Theme Day: Revolution

Phone 2

For today’s first of the month theme, “revolution,” I’ve chosen a less obvious subject, the telephone. To illustrate I’ve included a frame of reference: one of the earliest telephones in my life. It may be recognizable to people of a certain age, large, heavy, and standard black. One was said to “dial” a number because calls were made via a rotary dial. Where we lived we shared a “party line,” two or three other homes used the same outgoing line. Sometimes when the phone was picked up to make an outgoing call one would unexpectedly eavesdrop on a conversation.

Phone 3

Here’s the latest phone in my life. You may have one like it. Just scratching the surface, I use it for email and texting, web searches, quick photographs, note taking, as a calculator, daily agenda, timer, and alarm. Sometimes I even use it as a telephone. That may not seem earth-shaking but it is, nonetheless, a heck of a revolution.

Click here to see other interpretations of “Revolution” from around the world.

15 thoughts on “Theme Day: Revolution”

  1. Alas, I remember those phones and sharing a party line. I would say the smart phones are indeed earth-shaking… just look at how much on the spot news is now captured with these devices. I love that first photo!

  2. The little girl with the phone brought back sweet memories. Used to pick up the phone and someone would be talking. It was the party line and the only way you find out they were on was to pick up the receiver and listen. All phones were that wonderful black colour.

  3. This is a wonderful interpretation for theme day — love it! What an adorable photo of you on the rotary phone. (I used to get so annoyed when someone had several 9s in their phone number — took forever waiting for the dial to slowly click back so I could resume dialing.) The technology revolution has indeed been amazing to experience! When I’ve been out in the field taking photos, I’ve used my iPhone to show people my blog. Who would have thought?! Have a nice Friday!

  4. I have observed many REVOLUTIONS in design during my lifetime, but none can match the technological revolutions.

  5. Excellent theme post! I’d say a lot more but I’m out and about today and will not be posting or commenting for another day or two. Have a great weekend! Is that you in the first pic?

  6. So often I think of the changes of phones in my life. We had a party line and our number was RED 398. One of my friends was on the same party line and we could chat just by picking up our phones.

  7. Great take on Revolution. I am amazed that I’ve seen things progress from the old rotary phone to way beyond the “Dick Tracy” watch. Who’d a thought?

  8. What great take on this theme. It brought back memories of my own childhood. I remember how excited I was when we could finally get a private (as opposed to party) line. Who ever thought back then we’d someday have wireless phone we could use to call home from wherever we happened to be (except in a dead zone,)

  9. But it is earth-shattering, IMO. I think the progress in communications over the last 50 years can be directly compared with the industrial revolution in the middle of the 19th C.

  10. I remember the days when I would play the latest 45 over the phone to a friend (trying to determine if they also should buy that tune!)….imagine how angry the party line was! GET OFF THE PHONE!!! What memories! Although I stick with my Tracfone.

Comments are closed.