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Female telegraph operator, 1910
Filename: trowbridge9.jpg
Size: 2249 x 2636 (539KB)
Date: 7th October 2008
Source: STEAM Museum of the GWR
Unique Reference Number: S36 071
© STEAM - Museum of the GWR
Wall Art and Photo Gifts from STEAM Museum
Female telegraph operator, 1910
A female operator can be seen here working the switchboard at the Paddington Telegraph Office in 1910. Prior to this date the Great Western Railway had been slow to employ women in their telegraph offices. After seeing the Post Office successfully use women in their telephone exchanges the GWR finally introduced women in 1909
STEAM - Museum of the Great Western Railway
Media ID 1284593
© STEAM - Museum of the GWR
1910 Female Paddington Woman Telegraph
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EDITORS COMMENTS
In this evocative photograph taken at the Paddington Telegraph Office in 1910, a female telegraph operator is intently focused on her work, her expression a testament to the concentration required in her role. The Great Western Railway (GWR), known for its pioneering advancements in transportation, was initially reluctant to employ women in their telegraph offices. However, having witnessed the success of the Post Office in integrating women into their telephone exchanges, the GWR finally changed its stance in 1909. The woman in the photograph, dressed in a smart blouse and collar, wears a pair of headphones to better hear the Morse code signals transmitted through the wires. Her skilled fingers dance across the switchboard, sending and receiving messages between various railway stations and offices. The telegraph office, filled with humming machinery and a palpable sense of urgency, was a far cry from the traditional feminine spheres of home and hearth. The introduction of women telegraph operators was a significant milestone in the history of the GWR and the telecommunications industry as a whole. It not only expanded the workforce but also challenged societal norms, paving the way for women to make their mark in fields previously dominated by men. This photograph serves as a poignant reminder of the important role women played in the development of the railway network and the broader communication infrastructure of the early 20th century.
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