Vintage GTE Automatic Electric Strowger Switch, Step By Step Switch

Description

The
Strowger switch
is the first commercially successful electromechanical stepping
switch
telephone exchange system. It was developed by the
Strowger
Automatic Telephone Exchange Company founded in 1891 by Almon Brown
Strowger
. Because of its operational characteristics it is also known as a step-by-step (SXS)
switch
.
This switch could function as a line finder, selector or connector. I am not sure for which function it was used.
It dates back to the early days of mechanized dial telephone service. The story goes that Almon Strowger ran a funeral parlor and believed that the telephone operator was directing customers to his competitor. He took on the task of eliminating the operators job by creating this mechanical device design that made her function unnecessary.
So this is the basis for step by step (Dial) telephone systems.