https://peertube.dngr.us/videos/watch/c40275c5-8bcf-4e60-af21-38b5bee5a0f3 Help us preserve, scan and post more rare and endangered films on Patreon: https://www.patreon.com/PeriscopeFilm Join this channel to get access to perks: https://www.youtube.com/channel/UCddem5RlB3bQe99wyY49g0g/join Website: www.PeriscopeFilm.com Produced by Bell Telephone, "The Farmer's Telephone" (1946) was commission to show the company's post-war efforts to expand rural telephone service. At the time, AT&T was investing 100 million dollars to provide service to an additional 1 million customers. The film follows a rural American family reflecting on the past and discussing the impact of telephone technology on their lives. During a birthday gathering, a surprise overseas phone call from London highlights the growing reach of telephone service. Uncle John, a telephone worker, explains efforts to expand and improve rural telephone access, including new construction techniques, the use of high-strength and underground wires, power line telephone systems, and even radio telephones. The conversation covers the challenges of bringing service to remote areas and the importance of ensuring all phones connect to a national network. The family marvels at how much telephone technology has advanced and how integral it has become to rural life in America. The film stars Rusty Lane, 0:00 – A flashback to John’s childhood accident; the family reminisces about past events and birthdays. 1:40 – Frank calls from London, surprising his family and highlighting long-distance telephone capabilities. 3:32 – The family discusses the marvel of speaking to someone overseas from a rural farm via telephone. 4:22 – Tommy expresses interest in becoming a telephone man like his uncle John. 5:00 – The conversation shifts to the expansion of rural telephone service and the challenges faced during and after the war. 6:01 – John discusses construction allowances and planning for extending telephone lines to remote farms. 7:45 – Introduction of improved materials like high-strength steel wire and underground rubber-covered wire to enhance rural phone service. 8:52 – John reveals that telephone service can now be delivered using power lines, introducing the concept of a power line telephone system. 10:50 – Technical explanation of how telephone and power currents coexist safely on the same line. 11:55 – Discussion turns to radio telephones as a wireless solution for hard-to-reach rural areas. 13:00 – Emphasis that all telephone types must connect to the broader network and function similarly. 14:00 – The shift from older hand-crank phones to modern systems and necessary upgrades in central office equipment. 15:00 – Bell Labs' role in postwar innovation, including equipment for farm telephone service and better telephone poles. 16:00 – Western Electric and other companies contribute to equipment production and construction improvements. 17:10 – Explanation of how rural service is customized based on geography and community input. 18:03 – Funding and scale of rural telephone expansion discussed—$100 million planned over the next few years. 18:30 – Grandma reflects on how she never saw a phone until she was 18; the importance of phones in modern rural life is affirmed. 19:03 – The film concludes by emphasizing how essential the telephone has become to rural American life. Motion picture films don't last forever; many have already been lost or destroyed. For almost two decades, we've worked to collect, scan and preserve the world as it was captured on 35mm, 16mm and 8mm movies -- including home movies, industrial films, and other non-fiction. If you have endangered films you'd like to have scanned, or wish to donate celluloid to Periscope Film so that we can share them with the world, we'd love to hear from you. Contact us via the weblink below. This film is part of the Periscope Film LLC archive, one of the largest historic military, transportation, and aviation stock footage collections in the USA. Entirely film backed, this material is available for licensing in 24p HD, 2k and 4k. For more information visit http://www.PeriscopeFilm.com Source: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=cV33C9YauFQ Mirrored from Periscope Film (https://www.youtube.com/@PeriscopeFilm) Sat, 13 Jun 2026 12:54:51 GMT https://validator.w3.org/feed/docs/rss2.html PeerTube - https://peertube.dngr.us https://peertube.dngr.us/lazy-static/avatars/41a6fee9-7f57-42d0-a5fc-5db4f1af2e31.png https://peertube.dngr.us/videos/watch/c40275c5-8bcf-4e60-af21-38b5bee5a0f3 All rights reserved, unless otherwise specified in the terms specified at https://peertube.dngr.us/about and potential licenses granted by each content's rightholder.