![](https://coimages.sciencemuseumgroup.org.uk/48/731/large_thumbnail_1959_0305__0002_.jpg)
Inc Western Electric Company 1881 - 1995
- occupation:
- Manufacturer of electrical equipment
- Nationality:
- American
- born in:
- Chicago, Cook county, Illinois, United States
1856 - George Shawk purchases electrical engineering business in Cleveland, Ohio
1869 - partnership with Enos M. Barton; Shawk sells partnership to Elisha Gray
1872 - Western Electric Manufacturing Company formed and incorporated by Barton and Gray as business moved to Clinton Street, Chicago, Illinois
1881 - name changes to Western Electric Company when company is acquired by Bell Telephone Company
1915 - incorporated as Western Electric Company, Inc.
1995 - manufacturing arm of AT&T;
Electrical equipment and telephone manufacturer; as well as telephones WE also developed and produced sound recording and reprodcution equipment, notably the Vitaphone system in the 1920s and the Orthophonic and Westrex systems.