Women at Work: Switchboard Operators

Somewhere in these two pictures is Carilyn Bernd’s maternal grandmother, Delma Ragan. Delma was born in 1902. She married Leo Ragan in 1922 and gave birth to twins in 1924. Just three years later, she died at age 25. At some point, Delma was a telephone switchboard operator in Cherryvale, Kan.

Each cable in this photo connects to a telephone line. These four operators were required to be polite and discrete. The older woman supervises their demeanor. The two young women at the desk on the left appear to be operating a telegraph machine. The clock on the wall tells us that the photographer captured them at work at 11:05 a.m.

Here, the women are in a break room reading, socializing and smiling for the camera.

So which one is Delma? There are several young women that could be her. If the family has another picture of her, they can compare the two and identify her.

The early 1920s were a time of transition for fashion. The dropped waists of the Flappers were just beginning to make an appearance. Short hair was becoming fashionable.

On the far right sits a young woman in a Middy Blouse. Sears Catalogs sold the sailor-collared shirt. The fabric choice determined the price. Jean fabric middies sold for less than a dollar; those made from wool flannel sold for approximately $4.

I’m hoping that Delma posed for a least one other picture before she died.

Solve your family photo mysteries with these books by Maureen A. Taylor: