What do you think the real world use for this was?

[boombox]

I don't understand why the bell and the lamp are right next to the button!

[peter_scott]

Perhaps the bell and lamp were used for servant acknowledging?

Peter

[Herald1360]

Maybe to call for service in some establishment where several of these were around the place- push the button, the bell rings to attract attention and the light is latched to show where the call originated?

[broadgage]

Or perhaps the bell push does not operate the adjacent bell ?
Might be for basic two way signalling. Bell push rings the OTHER bell at some distant location. On hearing the ringing of the bell the "called" party operate their bell push to acknowledge receipt of message.

The lamp might latch on and remain lit until whatever situation that caused the ringing of bell is dealt with. Or the lamp might be in series with the bell push, in order to confirm ringing of the distant bell.
Or the lamp might have some other unrelated function.

[Radio Wrangler]

It's a bell, a switch, a light. They could be wired up to do all sorts of things, different for each building.

If latching, there would have to be relays somewhere and a means to clear them.

David

[bluepilot]

Do you have a circuit diagram for it? Do lamp and/or bell operate when you press the button? The lamp could be anything from an acknowledgement that the servants have received a call, to illuminating the button so that you can find it in the dark.

[AC/HL]

The eBay posting shows the wiring as it exists now, but not how it was originally used. It's typical of period internal telephone/intercom construction, which it is almost certainly what it was cobbled together from. Some of the terminal markings are readable. A steampunk hoax, real world use to part punters from cash.

[electronicskip]

Originally Posted by peter_scott

Perhaps the bell and lamp were used for servant acknowledging?

Peter

I agree with Peter.

[Refugee]

I agree with post#7.
The lamp looks like it is mounted with a ceiling rose with the original paint from its previous life evident.

[bluepilot]

Originally Posted by AC/HL

The eBay posting

Didn't realise it's on Ebay and we're not supposed to discuss specific Ebay listings. However a word in the title already implies that it is assembled from various odds and ends rather than being an original article. So yes, post #7 looks about right.