Following the invention of the telephone in 1876, the first telephones were rented in pairs which were limited to conversation between the parties operating those two instruments. The use of a central exchange was soon found to be even more advantageous than in telegraphy. In January 1878 the Boston Telephone Dispatch company had started hiring boys as telephone operators. Boys had been very successful as telegraphy operators, but their attitude, lack of patience, and behavior was unacceptable for live telephone contact, so the company began hiring women operators instead.
These operators were almost always women until the early 1970s, when men were once again hired. In many cases, customers came to know their operator by name.
As telephone exchanges converted to automatic (dial) service, switchboards continued to serve specialized purposes. Before the advent of direct-dialed long distance calls, a subscriber would need to contact the long-distance operator in order to place a toll call.
Check out these 28 amazing vintage photos below which showing women who worked as telephone switchboard operators from the past.
Amazing Vintage Photographs That Capture Telephone Switchboard Operators at Work From the Past
Amazing Vintage Photographs That Capture Telephone Switchboard Operators at Work From the Past
Amazing Vintage Photographs That Capture Telephone Switchboard Operators at Work From the Past
Chesapeake and Potomac telephone operators, Washington D.C, 1919 |
Amazing Vintage Photographs That Capture Telephone Switchboard Operators at Work From the Past
Early switchboard operator, ca. 1880s |
Amazing Vintage Photographs That Capture Telephone Switchboard Operators at Work From the Past
Operator at a switchboard, ca.1900 |
Amazing Vintage Photographs That Capture Telephone Switchboard Operators at Work From the Past
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Southwestern Bell Telephone switchboard operators, ca. 1960s |
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Switchboard operator, 1948 |
Switchboard operator, Amsterdam, ca. 1940s |
Amazing Vintage Photographs That Capture Telephone Switchboard Operators at Work From the Past
Switchboard operators at the Bell Telephone head office, 1912 |
Switchboard operators at the sole Milwaukee telephone exchange, 1883 |
Amazing Vintage Photographs That Capture Telephone Switchboard Operators at Work From the Past
Switchboard operators at the Sydney GPO Switchboard, 1913 |
Amazing Vintage Photographs That Capture Telephone Switchboard Operators at Work From the Past
Switchboard operators, 1922 |
Amazing Vintage Photographs That Capture Telephone Switchboard Operators at Work From the Past
Telephone operator, 1898 |
Telephone operator, 1929 |
Telephone operator, 1969 |
Amazing Vintage Photographs That Capture Telephone Switchboard Operators at Work From the Past
Telephone operator, ca. 1900s |
Amazing Vintage Photographs That Capture Telephone Switchboard Operators at Work From the Past
Telephone operators in Seattle, Washington, 1952 |
Amazing Vintage Photographs That Capture Telephone Switchboard Operators at Work From the Past
Telephone operators, ca. 1910s |
Telephone operators, ca. 1950s |
Telephone switchboard operator on Washington Island, 1915 |
Amazing Vintage Photographs That Capture Telephone Switchboard Operators at Work From the Past
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Telephone switchboard operators in the 1960s |
Amazing Vintage Photographs That Capture Telephone Switchboard Operators at Work From the Past
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Telephone switchboard operators, ca. 1900s |
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Telephone twitchboard operators, 1914 |
Amazing Vintage Photographs That Capture Telephone Switchboard Operators at Work From the Past
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The early switchboard operator, ca. 1880s |
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Amazing Vintage Photographs That Capture Telephone Switchboard Operators at Work From the Past