1955 NYSE “Black Box Stock Ticker” Booklet (Dec 5, 1955) – 49 Pages

Explore a vivid slice of Wall Street history with this New York Stock Exchange (NYSE) booklet released on December 5, 1955. Featuring the front “Black Box Stock Ticker”, this 49-page reference booklet includes an alphabetical list of NYSE stocks and bonds with their ticker symbols, plus subscription info for quotation services in cities nationwide.

Item Details

• Source: New York Stock Exchange (NYSE)
• Release date: December 5, 1955
• Front cover feature: “Black Box Stock Ticker”
• Pages: 49 pages
• Approx. size: 8.25" x 3.75"
• Condition: Excellent

What’s Inside (Quick Overview)

• Alphabetical list of stocks and bonds traded on the NYSE with their ticker symbols
• Quote service subscription information by location such as:
  • Fargo: $95 per month
  • New York: $50–55 per month
• Glossary explaining words and phrases used in quotations, along with their ticker-related symbols

The “Black Box Stock Ticker” (Why It Mattered)

The booklet highlights the high-speed “black box” stock telegraph—a modernized NYSE ticker introduced during the exchange’s early-1930s modernization, designed to replace older glass-domed tickers that struggled during the Great Crash of 1929.

Historical Context

• During the 1929 crash, trading volumes surged to extreme highs (including 12.9 million shares on Black Thursday and 16.4 million shares on Black Tuesday), overwhelming existing ticker systems.
• Older tickers could fall 152–167 minutes behind actual floor activity, contributing to uncertainty and panic.
• The NYSE’s data infrastructure was upgraded to restore confidence—leading to the rollout of the black box ticker, entering floor/brokerage use starting around 1930 and becoming widespread by 1934.

Key Features of the Machine

• Enclosed black housing to protect internal electronics and reduce wear and noise
• High speed printing: capable of printing up to 500 characters per minute
• Output on a continuous paper tape (0.75" wide) with abbreviated symbols and transaction details
• Served as a primary market data backbone until replaced by faster variable-speed tickers (1964) and later computer automation (1970s)

Collector Appeal

Perfect for collectors of NYSE ephemera, vintage Wall Street reference materials, stock ticker history, and mid-century finance documents. This copy is marked Excellent and includes the practical ticker/quotation reference content you’d expect from the era.