1 00:00:00,640 --> 00:00:03,200 Speaker 1: You can't argue with me about this. We're all kind 2 00:00:03,240 --> 00:00:05,840 Speaker 1: of locked on our phones these days, and while that 3 00:00:05,840 --> 00:00:09,280 Speaker 1: can drive you nuts, it's also an incredible benefit when 4 00:00:09,320 --> 00:00:13,880 Speaker 1: it comes to communicating quickly with family, friends, and work colleagues. 5 00:00:14,320 --> 00:00:16,840 Speaker 1: But what if people do to keep in touch before 6 00:00:16,880 --> 00:00:21,240 Speaker 1: the telephone. I'm Patty Steele. Put your lips together and blow. 7 00:00:21,680 --> 00:00:28,320 Speaker 1: That's next on the backstory. We're back with the backstory. 8 00:00:28,880 --> 00:00:31,080 Speaker 1: We're so used to being able to get through to 9 00:00:31,200 --> 00:00:35,159 Speaker 1: anybody at any time by just grabbing our cell phones. 10 00:00:35,600 --> 00:00:38,239 Speaker 1: It's kind of hard to imagine what people did to 11 00:00:38,320 --> 00:00:41,680 Speaker 1: get what they needed before we have them. Yeah, there 12 00:00:41,720 --> 00:00:44,760 Speaker 1: were landlines, but they couldn't go with you anywhere. And 13 00:00:44,840 --> 00:00:47,360 Speaker 1: what about when you were upstairs in the house and 14 00:00:47,400 --> 00:00:49,879 Speaker 1: your parent or kid or sweetheart was in the basement. 15 00:00:50,360 --> 00:00:52,400 Speaker 1: You had to go all the way downstairs to get 16 00:00:52,400 --> 00:00:56,160 Speaker 1: one stupid question answered. It wasn't that long ago that 17 00:00:56,240 --> 00:01:00,319 Speaker 1: folks had to rely on much less reliable tech when 18 00:01:00,360 --> 00:01:03,800 Speaker 1: it came to communication. By the year two thousand, only 19 00:01:03,880 --> 00:01:06,280 Speaker 1: twenty eight percent of us had a cell phone. That's 20 00:01:06,319 --> 00:01:09,240 Speaker 1: just twenty five years ago. That popped up to fifty 21 00:01:09,240 --> 00:01:14,320 Speaker 1: percent just two years later. Today they are ubiquitous. Ninety 22 00:01:14,400 --> 00:01:17,880 Speaker 1: eight percent of Americans have a cell phone, but before 23 00:01:17,920 --> 00:01:21,720 Speaker 1: the late nineteen nineties it was complicated. Sure, we had 24 00:01:21,800 --> 00:01:25,440 Speaker 1: landlines starting in the late eighteen seventies, but even by 25 00:01:25,560 --> 00:01:29,160 Speaker 1: nineteen forty five, only around forty five percent of American 26 00:01:29,200 --> 00:01:32,120 Speaker 1: homes had a phone. And even if you had one, 27 00:01:32,280 --> 00:01:34,679 Speaker 1: if you were going to meet somebody somewhere, you had 28 00:01:34,680 --> 00:01:37,280 Speaker 1: to set up a rendezvous spot and hope you found 29 00:01:37,280 --> 00:01:41,920 Speaker 1: each other. Before phones, the greatest invention for communicating was 30 00:01:41,920 --> 00:01:45,800 Speaker 1: the telegraph, which was first demonstrated in eighteen thirty eight. 31 00:01:46,280 --> 00:01:50,080 Speaker 1: The first official long distance message was sent from Washington, 32 00:01:50,160 --> 00:01:54,720 Speaker 1: DC to Baltimore in eighteen forty four. The message reflected 33 00:01:54,760 --> 00:01:58,360 Speaker 1: how freaked out people were with this new technology. It 34 00:01:58,440 --> 00:02:02,840 Speaker 1: read what hath got wrought? It literally changed the way 35 00:02:02,880 --> 00:02:07,200 Speaker 1: we communicated news, business, and government, and ran the government. 36 00:02:07,840 --> 00:02:11,160 Speaker 1: Of course, long distance messaging goes back thousands of years, 37 00:02:11,360 --> 00:02:14,200 Speaker 1: and it wasn't just snail mail they used. Some of 38 00:02:14,280 --> 00:02:16,640 Speaker 1: the tech used to get messages where they needed to 39 00:02:16,639 --> 00:02:20,680 Speaker 1: go didn't even involve couriers. In Rome, they relied on 40 00:02:20,800 --> 00:02:24,079 Speaker 1: carrier pigeons. They continued to be used right up to 41 00:02:24,160 --> 00:02:27,840 Speaker 1: World War One, when the Pigeon Corp. Had twenty two 42 00:02:27,960 --> 00:02:31,560 Speaker 1: thousand birds working for the cause. In fact, the last 43 00:02:31,639 --> 00:02:35,840 Speaker 1: pigeon messaging service only closed down in two thousand and six. 44 00:02:36,480 --> 00:02:40,760 Speaker 1: And another ancient long distance messaging system was talking drums. 45 00:02:41,280 --> 00:02:44,320 Speaker 1: These things used certain drum sounds and beats to mean 46 00:02:44,400 --> 00:02:48,200 Speaker 1: specific words. They were used to communicate from village to 47 00:02:48,320 --> 00:02:51,960 Speaker 1: village in Africa and are still used today to share stories. 48 00:02:52,560 --> 00:02:55,359 Speaker 1: And there were also smoke signals and beacons to send 49 00:02:55,400 --> 00:02:59,640 Speaker 1: messages across the miles. Native Americans famously used them, but 50 00:03:00,080 --> 00:03:03,480 Speaker 1: so did ancient Chinese along the Great Wall. They used 51 00:03:03,520 --> 00:03:06,919 Speaker 1: the signals between towers to warn of attacks and even 52 00:03:07,040 --> 00:03:09,960 Speaker 1: use different colored smoke depending on the size of the 53 00:03:10,000 --> 00:03:14,119 Speaker 1: attacking force. The ancient Greeks also used both smoke signals 54 00:03:14,120 --> 00:03:18,280 Speaker 1: and torch beacons that communicated the same warnings using certain 55 00:03:18,320 --> 00:03:21,680 Speaker 1: patterns and number of lights or smoke puffs. They were 56 00:03:21,800 --> 00:03:25,440 Speaker 1: used in medieval Italy the same way. Smoke signals or 57 00:03:25,440 --> 00:03:28,239 Speaker 1: beacons were mostly used by all these cultures to send 58 00:03:28,320 --> 00:03:32,480 Speaker 1: military warnings, but they were also used to gather people together. 59 00:03:33,040 --> 00:03:36,440 Speaker 1: In fact, the Vatican still uses a smoke signal system 60 00:03:36,560 --> 00:03:39,720 Speaker 1: to indicate the process of choosing a new pope while 61 00:03:39,760 --> 00:03:44,880 Speaker 1: the cardinals are sequestered for voting. Moving forward, telephones and radio, 62 00:03:44,960 --> 00:03:48,080 Speaker 1: of course opened up the world to folks who previously 63 00:03:48,160 --> 00:03:51,440 Speaker 1: could only rely on letters, newspapers, and word of mouth. 64 00:03:52,040 --> 00:03:54,440 Speaker 1: But let's go back to trying to reach somebody in 65 00:03:54,480 --> 00:03:57,360 Speaker 1: your own house. Well, there was something you'd see in 66 00:03:57,400 --> 00:03:59,920 Speaker 1: a lot of houses in the nineteen sixties and seven, 67 00:04:00,640 --> 00:04:03,760 Speaker 1: the intercom system. You could ask who was at the 68 00:04:03,760 --> 00:04:06,920 Speaker 1: front door, or you could shout to the entire household, 69 00:04:07,040 --> 00:04:09,400 Speaker 1: or just to an individual that it was dinner time 70 00:04:09,680 --> 00:04:13,000 Speaker 1: or time to take out the garbage. But intercoms actually 71 00:04:13,040 --> 00:04:17,240 Speaker 1: began to disappear by the nineteen eighties, mostly because installing 72 00:04:17,279 --> 00:04:21,680 Speaker 1: them was kind of pricey. One of the most interesting inventions, though, 73 00:04:21,720 --> 00:04:25,480 Speaker 1: came long before intercoms and even telephones. It was the 74 00:04:25,600 --> 00:04:29,080 Speaker 1: speaking Tube. Now, I gotta tell you, one of the 75 00:04:29,120 --> 00:04:32,360 Speaker 1: things I love about looking back at everyday life years 76 00:04:32,360 --> 00:04:36,760 Speaker 1: ago is understanding how people balance their needs and wants 77 00:04:37,200 --> 00:04:40,159 Speaker 1: with what they had available at the time. I recently 78 00:04:40,160 --> 00:04:42,640 Speaker 1: took a tour of one of the houses used as 79 00:04:42,640 --> 00:04:45,640 Speaker 1: a setting for the HBO Max show The Gilded Age. 80 00:04:46,000 --> 00:04:48,479 Speaker 1: The house is on the Hudson River about twenty five 81 00:04:48,600 --> 00:04:52,080 Speaker 1: miles north of New York City in Terrytown. It's called 82 00:04:52,160 --> 00:04:55,360 Speaker 1: Lyndhurst Mansion, and it was left to the National Trust 83 00:04:55,400 --> 00:04:58,360 Speaker 1: in nineteen sixty one by the Gould family, who had 84 00:04:58,400 --> 00:05:02,480 Speaker 1: owned it since eighteen eighty. Everything in it was preserved, 85 00:05:02,720 --> 00:05:05,359 Speaker 1: so you get to see the evolution of how the 86 00:05:05,400 --> 00:05:07,880 Speaker 1: house was used when it was first built back in 87 00:05:07,920 --> 00:05:12,479 Speaker 1: the eighteen thirties, right up until the nineteen sixties. Anyway, 88 00:05:12,600 --> 00:05:16,000 Speaker 1: what early technology did these folks use to communicate in 89 00:05:16,080 --> 00:05:20,000 Speaker 1: their giant, old Gothic mansion. Well, as we walked through 90 00:05:20,040 --> 00:05:23,840 Speaker 1: the place, we noticed outside the bedroom doors were little 91 00:05:23,880 --> 00:05:28,040 Speaker 1: brass bell shaped devices. Turns out, if you were upstairs 92 00:05:28,040 --> 00:05:31,560 Speaker 1: in your luxurious bedroom, far away from the kitchen or 93 00:05:31,600 --> 00:05:34,760 Speaker 1: the housekeeper, you needed a way to request a cup 94 00:05:34,800 --> 00:05:38,400 Speaker 1: of tea. The speaking tube was right outside the bedroom 95 00:05:38,440 --> 00:05:41,440 Speaker 1: door to protect your privacy, and you would step out 96 00:05:41,760 --> 00:05:44,760 Speaker 1: and blow through the tube that would force a sort 97 00:05:44,800 --> 00:05:48,040 Speaker 1: of tea kettle device to sound down in the kitchen. 98 00:05:48,200 --> 00:05:50,880 Speaker 1: The housekeeper would call through the tube to you to 99 00:05:50,920 --> 00:05:53,640 Speaker 1: find out what you needed, and you'd request your tea 100 00:05:53,960 --> 00:05:57,560 Speaker 1: or more blankets or wood on your fire. The tubes 101 00:05:57,600 --> 00:06:00,880 Speaker 1: were so efficient you could easily hear what was being 102 00:06:00,960 --> 00:06:04,119 Speaker 1: said from as much as three hundred feet away, likely 103 00:06:04,160 --> 00:06:07,440 Speaker 1: in the basement, kitchen or the housekeeper's office three or 104 00:06:07,480 --> 00:06:11,359 Speaker 1: four floors below. Some houses also had a system of 105 00:06:11,440 --> 00:06:14,919 Speaker 1: bells attached to strings, which could also summon a servant 106 00:06:14,960 --> 00:06:18,960 Speaker 1: to the speaking tube. Later, when electricity arrived, they could 107 00:06:19,000 --> 00:06:22,040 Speaker 1: press a button located next to the tube to alert 108 00:06:22,080 --> 00:06:27,080 Speaker 1: the staff. Problem is it required an intense infrastructure, with 109 00:06:27,200 --> 00:06:31,160 Speaker 1: different tubes and strings, and later on wires running all 110 00:06:31,200 --> 00:06:35,000 Speaker 1: over the house from in two various rooms. Of course, 111 00:06:35,040 --> 00:06:38,560 Speaker 1: early on, because of the installation expense and the size 112 00:06:38,560 --> 00:06:42,520 Speaker 1: of the houses, these devices were mostly found in upscale homes, 113 00:06:42,960 --> 00:06:45,279 Speaker 1: but by the early nineteen hundred so a lot of 114 00:06:45,320 --> 00:06:48,760 Speaker 1: middle class houses had them as well. At the end 115 00:06:48,800 --> 00:06:51,040 Speaker 1: of the day, if you could afford them, they did 116 00:06:51,120 --> 00:06:54,680 Speaker 1: the job. And you know what it inspired some common 117 00:06:54,720 --> 00:06:59,000 Speaker 1: phrases we still use today. Ever, hear somebody say get 118 00:06:59,040 --> 00:07:02,120 Speaker 1: on the horn, on the blower, or give them a blow. 119 00:07:02,560 --> 00:07:05,360 Speaker 1: In fact, some people still refer to the telephone as 120 00:07:05,360 --> 00:07:09,600 Speaker 1: a blower. Those all came from the speaking tube. No 121 00:07:09,640 --> 00:07:12,240 Speaker 1: matter when or where we live, we all got to 122 00:07:12,240 --> 00:07:16,200 Speaker 1: get stuff done as quickly and easily as possible. Right, 123 00:07:17,160 --> 00:07:19,960 Speaker 1: Hope you like The Backstory with Patty Steele, Please leave 124 00:07:20,000 --> 00:07:22,560 Speaker 1: a review. I'd love it if you would subscribe or 125 00:07:22,600 --> 00:07:26,360 Speaker 1: follow for free to get new episodes delivered automatically, and 126 00:07:26,400 --> 00:07:28,160 Speaker 1: also feel free to DM me if you have a 127 00:07:28,200 --> 00:07:31,080 Speaker 1: story you'd like me to cover. On Facebook, It's Patty 128 00:07:31,120 --> 00:07:41,200 Speaker 1: Steele and on Instagram Real Patty Steele. I'm Patty Steele. 129 00:07:41,520 --> 00:07:45,800 Speaker 1: The Backstories a production of iHeartMedia, Premiere Networks, the Elvis 130 00:07:45,840 --> 00:07:50,040 Speaker 1: Duran Group, and Steel Trap Productions. Our producer is Doug Fraser. 131 00:07:50,240 --> 00:07:53,920 Speaker 1: Our writer Jake Kushner. We have new episodes every Tuesday 132 00:07:53,920 --> 00:07:56,440 Speaker 1: and Friday. Feel free to reach out to me with 133 00:07:56,560 --> 00:08:00,520 Speaker 1: comments and even story suggestions on Instagram at Real Patty 134 00:08:00,560 --> 00:08:04,000 Speaker 1: Steele and on Facebook at Patty Steele. Thanks for listening 135 00:08:04,040 --> 00:08:07,280 Speaker 1: to the Backstory with Patty Steele. The pieces of history 136 00:08:07,480 --> 00:08:09,160 Speaker 1: you didn't know you needed to know.