Although today’s telephones do essentially the same thing as the rotary phones of fifty years ago – they both make phone calls – the history of the vintage rotary phone has changed significantly through the years.
Most of us of a certain age – often referred to as “middle aged” – may possibly remember a time when picking up a classic rotary phone and dialing meant that an operator answered the phone on the other end. This human operator was a necessary step in completing your telephone call. The operator – almost always a woman – actually used a system of plugs and wires to hook your outgoing call to the proper incoming call line. The caller’s signal was thus connected to the receiver’s line and the phone call could now commence!
Rotary Telephone Operators to be Replaced
Not too many years went by and the telephone company came to the conclusion that this was not the most efficient way to handle connecting telephone calls. Right around this time in rotary phones history the ten digit phone number came into existence. The need for telephone operators would soon be a thing of the past. The ten digit system was able to identify the source of the call and also discern the destination phone number. By doing so the telephone comapny could automate the connection process and do away with the friendly telephone operator!
Rotary Dial Phone Area Codes
Area codes also came into existence at around the same time. The first 3 digits of this area code were assigned to a geographic region of the country. Even today, your telephone number area code gives a pretty good idea of just where your call is being originated and for where it is intended. The second 3 area code digits are generally referred to as the “exchange” of the phone number. This exchange number further identifies and localizes a much smaller area of the overall area code region. Every one of the area codes thus has 999 potential combination series within each exchange. Therefore, a very large number of phone numbers are available for use within each area code.
Push Button vs Rotary Dial Phones
Further changes that occurred about this point in rotary phone history was the development and implementation of the modern push button phone. The new technology of the push button phone would soon replace the vintage rotary dial phones currently in use. The old rotary dial phones were quickly becoming a thing of the past and would find there way into cold storage in attics and basements, only to reappear half a century later at eBay and Craigslist! You can still find great bargain rotary phones for sale at flea markets & garage sales, too.
Classic rotary phones are being collected and restored and are now reappearing in homes across America. The trend is reversing!
November 23rd, 2010 at 6:51 am
[...] telephone calls. Just like the classic rotary phones of yesteryear have done for the past century. Rotary phone history melds nicely with modern phone [...]
February 9th, 2011 at 10:35 am
[...] my friends, is a brief rotary phone history. Posted by RotaryPhones Filed in News Be the first to Comment [...]