THE RECORD
What changed
Bell's 1876 patent and demonstration were followed by exchanges, subscriber networks and operators.
EVIDENCE
What remains
Patents, early instruments, switchboard records and advertisements show technology and business together.
WHY IT MATTERS
Why it matters
It collapsed vocal distance, though access depended on networks, prices and labour.
OPEN QUESTION
Where interpretation begins
A Bell-only story obscures Gray, Meucci and the labour of women operators.