Name/Title
Telephone SwitchboardDescription
Tall wooden panel, with desk designed to accommodate an operator. The panel has rows of female jacks with lights. The desk has columns of 3-position toggle switches and lights, and a rotary dial.Use
Used by the Empress Hotel. All incoming and outgoing and inter room calls were routed through this manual switchboard. It was in service until the mid 1970's.Context
"The Empress story began in the early 1900s when Canadian Pacific Railway had this big dream to build chateau-style hotels across Canada to accommodate their affluent steam and rail clients. Not just any hotels though; they needed to be in iconic locations and in communities that showcased Canada’s breathtaking and diverse landscapes. Celebrated architect Francis Rattenbury was hired to make this dream a reality in Victoria. Construction began in 1904 and four years later, The Empress Hotel opened on January 20, 1908. The Empress was named after Queen Victoria, who during the last decade of her reign, was also the Empress of India."
https://www.fairmont-empress.com/our-story/
