original c. 1924-26 flush mount interior ornamental cast bronze elevator cab call button backplate salvaged from a chicago commercial building lobby. the backplate contains a raised border accentuated with an egg & dart pattern. retains the original ruby red faceted glass indicator light. contains a single circular opening where the push button was installed. fabricated by or for the kaestner & hecht co., chicago, il. contains two screw holes for mounting purposes. the firm of chas. kaestner & co. was established in chicago in 1863 by charles kaestner. following the establishment of the company, a specialty was made of building machinery for breweries, malt houses, distilleries and starch factories. in 1898, kaestner & company began manufacturing electric elevators made necessary by the rapid increase in building construction. by 1909 the gradual decline of the brewery business throughout the country caused a lessened output in this industry, with the result that a more direct appeal was made to the electrical elevator trade. the kaestner & hecht co., since its conception, has been connected with the development of chicago and earned a reputation for supplying chicago buildings with chicago-made elevator systems. measures 7 3/4 x 3 inches.