Lady Signaling Operator on Old-Style Telephone in Scranton, Iowa, April 1940

    An Iowa resident calls a switchboard operator to connect her call in 1940.
    Courtesy of Library of Congress, Vachon, John, "Lady signaling operator on old style telephone. Scranton, Iowa," April 1940

    Description

    A Scranton, Iowa, resident is photographed calling a switchboard operator to connect her call. The 1940 photograph was taken by John Vachon, an employee of the Farm Security Administration, who was employed to publicize the conditions of the rural poor in America.

    Source-Dependent Questions

    • How did people in Iowa communicate during this time?
    • What can you learn about the past from this photo?

    Citation Information

    Vachon, John, "Lady signaling operator on old style telephone. Scranton, Iowa," April 1940. Courtesy of Library of Congress

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