Telephone Post Collection

"Capturing the Essence of Telephone Posts: A Glimpse into History" Telephone posts, often overlooked but ever-present, hold stories from various corners of the world

Telephone Post Collection: FORT SNELLING. Changing of the guard at the Fort Snelling block house on the banks

FORT SNELLING. Changing of the guard at the Fort Snelling block house on the banks of the Mississippi River. Photograph, late 19th century

Telephone Post Collection: Prince Street, Christiansted, St. Croix, U. S. Virgin Islands, 1941. Creator: Jack Delano

Prince Street, Christiansted, St. Croix, U. S. Virgin Islands, 1941. Creator: Jack Delano
Prince Street, Christiansted, St. Croix, U.S. Virgin Islands

Telephone Post Collection: The Greensboro Lumber Co. Greensboro, Ga. 1941. Creator: Jack Delano

The Greensboro Lumber Co. Greensboro, Ga. 1941. Creator: Jack Delano
The Greensboro Lumber Co. Greensboro, Ga

Telephone Post Collection: Flagman standing at a distance behind a Santa Fe R.R. west bound freight... Bagdad, Calif. 1943

Flagman standing at a distance behind a Santa Fe R.R. west bound freight... Bagdad, Calif. 1943. Creator: Jack Delano
Flagman standing at a distance behind a Santa Fe R.R. west bound freight train during a stop, Bagdad, Calif

Telephone Post Collection: Stump farm, typical of cut-over area of Western Washington, near Vader, Lewis County, 1939

Stump farm, typical of cut-over area of Western Washington, near Vader, Lewis County, 1939. Creator: Dorothea Lange
Stump farm. Typical of cut-over area of Western Washington. Lewis County, near Vader

Telephone Post Collection: The new WPA courthouse alongside the old county courthouse, Bonners Ferry, Idaho, 1939

The new WPA courthouse alongside the old county courthouse, Bonners Ferry, Idaho, 1939. Creator: Dorothea Lange
The new WPA (Work Projects Administration) courthouse alongside the old county courthouse. Bonners Ferry, Idaho

Telephone Post Collection: Down one street on Longview homestead project, Cowlitz County, Washington, 1939

Down one street on Longview homestead project, Cowlitz County, Washington, 1939. Creator: Dorothea Lange
Washington, Cowlitz County, Longview. Down one street on Longview homestead project, several years after completion. Note fruit trees

Telephone Post Collection: Possibly: Down one street on Longview homestead project, Longview, Cowlitz County, Washington, 1939

Possibly: Down one street on Longview homestead project, Longview, Cowlitz County, Washington, 1939
[Untitled, possibly related to: Washington, Cowlitz County, Longview. Down one street on Longview homestead project, several years after completion. Note fruit trees]

Telephone Post Collection: Elma, Grays Harbor County, Western Washington, 1939. Creator: Dorothea Lange

Elma, Grays Harbor County, Western Washington, 1939. Creator: Dorothea Lange
Western Washington, Grays Harbor County, Elma. Note type architecture, very common in western Washington

Telephone Post Collection: Abandoned farm in wheat country, on U. S. 97, Klickitat County, near Goldendale, Washington, 1939

Abandoned farm in wheat country, on U. S. 97, Klickitat County, near Goldendale, Washington, 1939
Washington, Klickitat County, near Goldendale, on U.S. 97. Abandoned farm in wheat country

Telephone Post Collection: Type of residence, one block off main street, Tenino, Thurston County, Western Washington, 1939

Type of residence, one block off main street, Tenino, Thurston County, Western Washington, 1939
Western Washington, Thurston County, Tenino. Type of residence, one block off main street

Telephone Post Collection: Mrs. Bouchey gets the morning mail, Washington, Yakima Valley, near Toppenish, 1939

Mrs. Bouchey gets the morning mail, Washington, Yakima Valley, near Toppenish, 1939. Creator: Dorothea Lange
Mrs. Bouchey gets the morning mail. Wife of tenant purchase client. Washington, Yakima Valley, near Toppenish

Telephone Post Collection: Siler City, North Carolina, 1939. Creator: Dorothea Lange

Siler City, North Carolina, 1939. Creator: Dorothea Lange
Siler City, North Carolina

Telephone Post Collection: Oxford, Granville County, North Carolina, 1939. Creator: Dorothea Lange

Oxford, Granville County, North Carolina, 1939. Creator: Dorothea Lange
Oxford, Granville County, North Carolina. Note everpresent Confederate monument in town center

Telephone Post Collection: Chatham County farmers in town on Saturday afternoon, Pittsboro, North Carolina, 1939

Chatham County farmers in town on Saturday afternoon, Pittsboro, North Carolina, 1939. Creator: Dorothea Lange
Chatham County farmers in town on Saturday afternoon. Pittsboro, North Carolina

Telephone Post Collection: View of Bethlehem, Pennsylvania, 1935. Creator: Walker Evans

View of Bethlehem, Pennsylvania, 1935. Creator: Walker Evans
View of Bethlehem, Pennsylvania

Telephone Post Collection: Bethlehem graveyard and steel mill, Pennsylvania, 1935. Creator: Walker Evans

Bethlehem graveyard and steel mill, Pennsylvania, 1935. Creator: Walker Evans
Bethlehem graveyard and steel mill. Pennsylvania

Telephone Post Collection: Street in Bethlehem, Pennsylvania, 1935. Creator: Walker Evans

Street in Bethlehem, Pennsylvania, 1935. Creator: Walker Evans
Street in Bethlehem. Pennsylvania

Telephone Post Collection: Mining town, Frick Mining Company, Pennsylvania, Westmoreland County, 1935. Creator: Walker Evans

Mining town, Frick Mining Company, Pennsylvania, Westmoreland County, 1935. Creator: Walker Evans
Mining town. Frick Mining Company. Pennsylvania. Westmoreland County

Telephone Post Collection: Back street, Mount Pleasant, Pennsylvania, Westmoreland County, 1935. Creator: Walker Evans

Back street, Mount Pleasant, Pennsylvania, Westmoreland County, 1935. Creator: Walker Evans
Back street. Mount Pleasant, Pennsylvania. Westmoreland County

Telephone Post Collection: Central telephone post at Froideterre, Verdun, northern France, c1916

Central telephone post at Froideterre, Verdun, northern France, c1916. Photograph from a series of glass plate stereoview images depicting scenes from World War I (1914-1918)

Telephone Post Collection: I Am a Sea Swallow (a woman of the army signals and communications unit is repairing telephone)

I Am a Sea Swallow (a woman of the army signals and communications unit is repairing telephone lines after a coastal)
CHINA: POSTER, 1973. I Am a Sea Swallow (a woman of the army signals and communications unit is repairing telephone lines after a coastal typhoon). Chinese poster, 1973

Telephone Post Collection: ELECTRICITY CARTOON, 1889. An American cartoon of 1889 on the new dangers posed by overhead

ELECTRICITY CARTOON, 1889. An American cartoon of 1889 on the new dangers posed by overhead electrical wiring on city streets

Telephone Post Collection: ALABAMA: HOUSING, 1936. Steelmill workers company housing with outhouses at the

ALABAMA: HOUSING, 1936. Steelmill workers company housing with outhouses at the Republic Steel Company, Birmingham, Alabama. Photograph by Walker Evans in March 1936

Telephone Post Collection: DEPRESSION & DROUGHT, 1938. Main Street at Caddo, Oklahoma, a town suffering from the Depression

DEPRESSION & DROUGHT, 1938. Main Street at Caddo, Oklahoma, a town suffering from the Depression and from the drought in the surrounding farmlands. Photograph by Dorothea Lange, 1938

Telephone Post Collection: MASSACHUSETTS: SPRINGFIELD. View of the Connecticut River and Springfield, Massachusetts

MASSACHUSETTS: SPRINGFIELD. View of the Connecticut River and Springfield, Massachusetts. Wood engraving, American, 1854

Telephone Post Collection: ARIZONA STATEHOOD, 1912. A parade in Phoenix to celebrate Arizonas admission as

ARIZONA STATEHOOD, 1912. A parade in Phoenix to celebrate Arizonas admission as the 48th state in 1912. Photograph

PHOENIX, ARIZONA, 1895. A parade in Phoenix, Arizona. Photograph, c1895

Telephone Post Collection: LEWIS: MAIN STREET, 1920. Cover of the first edition of Sinclair Lewis novel Main Street

LEWIS: MAIN STREET, 1920. Cover of the first edition of Sinclair Lewis novel Main Street, 1920

SHAKER HOMES, 1904. Shaker homes at Pittsfield, Massachusetts. Photographed in 1904

Telephone posts, Wyoming, United States of America, North America

Telephone Post Collection: Street scene in Bethlehem, Pennsylvania. Photograph by Walker Evans in 1935

Street scene in Bethlehem, Pennsylvania. Photograph by Walker Evans in 1935
PENNSYLVANIA: BETHLEHEM. Street scene in Bethlehem, Pennsylvania. Photograph by Walker Evans in 1935

Telephone Post Collection: WILLIAM JENNINGS BRYAN (1860-1923). American lawyer and political leader

WILLIAM JENNINGS BRYAN (1860-1923). American lawyer and political leader. Bryan whistlestopping on the campaign trail in 1908, site unidentified

TELEGRAPH INSULATORS. Insulators on a telegraph pole. Line engraving, 19th century

Telephone Post Collection: aRON BURR: BIRTHPLACE. The old parsonage at Newark, New Jersey, birthplace of Aaron Burr (1756-1836)

aRON BURR: BIRTHPLACE. The old parsonage at Newark, New Jersey, birthplace of Aaron Burr (1756-1836). Wood engraving, 19th century

Telephone Post Collection: FARM LABORERS, 1890. A party of farm laborers on their way to a wheat farm along the line of

FARM LABORERS, 1890. A party of farm laborers on their way to a wheat farm along the line of the Northern Pacific Railroad in the Dakotas in 1890. Contemporary American wood engraving

Telephone Post Collection: TELEGRAPH REPAIR MAN, 1873. A telegraph repair man on the American frontier

TELEGRAPH REPAIR MAN, 1873. A telegraph repair man on the American frontier. Wood engraving, American, 1873

Telephone Post Collection: VIGILANTE COURT, 1874. Vigilance court in session in the American West

VIGILANTE COURT, 1874. Vigilance court in session in the American West. Line engraving, American, 1874

Telephone Post Collection: ROAD TRAVEL, 19th CENTURY. An old government tollgate, with westward bound express

ROAD TRAVEL, 19th CENTURY. An old government tollgate, with westward bound express, on the Old National Pike. Wood engraving, American, 1879, after Howard Pyle

Telephone Post Collection: ALGER: TELEGRAPH BOY. An illustration from The Telegraph Boy, 1879

ALGER: TELEGRAPH BOY. An illustration from The Telegraph Boy, 1879, one of the enormously popular books for boys written by Horatio Alger in the late 19th century

Telephone Post Collection: TELEGRAPHY, 1889. Disorderly telegraph wires on lower Broadway, New York City

TELEGRAPHY, 1889. Disorderly telegraph wires on lower Broadway, New York City. Wood engraving, American, 1889

SAVANNAH, GEORGIA, 1867. A view of Bay Street, Savannah, Georgia. Wood engraving, American, 1867

LOCOMOTIVE, c1870. Steel engraving, American, c1870

Telephone Post Collection: TRAIN IN BLIZZARD, 1884. A railroad train caught in a blizzard on the American plains

TRAIN IN BLIZZARD, 1884. A railroad train caught in a blizzard on the American plains. Wood engraving from a newspaper of 1884

Telephone Post Collection: TELEPHONE / TELEGRAPH LINES. The curve on the long-distance pole line at Sixty-fifth Street

TELEPHONE / TELEGRAPH LINES. The curve on the long-distance pole line at Sixty-fifth Street and Tenth Avenue
TELEPHONE/TELEGRAPH LINES. The curve on the " long-distance" pole line at Sixty-fifth Street and Tenth Avenue. The telephone in New York City

AMERICAN LOCOMOTIVE, c1870. American banknote engraving, c1870

Telephone Post Collection: TELEPHONE LINES, 1891. Outer terminals of underground cables - testing a cable for cross-talk The

TELEPHONE LINES, 1891. Outer terminals of underground cables - testing a cable for cross-talk The telephone in New York
TELEPHONE LINES, 1891. Outer terminals of underground cables - testing a cable for " cross-talk" The telephone in New York City. Line engraving from an American newspaper of 1891

Telephone Post Collection: TELEPHONE LINES, 1891. The cable tower at One-hundred-and-twenty-fourth Street

TELEPHONE LINES, 1891. The cable tower at One-hundred-and-twenty-fourth Street and Tenth Avenue - junction of the overhead and underground lines. The telephone in New York City

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"Capturing the Essence of Telephone Posts: A Glimpse into History" Telephone posts, often overlooked but ever-present, hold stories from various corners of the world. From the changing of the guard at Fort Snelling's block house on the banks to Prince Street in Christiansted, St. Croix, these humble structures have witnessed countless moments frozen in time. In 1941, photographer Jack Delano immortalized a telephone post standing tall amidst the bustling streets of Greensboro, Georgia. Its weathered appearance hinted at its role as a silent witness to daily life unfolding around it. Another snapshot by Delano takes us back to Bagdad, California in 1943. Here we find a flagman stationed behind a Santa Fe R. R. Westbound freight train—a solitary figure against an expansive backdrop—relying on communication lines strung between sturdy telephone posts. Dorothea Lange's lens transports us to Western Washington in 1939 where she captured images that tell tales of struggle and resilience. In Vader's cut-over area near Lewis County, we see a stump farm—a stark reminder of nature's transformation and human perseverance. Moving eastward to Bonners Ferry, Idaho, Lange juxtaposes the old county courthouse with its new WPA counterpart—an architectural evolution symbolizing progress during challenging times. Further down one street on Longview homestead project in Cowlitz County lies another chapter etched into history through Lange's lens. The faces and homes she documented reflect both hardship and hope within this community striving for better days. Elma in Grays Harbor County reveals yet another facet of rural America during this era—the stoic presence of telephone posts lining quiet streets as lifelines connecting communities across vast distances. Venturing into wheat country near Goldendale along U. S. Route 97 brings us face-to-face with an abandoned farm—a poignant reminder of economic hardships faced by many during that period—and how these resilient structures stood tall amidst adversity.