Hello, Operator
In the modern days of computerized cell phones on our hips, we often forget the humble history of the telephone. In this week's Throwback Thursday, three ladies operate a telephone switchboard. Each of the women have a headset over their ears and a moveable receiver attached to the switchboard to speak into.
When someone would make a call at their home or work, the operator would answer. The caller would then provide the name or number of the person they were trying to contact. Next, the operator would take the line, also known as the patch cord, and put it in the appropriate socket that would connect the two parties. Then, the operator would ring the recipient of the call with a specific sound. This would inform the appropriate person on a multiparty line to answer the call. The photograph is likely from the 1910s or 1920s, and it shows the importance of the operator in connecting people with the then-new technology.
2015:028:542 SDAHM Collection, donated by Adele Sudlow
