Switchboard Operator Collection

The New Magic: Sending Pictures by Wireless and the Unescapable Telephone, c1935. From Our Wonderful World, Volume II, edited by J.A. Hammerton. [The Amalgamated Press, Ltd. London]

House Office Building - Telephone Exchange, 1912. Creator: Harris & Ewing
House Office Building - Telephone Exchange, 1912

Poro College; The publicity department; Telephone switch board, 1922. Creator: Unknown
Poro College; The publicity department; Telephone switch board, 1922

Telephone operators, between 1914 and 1917. Creator: Harris & Ewing. Telephone operators, between 1914 and 1917
Telephone operators, between 1914 and 1917. USA. Emma Nutt became the world's first female telephone operator when she was hired in 1878

First transatlantic telephone call, from London to New York, 7 March 1926, (1935). Ringing Up " Uncle Sam"...the actual scene at the switchboard when London spoke to America by radio

Telephone Exchange, Paris, 1904 (print)
541374 Telephone Exchange, Paris, 1904 (print) by French School, (20th century); (add.info.: From Le Petit Journal Paris 17 April 1904)

Two women wearing headsets, working on telephone switchboard. (Photo by H. Armstrong Roberts/Retrofile/Getty Images)
UNITED STATES - CIRCA 1950s: Two women wearing headsets, working on telephone switchboard

Berlin telephone exchange, office IX, telephone exchange with manual operation
7279555 Berlin telephone exchange, office IX, telephone exchange with manual operation by Unknown Artist, (19th century); Private Collection; (add.info.: Berlin telephone exchange, office IX)

The Telegraph Station with Electromotive Printing Telegraphs in Berlin, Germany, 1890, Historic
7279554 The Telegraph Station with Electromotive Printing Telegraphs in Berlin, Germany, 1890, Historic by Unknown Artist

King and Hutchings office and switchboard. 1st October 1958

Topsy Watts, radar tracker at London Airport sits before apparatus with which she has brought a thousand airliners to a safe landing. 2nd July 1949

Customer Service
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London-New York Telephone Service, c1930. Creator: Unknown
London-New York Telephone Service, c1930. From " The Wonder Book of Engineering Wonders", edited by Harry Golding. [Ward, Lock & Co. Limited, London and Melbourne]

To Sit There And Carry On as though nothing was happening outside was not easy, 1941 (1942). G.P.O and Control Centre telephonists were called upon to do their ordinary jobs coolly

Telephone service in Madrid. Central office. Colored engraving, 1886

Telephone central office. Switching room and telephonists. Milan. Italy. Engraving
Telephone central office. Switching room and telephonists. Milan, Italy. Colored engraving

Office Switchboard
Switchboard operators at work in an office, circa 1905. (Photo by FPG/Hulton Archive/Getty Images)

Hello Girls
Female operators at the switchboard of the Magneto Exchange of the National Telephone Company, USA. (Photo by Topical Press Agency/Getty Images)

The Princeof Wales talks in Spanish with telephone operator. When the Prince of Wales inspected the great new world telephone centre at the Faraday building in London he conversed in Spanish with one

Switchboard Hello Girl
Washington, D.C.: August 20, 1936 Washingtons only Japanese speaking hello girl helps out at the Mayflower Hotel while a Japanese naval training squadron makes it their headquarters for their stay in

Back our girls over there United War Work Campaign, poster for recruitment of women soldiers, signed by Clarence F
United States of America, 20th century, First World War - Back our girls over there United War Work Campaign. Poster for the recruitment of women soldiers, signed by Clarence F. Underwood, 1918

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"Connecting the World: The Evolution of the Switchboard Operator" From the bustling Telephone Exchange in Paris, 1904 (print), to the historic moment of the first transatlantic telephone call from London to New York on March 7, 1926 (1935), switchboard operators have been at the heart of global communication. Captured in a timeless photograph, two women wearing headsets diligently work on a telephone switchboard, their expertise ensuring seamless connections for countless calls (Photo by H. Armstrong Roberts/Retrofile/Getty Images). Meanwhile, in Berlin's manual-operated telephone exchange office IX and its Telegraph Station with Electromotive Printing Telegraphs in Germany's capital city back in 1890 (Historic), these skilled professionals played a vital role. Customer service has always been paramount for these dedicated individuals who bridged distances and connected lives. In an enchanting colored engraving from Madrid's central office in 1886, we catch a glimpse of early phone service excellence. Similarly, Milan's switching room and telephonists depicted in an Italian engraving showcase their commitment to efficient communication. As technology advanced, so did their responsibilities. The London-New York Telephone Service around 1930 witnessed unknown creators pushing boundaries to establish international connections that would shape our world forever. During times of turmoil like World War II, switchboard operators faced extraordinary challenges while maintaining composure amidst chaos. As one caption reads: "To Sit There And Carry On as though nothing was happening outside was not easy" (1941/1942). Even after decades had passed since those early days, Topsy Watts stands as a testament to progress at London Airport as she skillfully tracks radar signals before her apparatus. The King and Hutchings office and switchboard on October 1st, 1958 symbolize how this profession continued evolving alongside technological advancements. Through every era and across continents, switchboard operators have been unsung heroes, connecting people and shaping history.