Switchboard Collection (#3)

Suffragette HQ Clements Inn W. S. P. U
Suffragette HQ Clements Inn W.S.P.U. Line drawing of the W.S.P.U Headquarters at Clements Inn. Showing a meeting, switchboard and typists. Date: 1912

Two men on switchboard at LFB HQ
Two men taking calls on the switchboard at LFB HQ. Date: 1925

LFB Telephone Switchboard - Lambeth HQ, SE1 Date: circa 1930s

COMPUTERS, 1962. Computers and data stored on reels, at the Offut Air Force Base in Nebraska. Photograph by Thomas O Halloran, 1962

COMPUTER ROOM, 1999. Main control switchboard and operators desk at the Washington Water Power Clark Fork River Noxon Rapids Hydroelectric Development Powerhouse in Sanders County, Montana

NBC RADIO BROADCAST, 1926. Chief Engineer O.B. Hanson (right) with technicians in the main control room as the first NBC radio program goes on the air. Photograph, 1926

JAMBOREE SWITCHBOARD, 1937. Switchboard operators on duty twenty four hours a day durning the Boy Scout Jamboree in Washington D.C. Photograph, June 1937

NEW MEXICO: MINING, 1940. A switchboard at a gold mine and mill in Mogollon, New Mexico. Photograph by Russell Lee, 1940

CHICAGO: TELEGRAPH BOARD. An operator at the switch board in the Pennsylvania Railroad telegraph room at the Union Station in Chicago, Illinois. Photograph by Jack Delano, 1943

BELL TELEPHONE, 1884. Scenes from American Bell Telephone Company, incorporated in March 1885. Wood engravings, American, 1884

TELEGRAPHY, 1873. One-quarter of switch-board, Western Union office, New York City. Line engraving, American

TELEPHONE EXCHANGE, 1915. A telephone company switchboard training class, c1915

TELEPHONE EXCHANGE SYSTEM. American, 1879. Line drawing, late 19th century

CHARLES EZRA SCRIBNER (1858-1926). American electrical engineer and telephone inventor. Photograph, c1911

Masked Operator
A Chesterfield Borough Police telephone operator tests a gasmask with built in earpiece and microphone. The telephone service is considered one of the most important links in the coordination of ARP

Lord Mayor inspects international telephone exchange. The Lord Mayor of London ( Sir Charles H Collett ) paid an official visit to the International Telephone Exchange in the Faraday Building

Where World Economic Conference will meet. The new building of the Geological Museum in Kensington, London has been chosen as the meeting place for the World Economic Conference at which delegates

Line engraving, French, late-19th century
TELEPHONE SWITCHBOARD. Line engraving, French, late-19th century

Switchboard Operators
Willows, California: October 10, 1911 Telephone switchboard operators

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

Telephone switchboard
Song of the Clouds - telephone switchboard, 1956

Telephone switchboard exchange, 1893
Telephone switchboard exchange. 19th-century artwork of woman operating the exchange at a telephone bureau. They are using receivers to listen to incoming calls and using the wires

Telephone switchboard, 1893
Telephone switchboard, 19th-century artwork. The woman is using headphone receivers and a speaker to listen to and reply to incoming calls

Two men on switchboard at LFB HQ
Two men taking calls on the switchboard at LFB HQ

LFB Telephone Switchboard - Lambeth HQ, SE1

The watchroom of Southwark Fire Station, London. Although this had a telephone switchboard serving the adjacent headquarters of the Brigade

Watchroom at Fire Brigade HQ, Southwark
Watchroom at Metropolitan Fire Brigade headquarters in Southwark Bridge Road, with men manning the switchboard and monitoring the fire alarm control board where calls for assistance were received

The telephone women (1904). Picture of Le Petit
" The telephone women (1904). Picture of " Le Petit Journal". Engraving."

Back Our Girls Over There. American poster by the Y. W. C. A. during World War I, c1918
WORLD WAR I: YWCA POSTER. Back Our Girls Over There. American poster by the Y.W.C.A. during World War I, c1918

Queen Elizabeth II at the LFB Annual Review in Lambeth
Queen Elizabeth II at the Annual Review of the London Fire Brigade, Lambeth HQ on 11 November 1966

London Fire Brigade Headquarters telephone switchboard

London Fire Brigade telephone switchboard operator
A London Fire Brigade telephone switchboard operator

LCC-LFB Brigade headquarters station watchroom
The watchroom of Southwark Fire Station. Although this had a telephone switchboard serving the adjacent headquarters of the Brigade

LCC-MFB Firemen in switchboard & control room
Watchroom at Metropolitan Fire Brigade headquarters in Southwark Bridge Road, with men manning the switchboard and monitoring the fire alarm control board where calls for assistance were received

LCC-LFB Control Room at Lambeth HQ SE1
Brigade control was located in the basement of the Headquarters building. A view of the card index rotary drums that recorded the address of every London thoroughfare

NFS London Region control room, HQ, WW2
Firemen and firewomen of the NFS (London Region) at the telephone switchboard of the control room at Lambeth HQ

TELEPHONE LINES, 1891. Making repairs at the back of the multiple switchboard. The telephone in New York City. Line engraving from an American newspaper of 1891

TELEPHONE EXCHANGE, 1891. The telephone exchange in New York City. Line engraving from an American newspaper of 1891

TELEPHONE OPERATOR, 1880. An early telephone switchboard operator. Wood engraving, 1880, French

An example of an early telephone switchboard

Poster advertising War Savings, encourage people to invest in war bonds to support the ATS (the womens branch of the army, the Auxiliary Territorial Service). 1940s

New York Telephone Company Exchange Date: 1896

Metropolitan Police Information Room, London
General view of the Metropolitan Police Information Room at New Scotland Yard, London, with officers busy taking calls. In the foreground are the Inspectors and Sergeants positions. Date: May 1974

Telephone Operators
Men and women working as telephone operators. Trelleborg

NY Phone Exchange 1910
Section of a typical New York City telephone exchange : working here is evidently an exclusively female preserve Date: 1910

Morse telegraph stations, historical artwork. The station at top has two sets of telegraph wires connecting to the transmitting and receiving operating equipment on the desk

TELEPHONE EXCHANGE, 1920s. A still from a silent movie, 1920s

TELEPHONE EXCHANGE, 1920s. A still from a silent movie

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"Connecting the World: The Evolution of Switchboards Through Time" In the early 1900s, telephone switchboards revolutionized communication, becoming the lifeline that connected people across vast distances. These intricate systems, often operated by dedicated switchboard girls in their iconic headsets, were at the heart of every telephone exchange. One such historic moment was captured on January 24th, 1931, at the Newcastle Telephone Exchange. The image showcases a bustling room filled with women skillfully maneuvering through a maze of wires and circuits to connect calls seamlessly. Across the globe in London, another pivotal scene unfolded within the Metropolitan Police operations room. Here, switchboard operators played a crucial role in coordinating emergency responses and maintaining public safety during critical moments. Meanwhile, behind-the-scenes glimpses from Coliseum Theatre in London revealed an army of diligent switchboard operators working tirelessly to ensure smooth communication between performers and production teams. During World War II's tumultuous times, long lines of telephone switchboards became vital tools for military communications at London's telephone exchange. These resilient machines served as lifelines connecting soldiers on distant battlefields with their loved ones back home. The significance of these switchboards extended beyond wartime efforts. In 1903, phone exchanges emerged as centralized hubs where individuals could access telecommunication services conveniently. This marked a turning point towards widespread connectivity for communities worldwide. Amidst societal changes during WWI when women took on new roles traditionally held by men; they also stepped into positions as electricians operating these complex systems with precision and expertise. Celebrations erupted upon opening South John Street's new telephone exchange in Liverpool—an emblematic symbol representing progress and modernity for its residents who eagerly embraced this technological advancement. Looking even further back into history reveals an enchanting glimpse into one of the earliest iterations—the Telephone Bureau Exchange established in 1889—a testament to humanity's relentless pursuit to bridge distances through innovation and ingenuity.