Retro Phone History

Name:

Date:

Instructions: Rotary phones, party lines, phone booths, and operators

1.
On a rotary phone, how did you dial a number?
A
Press buttons in sequence
B
Speak the number to an operator
C
Crank a handle on the side
D
Turn a dial with finger holes for each digit
2.
What was a 'party line' in telephone history?
A
A special line for conference calls
B
A phone number for reaching party planners
C
A toll-free entertainment hotline
D
A shared telephone line used by multiple households
3.
Before direct dialing, who would you speak to when you picked up the phone to make a call?
A
A telephone operator
B
An answering service
C
A dispatcher
D
A receptionist
4.
What was the standard color of the classic Bell System rotary telephone found in most American homes?
A
White
B
Beige
C
Black
D
Brown
5.
How much did a local call from a pay phone typically cost in the 1960s and 1970s?
A
A nickel (5 cents)
B
A dime (10 cents)
C
Fifty cents
D
A quarter (25 cents)
6.
What iconic glass-enclosed structure, found on street corners, allowed people to make phone calls in public?
A
Communication kiosk
B
Telegraph office
C
Call center
D
Phone booth
7.
Which comic book superhero famously used a phone booth as a changing room?
A
Superman
B
Batman
C
Spider-Man
D
The Flash
8.
What type of long-distance call required operator assistance and was charged at a premium rate?
A
Conference call
B
Local call
C
Party line call
D
Person-to-person call
9.
What thick book, delivered to every household, contained the phone numbers of everyone in your local area?
A
The phone book (telephone directory)
B
The White Pages only
C
The Yellow Pages
D
The caller ID log
10.
The 'Princess phone,' introduced by AT&T in 1959, was marketed primarily to which demographic?
A
Teenage girls and women
B
Elderly customers
C
Business executives
D
College students
11.
What was the long, coiled cord that connected the handset to the base of a telephone called?
A
Telephone wire
B
Extension cord
C
Phone line
D
Handset cord (coiled cord)
12.
Before area codes, telephone numbers in many cities included a word prefix based on the exchange name. What is an example?
A
Pennsylvania 6-5000
B
Main-4567
C
All of the above
D
Central-9876
13.
What kitchen appliance-colored phone, with a very long cord, became popular so people could walk around while talking?
A
Cordless phone
B
Speakerphone
C
Wall phone with extra-long cord
D
Car phone
14.
Which telephone company monopoly, broken up in 1984, was commonly known as 'Ma Bell'?
A
AT&T (American Telephone & Telegraph)
B
MCI
C
GTE
D
Sprint
15.
What service could you call to hear the exact time announced, often known as the 'time lady'?
A
The operator
B
The clock tower
C
Time and temperature service
D
The weather line

Answer Key

Question 1

D. Turn a dial with finger holes for each digit

Question 2

D. A shared telephone line used by multiple households

Question 3

A. A telephone operator

Question 4

C. Black

Question 5

B. A dime (10 cents)

Question 6

D. Phone booth

Question 7

A. Superman

Question 8

D. Person-to-person call

Question 9

A. The phone book (telephone directory)

Question 10

A. Teenage girls and women

Question 11

D. Handset cord (coiled cord)

Question 12

C. All of the above

Question 13

C. Wall phone with extra-long cord

Question 14

A. AT&T (American Telephone & Telegraph)

Question 15

C. Time and temperature service

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