THG Archives Online
Photographs
Our photograph collection consists of over 100,000 prints and 20,000 negatives from as far back as 1876.
Operators
To the public, the human face of the telephone company was the operator. They were called everything from “Call Girls” to “The Voice with a Smile.” They were heroines in time of disaster, comfort to the lonely and afraid, and a polite voice to often grouchy customers. The telephone operator reflected the mores and fashions of their time, as these pictures show.In 1946, more than 250,000 women were employed as switchboard operators for public service and businesses. To view more pictures of operators and to research this topic further, you can request access to the Telecommunications History Archives.
931 14th St. Building
The Real Estate Department of Mountain Bell maintained meticulous records, including floor plans and pictures of each building the company owned. The Telecommunications History Group’s Archives contains thousands of these photographs, many of which have been used by preservationists and architects. Below you will find a few photos of the Mountain States Telephone and Telegraph headquarters at 931 14th St., Denver, Colorado.Built in 1928 and opened in 1929, it is referred to as “The last of the Bell System Palaces,” as it was the last to be built before the stock market crash of 1929 and the subsequent Depression of the 1930s. Our thanks to volunteer Renee Lang for processing these photos.
For more information about the 931 14th St building, visit our online exhibit! If you would like access to the Telecommunications History Archives, including photos and information on the 931 14th St. Building, click here.
THG Archives Online
Photographs
Our photograph collection consists of over 100,000 prints and 20,000 negatives from as far back as 1876.
Continue scrolling to view our Operators gallery. Click here to jump to our 931 14th St building pictures.
Operators
To the public, the human face of the telephone company was the operator. They were called everything from “Call Girls” to “The Voice with a Smile.” They were heroines in time of disaster, comfort to the lonely and afraid, and a polite voice to often grouchy customers. The telephone operator reflected the mores and fashions of their time, as these pictures show.In 1946, more than 250,000 women were employed as switchboard operators for public service and businesses. To view more pictures of operators and to research this topic further, you can request access to the Telecommunications History Archives.
The first operators (1876-77) were teenage boys, who often engaged in horseplay and foul language. Telephone companies soon began hiring "girls" in order to present a more gentle image to customers.
In 1878, the first women operators, Emma and Stella Nutt, worked alongside boy operators in Boston. [photo from “Bold Experiment–the Telephone Story," 1958]
In order to convince families to allow their daughters to go to work, telephone companies stood in loco parentis. This chief toll operator exhibits a maternal attitude toward her “girls.” c. 1900
Operators were well trained in switchboard technique and in deportment before being allowed to work the boards. This group attends switchboard training in Denver. c. 1910
Telephone companies provided “retiring rooms,” such as this one in the York exchange in Denver, for operators who felt unwell or needed a break. c. 1910
To relieve the tedium of the job, the Colorado Telephone Company required operators to do calisthenics. This is on the roof garden of Denver Main, at 14th and Curtis. c. 1912
The switchboard in Santa Fe, New Mexico. c. 1921
Champa Exchange, Denver, Colorado. c. 1930
Intercepting operators, Minneapolis, Minnesota. c. 1946
Operators have always been a fashionable lot. Note the bobby sox and saddle shoes. c. 1951
Long Distance operators in Omaha, Nebraska. c. 1959
In response to equal rights legislation, telephone companies began hiring for “non-traditional” jobs. This meant that women could become installers and repair technicians, while “boys” could once again be operators. c. 1970
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931 14th St. Building
The Real Estate Department of Mountain Bell maintained meticulous records, including floor plans and pictures of each building the company owned. The Telecommunications History Group’s Archives contains thousands of these photographs, many of which have been used by preservationists and architects. Below you will find a few photos of the Mountain States Telephone and Telegraph headquarters at 931 14th St., Denver, Colorado.Built in 1928 and opened in 1929, it is referred to as “The last of the Bell System Palaces,” as it was the last to be built before the stock market crash of 1929 and the subsequent Depression of the 1930s. Our thanks to volunteer Renee Lang for processing these photos.
For more information about the 931 14th St building, visit our online exhibit! If you would like access to the Telecommunications History Archives, including photos and information on the 931 14th St. Building, click here.
14th and Curtis, the site of the new building, as it appeared in 1920.
The steel frame is built.
The framework from a different angle, showing the old headquarters building around the corner on Champa St.
The façade goes up.
The “New Headquarters Building” as it appeared in August 1929.
The building is adorned with 13 murals by the nationally known Colorado artist Allen True. The 931 14th St. entrance contains several of the murals.
This mural is in the outer Curtis St. lobby.
An Allen True Mural in the inner 14th St. lobby.
The front hallway.
The cashier’s office.
The business office.
The board of directors conference room.
The President’s office.
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