SAN FRANCISCO, Jan. 22, 2015 /PRNewswire/ -- Leading up to
the 100th anniversary of the first transcontinental
telephone call and the Panama Pacific International Exposition
Centennial Celebration (PPIE 100), AT&T and the California
Historical Society unveiled the original telephones that were used
to make the first-ever transcontinental phone call on January 25, 1915. The great American milestone,
demonstrated in advance of the 1915 World's Fair, spurred a century
of innovation in the telecommunications industry and helped
showcase San Francisco's "rebirth"
following the Great Earthquake and Fire of 1906. The four historic
phones are on loan from the AT&T Archives and History
Center.
"The first transcontinental phone call was not only a
breakthrough for AT&T, it was a key milestone in our nation's
rich history of innovation," said Ken
McNeely, President of AT&T California. "A hundred
years ago, the world marveled as AT&T was able to send the
human voice over 3,400 miles of wire from one coast to the other.
Today, we can hold the whole of human knowledge in the palm of our
hand."
The first transcontinental telephone call took place on
January 25, 1915 leading up to the
official opening of the original Panama Pacific International
Exposition (PPIE) and World's Fair in San
Francisco. The historic call was initiated by Alexander Graham Bell (in New York) and included Theodore Vail, the president of the American
Telephone and Telegraph Company (now AT&T) in Jekyll Island, Georgia, United States
President Woodrow Wilson in the
White House and Bell's assistant Thomas
Watson in San
Francisco.
A transcript of the original call, historical photos, and photos
of phones through the ages are available here:
https://www.dropbox.com/sh/2r2ntozhvod8kie/AAAmTEdyg_zUMFGV_1FaVy9Ua?dl=0
"America's latest innovations were on full display at
the World's Fair in 1915, and the first transcontinental phone call
was one of the most significant technologies shown," said Dr.
Anthea Hartig, Executive Director of
the California Historical Society. "These exhibitions will
celebrate PPIE, giving residents and visitors the opportunity to
see these original phones and other artifacts from the World's Fair
that highlight the great innovation milestones and discover how our
spirit of innovation has shaped the city's past, present and
future."
PPIE and the 1915 World's Fair were held to celebrate the
completion of the Panama Canal, and to show that San Francisco had recovered from the 1906
earthquake and fire. In commemoration of this seminal event in
San Francisco history, the
California Historical Society (CHS), together with the San
Francisco Recreation and Parks Department, Innovation Hangar and
Maybeck Foundation are coming together to host PPIE 100 – a
yearlong series of public events, exhibitions and activities
presented by more than 35 Bay Area cultural, civic and business
organizations to reflect on PPIE's historical significance and
celebrate the innovations of "Then, Now and Tomorrow". AT&T is
the presenting sponsor of PPIE 100.
The original phones unveiled today will be on display at the
California Historical Society as part of its PPIE 100 "City
Rising: San Francisco and the 1915
World Fair" exhibition at 678 Mission Street which officially
opens on February 22nd in
San Francisco. City Rising, will also feature a sister
exhibition at the Palace of Fine Arts which opens February 21st as part of a citywide
celebration and community day at the Palace that marks the
100th anniversary of the 1915 World's Fair. Dates,
hours and more information about City Rising and PPIE 100 is
available at www.ppie100.org.
About AT&T:
AT&T Inc. (NYSE: T) helps millions of people and businesses
around the globe stay connected through leading wireless,
high-speed Internet, voice and cloud-based services. We're helping
people mobilize their worlds with state-of-the-art communications,
entertainment services and amazing innovations like connected cars
and devices for homes, offices and points in between. Our U.S.
wireless network offers customers the nation's strongest LTE signal
and the nation's most reliable 4G LTE network. We offer the best
global wireless coverage. We're improving how our customers stay
entertained and informed with AT&T U-verse® TV and High Speed
Internet services. And businesses worldwide are serving their
customers better with AT&T's mobility and highly secure cloud
solutions. Additional information about AT&T products and
services is available at http://about.att.com. Follow our news on
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SOURCE AT&T Inc.