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, ...

It’s an iconic image from the middle of the 20th century: a telephone operator sitting at a crazily lit-up switchboard, wearing headphones and directing phone calls wherever they need to go.

Before smartphones, landline telephones were the way most people kept in touch. And until direct dialing became common, a switchboard operator's assistance was often needed to help with long-distance ...