AT&T Archives: Operator! (1938) (Bonus Edition)

For more from the AT&T Archives, visit techchannel.att.com/archives
Introduction by George Kupczak of the AT&T Archives and History Center
Operators in 1938 were an absolutely essential part of the telephone communications network. Usually young women (in 1900 they had to be unmarried and between the ages of 17 and 26), they were avidly recruited in high school, and every 10 years or so the Bell System would make a new film to try to draw in more young women to the profession.
As of 1938, the system had not yet converted to the dial system - that wouldn't happen for another few decades - so every single call was manually connected by an operator. (The first dial telephones were installed in 1919, but the system wasn't fully converted until 1978).
Operators were one of the most popular and acceptable professions for young women, and were often portrayed in popular culture of the period like the 1941 film Tom, Dick and Harry with Ginger Rogers as a nosy telephone operator, or the 1938 thriller The Telephone Operator.
Producer: Audio Productions, Inc.
Footage courtesy of AT&T Archives and History Center, Warren, NJ

[@MrPhil0267]

I love these old AT+T movies. I cannot get enough of them!

[@garymckee8857]

I can't wait till I get dial service.

[@danielnutt3991]

It started with an introduction of my great great aunt Emma

[@SRCVintageElectronics]

My grandma was a telephone operator in the 30's 😄

[@elizabethhyatt7427]

Mine too. She was in seventh grade when she started. Worked 30 hours a week making a whole $2 each week.

[@SlaughterDog]

Same.

[@I-Libertine]

Mine too. 55 years later, she retired as assistant to the VP of Southern Bell!!

[@nyceyes]

Those are great stories. What a shame. Good times gone by.

[@hannahmarie8777]

I can't believe the lady being interviewed just graduated high school!

[@Day0One]

Very, very-interesting... I'm glad I saw this mini-Archives/history of (1938)-Operators.

[@garymckee8857]

The neat hand writing on the employment application with that pen,I tried writing with one those and my handwriting looked like chicken scratch.

[@jorge10928]

I write like a doctor.

[@wakkowarner4288]

Gen-x probably were the last to be taught penmansip -- I was taught in 2nd grade (1977) the Palmer Method. The Greatest were taught Spencerian, which was even prettier.

[@darthdennis6681]

This guy says "boys" kinda strange....

[@stainbackmyra]

Makes me want to work a cordboard sgain.

[@nyceyes]

Why don't you share your stories with us? 😊

[@jessiejames7492]

I was one in the 80s. Fun. Learnt to operate some machines that are obsolete now. Like teletext and telefax machines. We still used push button operating on our switch boards. Now we do everything online. I saw the introductionn of car phones too. Seemed odd at that time. Now we do everything On applications. On our computers. Technology just speeds along.

[@Kitsaper]

Best not have a sign that says “rest room” on the door for where the ladies practicing singing/piano, as it has a different meaning today.

[@Erzahler]

Very fascinating subject! The sound level is very low, however. I had to turn the volume control on my television VERY high to hear it adequately. I suppose this is the best available given the age of the original film. -- Still, it was very interesting to learn how operators worked before computers took everything over; these days there are only a handful of operators compared to those earlier years when each exchange had dozens of operators!

[@johneygd]

You would not expect workers so friendly & social at that time.

[@rayfridley6649]

In 1919, that was the first Bell System dial installation. Many of the non-Bell companies had dial switching as far back to the very late 1800's.

[@jgrysiak6566]

1930 in Baden, PA

[@dagwort]

In those days, what was the fastest possible a station-to-station call could be completed, from the moment the operator at the first switchboard has the number from the caller (say, "Verona 7 - 1234"), to the moment the called party (via second operator at the destination exchange) answers their phone? Assume the called party picks up at first ring. (Research project.)

[@friendlysky7674]

I have a phone switch bord and a 30s telephone oparators headset

[@thePWNmaster5]

I bet its the ultimate chick magnet

[@Mangolite]

What happened to the sound level? The actual old footage volumes is really low.

[@tieline1333]

4:30 -- I think that building is 193 Manhattan Ave, New York, NY

[@rajanipatil90]

nice documentary

[@JamesTilsley1]

How did that 30 year old woman just graduate high school?

[@melaniexoxo]

They need to test people more before employing them these days... basic reading, reading comprehension and spelling would be a good place to start

[@OldsVistaCruiser]

Edwin C. Hill, the narrator, sounds a lot like FDR. Could he have been the voice of FDR at the end of "Yankee Doodle Dandy"?

[@ricardorodrigues7304]

excelente, parabéns.

[@mynewyork165]

5:40 She just graduated HS? At age 30???

[@sexychick9541]

the good old days.

[@kd1s]

Now there are no more operators

[@c0t0d0s7]

Her mother had to visit her at work? I didn’t know helicopter parents existed in the 1930s!

[@albertcarello619]

This job is handled accordingly.

[@Ham549]

How did billing work?

[@FERNAMTBERLIN]

A manual toll ticket was filled out by the operator. At the end of the month you would receive all the tickets of your toll calls with your phone bill (local calls were usually included with basic services)

[@NortelGeek]

Toll ticket. They were thrown into a slot situated between the calculagraph and multi-leaf bulletin.

[@ds99]

It’s sad that this job is no longer there. Everything is so automated these days. Computers talking to us instead of people. Even in the 60s and 70s, one would have never guessed that one day there would be no operators. They were so vital back then. It’s an example of how much things evolve over time and what was so important at one time becomes insignificant later on.

[@tieline1333]

There are still operators, I can dial 0 on my landline and get one.

[@jessiejames7492]

Yes. The company i worked for in the 80s was v strict. Answer calls within 3 rings. We must get whatever info callers or subscribers want or connect them correctly. We couldnt say we dont have that info ! Nowadays calls to service lines are either automated or outsourced to god forsaken countries and those who cant assist efficiently

[@jessiejames7492]

@@tieline1333 yes. But you have to listen to automated voice saying dial 1 dial 2 or some other messgs. Or dial 0 for opr. Exasperating

[@jgrysiak6566]

Verizon cut Operator wages 20 yrs ago on new hires!

[@mpanico3727]

No mention of the pregnancy test during the medical exam?

[@gandalf87264]

Far too many wires for me.

[@friendlysky7674]

my mom was a telephone operator in the 1990s so lol

[@interwebtubes]

Max’s Collectibles all operators have been replaced with interactive voice responsive computers

[@tieline1333]

@@interwebtubes Not true, I can still dial 0 and get an operator.

[@jgrysiak6566]

@@tieline1333 , not on Smartphones

[@lukesmith2725]

I wonder what their pay was. I’m guessing it was dismal but given the fact that it was the 1930s and they were female, they said nothing and just accepted it. How the world has changed in eighty years.

[@wurlitzergroup]

It was a lot more than working at Wendy's or Panera Bread today.

[@jgrysiak6566]

Depression Era wages in the 1930s

[@johnrigler8858]

15:02 No toilet?

[@dwaynes965]

Alexander 4444

[@k.zukarov6777]

lines busy

[@andrewchristianson2086]

Hah hah that's funny why boy operator jobs became women operators.

[@sharidavenport5283]

Boys were unsuited for the work, because it was simply assumed that since they could be successful as telegraph operators, they could be equally successful as telephone operators. This was the totally wrong approach to the work. Boys, as the narrator points out, did not have to actually speak to anyone over the telegraph - just send and receive telegraph messages. And perhaps speak to people - likely mostly men - who wanted to send or pick up messages. They were not well trained for customer service type work, and were abysmal at it over telephone lines. Very unprofessional, and as the narrator noted, prone to playing pranks on each other and even customers! That should get you fired PDQ!

[@andrewchristianson2086]

@@sharidavenport5283 I suppose the sign of the times. There's alot of guys in customer service now. I'm one of them. Basically done customer service most my life.

[@MrYougotcaught]

Sucks being a woman at this time in America. Low pay for such hard work because of the mere fact that one is a woman, and not a man

[@SecretAgentPaul]

They were operators. They talked and switched. They weren't climbing poles and running lines in the blazing sun. They had the easiest job in the world. And if they didn't like the pay, they didn't have to stay.

[@corksy541]

This video is broing

[@DiscoMatty79]

I'm sorry, I try harder to shoot a better, more interesting video next time.

[@missjohnson2346]

What the hell is "broing"?

[@themaritimegirl]

@@missjohnson2346 That's the sound his brain made writing that pointless comment.

[@nyceyes]

@@DiscoMatty79 😆 Hilarious reply.

[@SecretAgentPaul]

I think you and your bros have done enough "broing" for the moment.

[@gandalf87264]

Number please? NUMBER PLEASE?????? Just give me the damn number, I have a thousands of people wanting number pleases.

[@johnwow2646]

what a crappy documentary and the man speaking really was annoying! Good thing he's finally taking a dirt nap!