Eavesdroppers

Until the late 1960’s, Attica maintained operator assisted phone service, using three digit phone numbers. In this small town, rotary dial telephones were still considered the stuff of science fiction.

The caller would lift the heavy, black receiver from its cradle, wait for an operator to say, “Number Please” – and then be connected to the requested exchange. Most people had ‘party lines’ – with multiple households sharing the same circuit – each with it own number and unique ring.

This excerpt is taken from the book “Holding Her Hand”, where the artist makes a personal commentary on each of the paintings. To read the full commentaries, the book is available for purchase.