Re: Socket switches seem like a weird idea...
Before Bakelite, there was porcelain. In fact into the 1960s I remember a certain type of electric kettle, called a jug, made of porcelain, although they did have a Bakelite lid, which was very common in Australia. (They were yellow with a vaguely art nouveau design, so might have been in production since the 1920s. The elements were replaceable so the jugs lasted forever.)
Inside the walls, wiring was rubber and/or cotton. I've seen a video online of a very old installation in an American house where *uninsulated* rods were run between porcelain standoffs in the loft. At least the rats won't be eating that.
Biting the hand that feeds IT
