Mike Lazer-Walker has repurposed a 1927 Western Electric 551-A switchboard into a hectic game that tasks players with quickly learning the obsolete job. “Hello, Operator!,” although controlled by a ...

Before smartphones, most people kept in touch using landline telephones. And before direct dialing was common, some calls were handled by switchboard operators. During the 1950s, more than 220,000 ...

Before cellphones, before dial-up, if you wanted to make a phone call, you talked to an operator. That operator sat in front of a wall covered in... Jun 19, 2017 — Before cellphones, before dial-up, ...

When news breaks, you need to understand what actually matters — and what to do about it. At Vox, our mission to help you make sense of the world has never been more vital. But we can’t do it on our ...

Decades after retiring, women who once operated the switchboard at Ma Bell still keep a strong connection — to each other and their past. Nearly 50 retired operators gathered Friday afternoon in ...