The Women Who Got America Talking

Early Telephone Operators, 1878-1922

By:

Kerry Segrave

Format:

Paperback / softback

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Description

When the need for telephone operators arose in the 1870s, the assumption was that they should all be male. Wages for adult men were too high, so boys were hired. They proved quick to argue with subscribers, so females replaced them. Women were calmer, had reassuring voices and rarely talked back. Within a few years, telephone operators were all female and would remain so. The pay was low and working conditions harsh. The job often impaired their health, as they suffered abuse from subscribers in silence under pain of dismissal. Discipline was stern-dress codes were mandated, although they were never seen by the public. Most were young, domestic and anything but militant. Yet many joined unions and walked picket lines in response to the severely capitalistic, sexist system they worked under.

Author Biography:

Cultural historian Kerry Segrave is the author of dozens of books on such diverse topics as drive-in theaters, lie detectors, jukeboxes, smoking, shoplifting and ticket-scalping. He lives in British Columbia.

Release date NZ

August 30th, 2017

Author

Kerry Segrave

Audience

General (US: Trade)

Illustrations

67 photographs

Interest Age

From 18 years

Pages

240

ISBN-13

9781476669045

Product ID

26407581

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