Telephone Wire Collection

"Connecting the Past and Present: The Story of Telephone Wires" From the bustling streets of New Orleans in 1895 to the dusty landscapes of Amarillo during the Dust Bowl

Telephone Wire Collection: NEW ORLEANS: STREET SCENE. A view of St. Charles Avenue in New Orleans, Louisiana

NEW ORLEANS: STREET SCENE. A view of St. Charles Avenue in New Orleans, Louisiana. Photographed c1895

Telephone Wire Collection: Flagler Street, looking west from in front of the Halcyon Hotel, 27 March

Flagler Street, looking west from in front of the Halcyon Hotel, 27 March
MIA437301 Flagler Street, looking west from in front of the Halcyon Hotel, 27 March, 1920 (b/w photo) by Matlack, Claude C

Telephone Wire Collection: Speaking to Paris from London at the Completion of the Anglo-French Telephone (engraving)

Speaking to Paris from London at the Completion of the Anglo-French Telephone (engraving)
1602975 Speaking to Paris from London at the Completion of the Anglo-French Telephone (engraving) by Prior, Melton (1845-1910) (after); Private Collection; (add.info)

Telephone Wire Collection: ATLANTIC CITY: BOARDWALK. A large crowd of people posing on the boardwalk in Atlantic City

ATLANTIC CITY: BOARDWALK. A large crowd of people posing on the boardwalk in Atlantic City, New Jersey, c1911

Summer On The Prairies; Winnipeg, Manitoba, Canada

Telephone Wire Collection: TENEMENT HOUSE, 1940. A family on the front stoop of a house in the tenement district of Brockton

TENEMENT HOUSE, 1940. A family on the front stoop of a house in the tenement district of Brockton, Massachusetts. Photograph by Jack Delano, 1940

Telephone Wire 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 Wire 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 Wire Collection: CHARLES TOWN COURTHOUSE. Courthouse in Charles Town, West Virginia

CHARLES TOWN COURTHOUSE. Courthouse in Charles Town, West Virginia. Initially built in 1801 with further work done in 1860 and 1867. Undated photograph

Telephone Wire Collection: NEW ORLEANS: COTTAGES. A view of cottages on Liberty Street in New Orleans, Louisiana

NEW ORLEANS: COTTAGES. A view of cottages on Liberty Street in New Orleans, Louisiana. Photographed by Frances Benjamin Johnston, c1938

Telephone Wire Collection: FACTORY PARKING LOT, 1936. Employee parking lot at the Calco Chemical Company near Bound Brook

FACTORY PARKING LOT, 1936. Employee parking lot at the Calco Chemical Company near Bound Brook, New Jersey. Photograph by Carl Mydans, February 1936

Telephone Wire Collection: MANVILLE IRON WORKS, 1936. View of the Manville Iron Works and railroad, Manville, New Jersey

MANVILLE IRON WORKS, 1936. View of the Manville Iron Works and railroad, Manville, New Jersey. Photograph by Carl Mydans, February 1936

Telephone Wire Collection: NEW ORLEANS CORNER, 1936. A street corner in New Orleans, Louisiana

NEW ORLEANS CORNER, 1936. A street corner in New Orleans, Louisiana. Photograph by Walker Evans in August 1936

Telephone Wire Collection: MISSISSIPPI: VICKSBURG, 1936. Ferry landing and houses on the waterfront at Vicksburg

MISSISSIPPI: VICKSBURG, 1936. Ferry landing and houses on the waterfront at Vicksburg, Mississippi. Photograph by Walker Evans in February 1936

Telephone Wire Collection: NEW ORLEANS: HOUSING, 1935. An impovished African American street in New Orleans, Louisana

NEW ORLEANS: HOUSING, 1935. An impovished African American street in New Orleans, Louisana. Photograph by Walker Evans in December 1935

Telephone Wire Collection: PENNSYLVANIA: BETHLEHEM. Graveyard, housing and steel mills in Bethlehem, Pennsylvania

PENNSYLVANIA: BETHLEHEM. Graveyard, housing and steel mills in Bethlehem, Pennsylvania. Photograph by Walker Evans in November 1935

Telephone Wire Collection: MINING TOWN, 1935. Mining town at the Frick Mining Company in Westmoreland County, Pennsylvania

MINING TOWN, 1935. Mining town at the Frick Mining Company in Westmoreland County, Pennsylvania. Photograph by Walker Evans in July 1935

Telephone Wire Collection: MOUNT PLEASANT, 1935. A back street in Mount Pleasant, Pennsylvania

MOUNT PLEASANT, 1935. A back street in Mount Pleasant, Pennsylvania. Photograph by Walker Evans in July 1935

Telephone Wire Collection: MILWAUKEE: STREET, 1936. Working class houses on Detroit and Van Buren Streets

MILWAUKEE: STREET, 1936. Working class houses on Detroit and Van Buren Streets, near the electric railroad, Milwaukee, Wisconsin. Photograph by Carl Mydans, April 1936

Telephone Wire 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 Wire Collection: MISSOURI: ST. LOUIS, c1890. The Globe-Democrat Building in St. Louis, Missouri

MISSOURI: ST. LOUIS, c1890. The Globe-Democrat Building in St. Louis, Missouri. Photograph, c1890

Telephone Wire Collection: NEW ENGLAND CONSERVATORY. New England Conservatory of Music in Boston. Photograph

NEW ENGLAND CONSERVATORY. New England Conservatory of Music in Boston. Photograph, c1904

Telephone Wire Collection: MEMPHIS: MAIN STREET, 1890. A view of Main Street in Memphis, Tennessee, showing

MEMPHIS: MAIN STREET, 1890. A view of Main Street in Memphis, Tennessee, showing a wagon loaded with cotton. Photographed in 1890

Telephone Wire Collection: NEW ORLEANS: LEVEE, c1900. A view of the levee at the foot of Canal Street in New Orleans

NEW ORLEANS: LEVEE, c1900. A view of the levee at the foot of Canal Street in New Orleans, Lousiana. Photographed c1900

Telephone Wire Collection: NEW ORLEANS: OPERA HOUSE. A view of the French Opera House in New Orleans, Louisiana

NEW ORLEANS: OPERA HOUSE. A view of the French Opera House in New Orleans, Louisiana. Photographed c1900

Telephone Wire Collection: NEW ORLEANS: CUSTOMS HOUSE. A view of the U. S. Customs House in New Orleans, Louisiana

NEW ORLEANS: CUSTOMS HOUSE. A view of the U. S. Customs House in New Orleans, Louisiana
NEW ORLEANS: CUSTOMS HOUSE. A view of the U.S. Customs House in New Orleans, Louisiana. Photographed c1895

Telephone Wire Collection: CONEY ISLAND: SURF AVENUE. Pedestrians and automobiles on Surf Avenue at Coney Island

CONEY ISLAND: SURF AVENUE. Pedestrians and automobiles on Surf Avenue at Coney Island, Brooklyn, New York. Photograph, c1910-1915

Telephone Wire Collection: CONEY ISLAND: SURF AVENUE. Pedestrians and streetcars on Surf Avenue at Coney Island

CONEY ISLAND: SURF AVENUE. Pedestrians and streetcars on Surf Avenue at Coney Island, Brooklyn, New York. Photograph, c1917

Telephone Wire Collection: CHICAGO: MASONIC TEMPLE. Masonic temple, built in 1891-92 by Daniel H. Burnham & John W

CHICAGO: MASONIC TEMPLE. Masonic temple, built in 1891-92 by Daniel H. Burnham & John W. Root. Stereograph, 1909

Telephone Wire Collection: ATLANTIC CITY: BOARDWALK. A view of the entrance to Youngs Pier on the boardwalk

ATLANTIC CITY: BOARDWALK. A view of the entrance to Youngs Pier on the boardwalk in Atlantic City, New Jersey. Photograph, c1900

LONDON: REGENT STREET. View of Lower Regent Street, London, England. Photographed c1900

Telephone Wire Collection: NEW YORK: TELEPHONE POLES. Telephone poles being erected at the corner of 66th Street

NEW YORK: TELEPHONE POLES. Telephone poles being erected at the corner of 66th Street and 11th Avenue in New York City. Photograph, c1887

Telephone Wire Collection: CONEY ISLAND: SURF AVENUE. Surf Avenue and Luna Park amusement park at Coney Island

CONEY ISLAND: SURF AVENUE. Surf Avenue and Luna Park amusement park at Coney Island, Brooklyn, New York. Photograph, c1906

Telephone Wire Collection: SAN FRANCISCO EARTHQUAKE. Ruins with damaged powerlines, following the earthquake

SAN FRANCISCO EARTHQUAKE. Ruins with damaged powerlines, following the earthquake of 18 April 1906

Telephone Wire Collection: SAN FRANCISCO EARTHQUAKE. Damage on Kearney St

SAN FRANCISCO EARTHQUAKE. Damage on Kearney St. and the Hall of Justice, following the earthquake of 18 April 1906. Stereograph, 1906

Telephone Wire 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

City street

A flock of birds perched on some telephone wires. 1936

Telephone Wire Collection: A view of the Old Absinthe House on the corner of Bourbon and Bienville Streets in New Orleans

A view of the Old Absinthe House on the corner of Bourbon and Bienville Streets in New Orleans, Louisiana
NEW ORLEANS: BAR, c1905. A view of the Old Absinthe House on the corner of Bourbon and Bienville Streets in New Orleans, Louisiana. Photographed c1905

Telephone Wire 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 Wire Collection: PRESIDENTIAL CAMPAIGN, 1908. Crowds in St. Louis, Missouri, gathered at the intersection of 12th

PRESIDENTIAL CAMPAIGN, 1908. Crowds in St. Louis, Missouri, gathered at the intersection of 12th Street and Delmar Boulevard to hear Republican candidate William Howard Taft (at rear of streetcar)

Telephone Wire 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

ATLANTIC CITY, 1890. Scene on Atlantic Avenue, Atlantic City, New Jersey. Line engraving, 1890

Telephone Wire 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

Telephone Wire Collection: TELEPHONE CABLES, 1891. Cable shaft leading into the terminal room at the Spring Street Exchange

TELEPHONE CABLES, 1891. Cable shaft leading into the terminal room at the Spring Street Exchange. The telephone in New York City. Line engraving from an American newspaper of 1891

Telephone Wire 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

Telephone Wire Collection: TELEPHONE CABLES, 1891. Underground cable run leading from subways into the vault at the Spring

TELEPHONE CABLES, 1891. Underground cable run leading from subways into the vault at the Spring Street Exchange. The telephone in New York City. Line engraving from an American newspaper of 1891

AMERICAN LOCOMOTIVE, c1870. American banknote engraving, c1870

For sale as Licensed Images

Choose your image, Select your licence and Download the media

"Connecting the Past and Present: The Story of Telephone Wires" From the bustling streets of New Orleans in 1895 to the dusty landscapes of Amarillo during the Dust Bowl, telephone wires have witnessed it all. These unassuming strands of communication have played a vital role in shaping our history. In 1895, as horse-drawn carriages paraded down St. Charles Avenue, telephone wires silently stretched above, carrying voices that connected communities and transformed lives. Fast forward to 1936, when Arthur Rothstein captured a haunting scene in Amarillo during a dust storm - amidst chaos and despair, those resilient wires stood tall, reminding us that even in adversity, connection is possible. Moving ahead to Flagler Street in Miami on a sunny day in March; telephone wires crisscrossed overhead as people strolled by with hopes and dreams whispered through receivers. Meanwhile, across continents, an engraving depicted the completion of the Anglo-French Telephone - bridging gaps between London and Paris with every call made. Telephone wires don't discriminate against geography or weather conditions. In Winnipeg's prairies under summer skies or amid typhoon wreckage along China's coastlines - they persistently transmit messages of hope and resilience. But it hasn't always been smooth sailing for these humble lines. An American cartoon from 1889 warned about new dangers posed by overhead electrical wiring on city streets - highlighting how progress sometimes comes at a cost. Yet amidst cautionary tales lies beauty too; canola fields stretching towards Thunder Bay's blue sky serve as nature's canvas where telephone wires blend seamlessly into their surroundings – connecting rural communities while harmonizing with Mother Earth. And let us not forget historical landmarks like Charles Town Courthouse or Liberty Street cottages in New Orleans; standing proud beside them are telephone wires silently witnessing countless stories unfold within their vicinity. Telephone wires may seem insignificant at first glance but look closer – they are conduits for human connection, resilience, and progress.