What is this?

[Robert Dalga]

Anyone care to venture a guess as to what this is? Home was built around 1920's.

[Michael Larson]

Anyone care to venture a guess as to what this is? Home was built around 1920's.Old telephone equipment.

[Robert Dalga]

Maybe Mike...but doesn't the wire size look too large (i.e. high voltage) for telephone service?

[David Banks]

Robert did you follow the wire and see if it went back to the panel?

[Matthew Barnicle]

No Idea. Old surge protector / lightning protection is my best guess. Looks like high voltage knob and tube coming into it and maybe some kind of fuseable link.

[Jon Randolph]

vintage transformer?

[Markus Keller]

telephone or old doorbell system transformer, check for voltage, 24 or 120

[daniel nantell]

a device devised by Al Kapone to alert him when the g-men were closing in, you said take a guess ?:)

[Richard Abrams]

It appears to be an old telephone equipment. I have seen these in our area. They powered the phone lines in the house.:)

[Robert Dalga]

Thanks guys. That's what I thought initially as well (vintage telephone/telegraph equip).