Today, we walk around with our phones in our pockets and purses, ready to connect us to the world at a moment's notice. While there are some people who take that level of freedom too far with their obsessive behavior, or even find themselves suffering from more painful consequences, it's pretty much a fact of life at this point. For instance, living in New York City, I don't think I'd get outside of my house very often without my map app letting me know how to get where I need to be.
But 80 years ago, families were lucky to have one in their home, much less multiple lines and numbers for each member. The design was much simpler, no buttons or numbers necessary at first. Calls were placed by connecting with operators who would then patch you through to your desired party. In 1936, that all changed with the debut of rotary dial phones.
The old-fashioned method looks easy to us from our perspective, but back then, it was important for the Bell Telephone Company to introduce the public to the new system through short PSAs screened before movies at theater houses. This short clip details the dial tone, the busy signal, and how to effectively use the rotating number pad.
I remember seeing one of these in my grandma's house growing up and being fascinated with the vintage technology. My mom had to constantly stop me from making random phone calls just to try it out!
Take a look at the blast from the past below, and be sure to SHARE with your friends!
