#29: Diligent Switchboard Operators
This image, captured in 1920, showcases switchboard operators immersed in their tasks. Their roles revolved around managing, redirecting, and recording the details of calls. This vital communication role required precision and attentiveness and was the backbone of telephonic exchanges during that era.
Women dominated these switchboards in the 1920s, forming an integral part of telecommunications history. Despite the evolution of technology rendering their roles obsolete, a transformation rather than an end occurred. Today, according to the Bureau of Labor Statistics, 4,000 individuals still operate in this field, albeit in a modernized capacity, keeping the spirit of original operators alive.