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- American Electric Company Switchboard, 1880-1920 -

- 1880-1920
- Collections - Artifact
American Electric Company Switchboard, 1880-1920
- Pontiac State Hospital Dynamo Room, Pontiac, Michigan, 1898 - In 1898, a modern electric light and power plant was completed at the Eastern Michigan Asylum in Pontiac. Inside, dynamos, motors, machines, and a range of switches and meters helped power the institution's growing infrastructure. This photograph shows the interior of the dynamo room. Hospital administrators funded a new power plant in 1929.

- 1898
- Collections - Artifact
Pontiac State Hospital Dynamo Room, Pontiac, Michigan, 1898
In 1898, a modern electric light and power plant was completed at the Eastern Michigan Asylum in Pontiac. Inside, dynamos, motors, machines, and a range of switches and meters helped power the institution's growing infrastructure. This photograph shows the interior of the dynamo room. Hospital administrators funded a new power plant in 1929.
- Telephone Switchboard Drop Signal, 1900-1925 - Before long-distance direct dialing became widespread in the 1960s, switchboards connected calls. When a caller picked up the phone, drop signals would indicate to an operator that someone was on the line. The operator would ask them for the number they would like to connect to and then manually connect the caller's line to the recipient.

- 1900-1925
- Collections - Artifact
Telephone Switchboard Drop Signal, 1900-1925
Before long-distance direct dialing became widespread in the 1960s, switchboards connected calls. When a caller picked up the phone, drop signals would indicate to an operator that someone was on the line. The operator would ask them for the number they would like to connect to and then manually connect the caller's line to the recipient.
- Telegraph Switchboard -

- Collections - Artifact
Telegraph Switchboard
- Switchboard Plug, 1894 -

- 1894
- Collections - Artifact
Switchboard Plug, 1894
- Telephone Switchboard Drop Signal, 1900-1925 - Before long-distance direct dialing became widespread in the 1960s, switchboards connected calls. When a caller picked up the phone, drop signals would indicate to an operator that someone was on the line. The operator would ask them for the number they would like to connect to and then manually connect the caller's line to the recipient.

- 1900-1925
- Collections - Artifact
Telephone Switchboard Drop Signal, 1900-1925
Before long-distance direct dialing became widespread in the 1960s, switchboards connected calls. When a caller picked up the phone, drop signals would indicate to an operator that someone was on the line. The operator would ask them for the number they would like to connect to and then manually connect the caller's line to the recipient.
- Western Electric Telephone Switchboard, Used by the Michigan Bell Telephone Company, circa 1930 - Before long-distance direct dialing became widespread in the 1960s, callers relied on switchboards to connect calls. When a caller picked up the phone, a switchboard operator on the line would ask them for the number they would like to connect to. The operator would put the call through by manually connecting the caller's line to the appropriate recipient via the switchboard.

- circa 1930
- Collections - Artifact
Western Electric Telephone Switchboard, Used by the Michigan Bell Telephone Company, circa 1930
Before long-distance direct dialing became widespread in the 1960s, callers relied on switchboards to connect calls. When a caller picked up the phone, a switchboard operator on the line would ask them for the number they would like to connect to. The operator would put the call through by manually connecting the caller's line to the appropriate recipient via the switchboard.
- Telephone Switchboard in Administration Building at Ford Motor Company Rouge Plant, October 1947 -

- October 27, 1947
- Collections - Artifact
Telephone Switchboard in Administration Building at Ford Motor Company Rouge Plant, October 1947
- American Electric Telephone Company Switchboard Drop Signal -

- Collections - Artifact
American Electric Telephone Company Switchboard Drop Signal
- Condit Electrical Mfg. Co. Type K Circuit Breaker, 1899-1925 - In the late 1800s, as companies began producing electricity to light cities, run streetcars, and power factories, homes and offices, new apparatus was needed to safely deliver and use electricity. Excess current in a circuit could damage electric lines and equipment. Circuit breakers protected electrical circuits by automatically interrupting the power flow during an event overload.

- 1899-1925
- Collections - Artifact
Condit Electrical Mfg. Co. Type K Circuit Breaker, 1899-1925
In the late 1800s, as companies began producing electricity to light cities, run streetcars, and power factories, homes and offices, new apparatus was needed to safely deliver and use electricity. Excess current in a circuit could damage electric lines and equipment. Circuit breakers protected electrical circuits by automatically interrupting the power flow during an event overload.