Walking a back alleyway near Longfellow Square, I came across these three vertical doorbells. This got me to thinking. Are doorbells still in vogue? On Stevens Avenue, we had a front bell, but most, except for the mailman and our papergirl, took the driveway and used the backdoor. Our Coyle Street home's front door had a wonderful sounding set of chimes and, as I recall, was used quite a bit. In the Seventies, Mom's new home on Bancroft Street had one, but unless there were visits from black-suited young ministers or others trying to sell magazines and such, I never remember hearing it. Most just entered the connected garage, knocked and then walked into her kitchen. Today, living in a home for thirty five years and counting, we've never heard the sounds of chimes or assorted ding dongs. I can count on one hand the number of visitors who have knocked on our front door. The back one, up the driveway, is the choice of friends, visitors or drivers lost in the country. We do have a neat brass knocker, (Marley would be proud), that Elenka bought for the backdoor twenty some years ago. We used it for about 10 years or so, but when we remodeled it never made it back to its rightful place. Maybe this summer? Don't bet on it though. It would take me some time just find it again. It's buried in this house somewhere. So, the question today is: do you have a working doorbell in your dwelling?
Friday, January 6, 2012
Three Bells
Walking a back alleyway near Longfellow Square, I came across these three vertical doorbells. This got me to thinking. Are doorbells still in vogue? On Stevens Avenue, we had a front bell, but most, except for the mailman and our papergirl, took the driveway and used the backdoor. Our Coyle Street home's front door had a wonderful sounding set of chimes and, as I recall, was used quite a bit. In the Seventies, Mom's new home on Bancroft Street had one, but unless there were visits from black-suited young ministers or others trying to sell magazines and such, I never remember hearing it. Most just entered the connected garage, knocked and then walked into her kitchen. Today, living in a home for thirty five years and counting, we've never heard the sounds of chimes or assorted ding dongs. I can count on one hand the number of visitors who have knocked on our front door. The back one, up the driveway, is the choice of friends, visitors or drivers lost in the country. We do have a neat brass knocker, (Marley would be proud), that Elenka bought for the backdoor twenty some years ago. We used it for about 10 years or so, but when we remodeled it never made it back to its rightful place. Maybe this summer? Don't bet on it though. It would take me some time just find it again. It's buried in this house somewhere. So, the question today is: do you have a working doorbell in your dwelling?
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There is a doorbell. And if you want me to open the door you will have to ring it.
ReplyDeleteNope, as you said, no working doorbell.....just a working ding dong.
ReplyDeleteHave a great day at work! ;-) <3
A very beautiful find!
ReplyDeletewe do, indeed. the chimes are in the kitchen on the first floor but they can be heard faintly all the way up in the third floor attic.
ReplyDeleteInteresting that you should ask! I just had the doorbell fixed in my "new" house that I'm about to move into (I hope!). You'll have to try it out sometime!!
ReplyDeleteWe do, and I probably use it most ... with my elbow when my hands are full and I can't dig out my keys... lol... love the unusualness of that shot!
ReplyDeleteI moved into this house about 5 years ago and it is located in a historic district. The house was built in the 40's and to my surprise when I moved here, has no doorbell.
ReplyDeletewe had doorbells in our previous 2 houses, but this place is set 1/4 mile back off the road adn we keep the gate locked. no doorbell here. funny, the dogs we have now don't even react when they hear one on tv since they don't associate it with strangers coming to the door. :)
ReplyDeleteWe do too. You press it at the front door and it rings through in the kitchen so that I can hear it when I'm out in the back garden. Happy weekend Birdman.
ReplyDeleteI like this old fashioned set.
ReplyDeleteCostas
Our doorbell worked for about 10 years, but then parts of it wore out. We got the back door bell repaired, worked for a few months and then the chimes gave off scary buzzing noises so DH pulled the plug, so to speak. Just last month we had the worn wiring replaced and both bells and the chimes are music to my ears. Scared the daylights out of the dogs, tho, when they first heard it. Hearing the chimes for 10 years out of 36 years in our casa ain't bad. Wonder how many sales pitches we missed during those off years!
ReplyDeleteWe have one and our dog used to run for the door if there was a doorbell with the same tone on TV. She would always be so disappointed when no one was there!
ReplyDeleteKnock, knock!
ReplyDeleteWho's there?
I dunno.
Ring the bell
You ding-a-ling!
We've had doorbells wherever we lived -good thing, because we always end up in houses with jig-jaggy rooms from which you can't see the front door.
ReplyDeleteNice capture. I like the colors too.
ReplyDeleteNo doorbell here. Great shot!
ReplyDeleteWell, yes, the house came with one when it was built 23 or 24 years ago (we are the original owners) but the damn thing is so quiet you can't hear it on the second floor. The only other way in is through the garage on an alley behind the house so people use the front door. Maybe we should look for some of those chimes.
ReplyDeletethat is such a common sight on student apartments in the netherlands.. but with many names scribbled next to it.
ReplyDeletein our fancy US apartment we have a doorbell, but to make it ring is not an easy task, you have to press many buttons. anyways, we dont use the front door, and people coming over usually just call by phone..
Actually we have a battery-operated one and we just bought new batteries for it yesterday but haven't put them in yet so I guess the answer is no, we don't have an operating doorbell! Maybe tomorrow.
ReplyDelete