t, under the name western electric company, incorporated.