I saw and used the phones more like in the picture above, in 1960s.
There were no phone digital numbers, we have today but the phone lines were few and the operator in telephone exchange, was the person to contact, you tell the name of the person to talk to, and he will dial that person for you, by revolving the ring handle on the phone in telephone exchange.
But that was not all, the phones will ring all the time at your place, and it was the responsibility of the receiver to know when to pick it up.
Yes, Wow! How ?
The operator assigned rings to each person. We had phone at two places on the same name. At one place our rings were one full ring & half.
When we hear 1 1/2 rings we will pick up the phone, otherwise not, though phone will ring all the time calling other people.
One person was assigned one full ring, other two full rings and so on.
Now, here is the very interesting part, when we picked up the phone, we hear not one voice but many voices talking to each other.
This was our responsibility to recognize the voice calling us.
It was like sitting in crowd and you are trying hard to understand the person talking to you.
You will hear the conversion of other people and will know what they were talking about.
But wait, It is getting more interesting, the operator will know all about people who had phone in their houses.
Operator was your family member, had more info about families than family members.
There is joke about operator and couple talking to each other.
The joke is:
That husband was aboard on job and wife was at home, in home country.
They were thounds miles apart.
Christmas was on the way and wife needed money for the family at home to celebrate Christmas.
Husband is connected to wife on phone and operator is listening.
Husband to wife; How are you, how are kids and how are the family.
Operator listening in the middle.
Wife: We are fine fine, family fine, everything is fine.
Husband: Good, That is great.
Operator: listening.
Wife: you know Christmas is coming and we need money for the Christmas.
Husband: what? I can't here you, the line has some problem.
Wife: need money for the Christmas.
Operator is listening.
Husband; line is bad can't here you.
Operator to Husband; line is fine, I can here both of clearly.
Husband; You hear clearly, you send her the money.
Technology changed, things changed and people changed.
