I was wondering how todays youth would regard a phone that was nailed to the wall and came with a host of options the stunning high-lite of which had to be the20 ft. extended cord from the phone's "speaker and reviver handle" that came in so many colors that people gave up trying (every time!) and just choose black...
As I sit with the picture conjured from the 1950's I realize that we never thought of the box on the wall as the phone,only the handle we spoke into and listen to...
My father was impressed you could do both at the same time for some reason.
We seemed to resent the phone box.
As soon as one dialed out or picked up the ringing phone, they would twirl and and look else where. And there in lay the problem!
I can see mom now,
down the hall and half way across the kitchen, springy curled cord hung up on the icebox door, hung up on a cabinet door several feet past the ice box and wrapped trice around her lower body and legs as she bent over to feed the dogs.
Our phone was hung on the wall
"Because" as my father pointed out..
"homes that leave the pone box loose at the end of a long line...well such phones can never been found when you want them in an emergency."
I might of bought into that, but even at 8 it seemed to me we could just follow the line in from the wall
My older sister set me straight..
" He just doesn't want me to be able to talk to my friends in my room where he can't hear me!
Innovation was near constant back then. I remember I was entering my second decade when the wave of progress overwhelmed us all!
For an additional, additional fee... Private lines could be had! Yes that was on top of what Ma Bell stole from you in long distantness fess for when you were calling across town!! But hey! Who did that!?
Grandma called twice a year from New York all the way to my very home in San Diego!
My Two Sisters, my brother and I were divided about getting a private line.
My older sister seemed to think EVERYONE in the world wanted listen in on her use of our party line.
( perhaps I should explain to young folks under 60 ":O}
(( A party- line was where a dozen households would share the same line. Which meant that any house hold could and did ease-drop on anyone using the same line.... More you payed Ma Bell the fewer house holds share the line...
My younger brother, sister and I wanted to keep the party line as we spent much of our time ease dropping on anyone who happen to need their phone.
I was told, our presence on the party-line greatly sped progress in spreading private line in our neck of the woods.
But the person who told me that just wanted to get me off the line.
Who knew people could be so touchy and judgmental!
Or that grown up would speak to a mere child in such a manner!!
As I sit with the picture conjured from the 1950's I realize that we never thought of the box on the wall as the phone,only the handle we spoke into and listen to...
My father was impressed you could do both at the same time for some reason.
We seemed to resent the phone box.
As soon as one dialed out or picked up the ringing phone, they would twirl and and look else where. And there in lay the problem!
I can see mom now,
down the hall and half way across the kitchen, springy curled cord hung up on the icebox door, hung up on a cabinet door several feet past the ice box and wrapped trice around her lower body and legs as she bent over to feed the dogs.
Our phone was hung on the wall
"Because" as my father pointed out..
"homes that leave the pone box loose at the end of a long line...well such phones can never been found when you want them in an emergency."
I might of bought into that, but even at 8 it seemed to me we could just follow the line in from the wall
My older sister set me straight..
" He just doesn't want me to be able to talk to my friends in my room where he can't hear me!
Innovation was near constant back then. I remember I was entering my second decade when the wave of progress overwhelmed us all!
For an additional, additional fee... Private lines could be had! Yes that was on top of what Ma Bell stole from you in long distantness fess for when you were calling across town!! But hey! Who did that!?
Grandma called twice a year from New York all the way to my very home in San Diego!
My Two Sisters, my brother and I were divided about getting a private line.
My older sister seemed to think EVERYONE in the world wanted listen in on her use of our party line.
( perhaps I should explain to young folks under 60 ":O}
(( A party- line was where a dozen households would share the same line. Which meant that any house hold could and did ease-drop on anyone using the same line.... More you payed Ma Bell the fewer house holds share the line...
My younger brother, sister and I wanted to keep the party line as we spent much of our time ease dropping on anyone who happen to need their phone.
I was told, our presence on the party-line greatly sped progress in spreading private line in our neck of the woods.
But the person who told me that just wanted to get me off the line.
Who knew people could be so touchy and judgmental!
Or that grown up would speak to a mere child in such a manner!!