June 12, 1878
June 12, 1878 A system of electric bells and telephones is established throughout the Smithsonian Institution Building or “Castle.” The system connects several offices and work rooms in the building to provide instant communication so as not to lose the time required to go from one room to another.
The photo shows the East Range Office of Secretary Spencer Baird (1878-1887) around 1878. Baird’s state-of-the-art Wooten desk, providing a filing system with pigeonholes and writing surfaces, is visible on the far left
Courtesy of Smithsonian Institution Archives
Posted: 12 June 2012
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