Throwback: Telephones Then and Now
The patent for the telephone was issued on March 7, 1876.
The long life of the telephone
American acting siblings Alice, left, and Marceline Day standing in their dressing gowns by a telephone, demonstrating what happens when the studio puts in a 9 a.m. call for work, circa 1923. Before dial systems were put into place, customers depended on operators to put all telephone calls through - and the operators could listen in on all calls! (Margaret Chute/Getty Images)
