Welcome to the New York City Police Department, 1909. These men are telephone operators at police headquarters switchboard.
I wonder what sort of emergencies people were calling in with in 1909.
I tend to romanticize the turn of the century, so I’m imagining it would be frantic calls about cats stranded in trees or maybe the occasional Masher!
Perhaps they had an elaborate protocol for answering calls. Instead of a gruff “911, what’s your emergency?” it would be more like, “Good evening, you’ve reached the New York City police headquarters switchboard. How do you do?”
LOC
old spirituals 
Before voice communications, NYC used the telegraph (Morse Code) to transmit fire alarms. That method of communication was expanded to police headquarters, police stations and, eventually, down to the street level for individual patrolman to use when necessary. That was the infancy of the “Call Box.” The telegraph system was supplemented and eventually replaced by the telephone, circa 1903.
As a nexus to Kimberly’s previous post, Teddy Roosevelt was the “President of the Police Board” of NYC from May 1895 to the end of 1896. (Wonder what part Teddy may have played in the advancement of police communications in NYC?) The month after Roosevelt became “President of the Police Board,” he and a reporter walked the streets of NY after midnight one evening in June. What policemen they found were asleep or together talking rather than patrolling the streets. It is said that those Roosevelt found in dereliction of their duty were called to HQ for a personal “meeting” with Roosevelt.
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I’ve never heard that story but it sounds like TR! It sounds like what every politician would campaign on doing but would only do once, video cameras in tow, for a photo op. TR meant business and got things done ✅
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What a classy switchboard!
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Ha! Yes, it is!
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7 switchboard operators in 1909! I guess New York was always lively!
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Lots of cats in trees!
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My mother worked the HIram Walker’s switchboard in the ’50’s and quite enjoyed it. During the pandemic, I was a janitor and had to clean the emergency services “switchboard” aka the communications headquarters and heard some rather horrific 911 calls coming in. You really have to admire the folks who serve in there as they calm you down, get your info and give instructions on how to do CPR on your loved one who has just collapsed in front of you.
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That certainly would be interesting! I react to the emotion in people’s voices a lot (not on purpose) so I would be a poor fit in a job that requires nerves of steel! When I think of switchboards, I envision Mrs Olson on Little House on the Prairie, gathering all the gossip of Walnut Grove!
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