Delma Ragan was Carilyn Bernd’s maternal grandmother. Born in 1902, Delma married Leo Ragan in 1922 before giving birth to twins three years later in 1924 – before passing away at just 25. At some point Delma worked as a telephone switchboard operator in Cherryvale, Kansas.
Each cable in this photo connects to a telephone line and requires operators to be polite and discreet in their interactions with customers. An older woman oversees their behavior. Two young women at the desk on the left appear to be operating a telegraph machine – we know this because the clock in the background displays 11:05 am as an approximate time of capture by our photographer.
These women can be seen here reading, socializing and smiling for the camera in a break room.
Which woman in this picture is Delma? There could be several young women that resemble Delma; if her family has another picture of her they can compare both images to identify Delma more precisely.
Fashion during the early 1920s was in a period of transition. Dropped waists of Flappers had only just made their debut while short hair had become fashionable.
On the far right sits a young woman wearing a Middy Blouse sold by Sears Catalogs and priced according to fabric choice – those made of jeans sold for less than one dollar while wool flannel ones could reach approximately $45.
Hopes that Delma may have taken at least one more photo before she died are unfulfilled, however.
