Maintaining telephone switches in the 1930s - photo

[Altair]

Maintaining electromechanical telephone switches at the Telephone Exchange Building, New York City. c. 1938.

Fullsize image: https://diqn32j8nouaz.cloudfront.net...aintenance.jpg



Previously:

1920s telephone lineman - photo
Barbed wire telephone lines - photos
Vintage work crew photos

[patch-man1420]

That's a number 5 crossbar switching system. I worked on them in the 1970's and they were in service well into the 1980's. They were used nationwide in telephone central offices.