The Julian hanger is a 7 digit number. S O 2-1114 uses the letters on your phone as first 2 digits, so it’s 762-1114
This was during the transition from the old 5 or 6 digit numbers (that used 2 letters + 3 or 4 numbers format) to the current standard of xxx-xxxx
The Napa and Bell hangers on the other hand were before any number standards.
SchillMcGuffin on
A couple of them are. The first one has 7 digits including the “exchange” (S.O.). It wasn’t really common to include the first 3 digits (the “Area Code”) until many new ones started to be created with the proliferation of fax machines in the late ’80s/early ’90s.
ptolemy18 on
They’re also older than the scene of Faye Dunaway starring as Classic Hollywood actress Joan Crawford screaming at her adopted daughter Christina about NO WIRE HANGERS, EVER! in the 1981 film Mommie, Dearest.
Alexis_J_M on
While ten digit long distance dialling has been around since the 1950s, you could still make local calls with 7 digits, or even just 5 in some places, as late as the 1990s.
And it was really common to give the first two digits, the “exchange”, as letters for most of that time; that’s why the phone keypad has both numbers and letters.
The phone exchanges weren’t just the first part of the phone number, they were physical locations that the copper wires carrying the phone signals were connected through.
((Added: apparently the ten digit dialing requirement in North America only became mandatory in 2023, with a few remote parts of Canada still being exempted from the need to upgrade their switching infrastructure to handle it. https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Ten-digit_dialing )
Fodraz on
It was 7-digit, within an area code. Nobody ever had to dial all 10 unless it was calling another area code, which at the time were specific geographic regions. Cell phones blew that out of the water, but not till almost 50 years later than 1951
Emotional_Equal8998 on
I bought a bundle of hangers at a thrift store a few years back. I found out when I got home one of them was labeled in sharpie. The name jumped out at me as I have a friend with the same very distinctly spelled last name. I sent a picture to my friend and asked, do you know Della ‘funnylastname’? He said that’s my Mom. And that’s my handwriting. I had to label everything when we took her to the care home before she passed. I donated everything when she died to the local thrift store but that was 23 years ago! And to top it off, the town he donated her items to was 5 hours away. Somehow that hanger made it back to me from another thrift store half a days drive and two decades later and I was friends with her Son.
other_half_of_elvis on
I still remember my grandfather’s phone number as PI4 – xxxx.
onetruepairings on
I remember when we started having to use area codes even locally, this would have been mid-late 2000s.
OptoSmash on
forever i had a business card from great grandfather when he sold cars. their phone number was like 58
Shaw-eddit on
Made to last, my oldest wooden rack is from 2000, they rarely make them like they used to any more.
Meanwhile I’m wondering why I need a new data cable every few months.
ScowlyBrowSpinster on
Pretty old and still hangin’ in there.
peglyhubba on
They will out last all the crappy made in China shit we get now.
Robdon326 on
And we can’t get a stadium to last 30years
Minflick on
Love it. I have a hanger that was my grandfathers. From the Statler Hotels. I figure it’s from the 1920’s or so.
Chateaudelait on
Someone gifted Donna Karan some embossed hanger’s from her dad Gabby Karan’s tailor shop – very similar to these.
celix24 on
You should hang them up!
bowser986 on
Call up BR-549 fer all your used car needs
wolfblitzen84 on
They just don’t make stuff like they used to
Famous_Attention5861 on
4336 Market St in Riverside is a dermatologist’s office now.
cbz3000 on
When I was growing up in the 80s and into the 90s, most local businesses just advertised with 7 digits, assuming everyone in town used them same area code
daakadence on
I can still use 7-digit dialing to my local area code with my VoIP router, and me being an old dog, still dial just 7 numbers whenever possible
22 Comments
The Julian hanger is a 7 digit number. S O 2-1114 uses the letters on your phone as first 2 digits, so it’s 762-1114
This was during the transition from the old 5 or 6 digit numbers (that used 2 letters + 3 or 4 numbers format) to the current standard of xxx-xxxx
The Napa and Bell hangers on the other hand were before any number standards.
A couple of them are. The first one has 7 digits including the “exchange” (S.O.). It wasn’t really common to include the first 3 digits (the “Area Code”) until many new ones started to be created with the proliferation of fax machines in the late ’80s/early ’90s.
They’re also older than the scene of Faye Dunaway starring as Classic Hollywood actress Joan Crawford screaming at her adopted daughter Christina about NO WIRE HANGERS, EVER! in the 1981 film Mommie, Dearest.
While ten digit long distance dialling has been around since the 1950s, you could still make local calls with 7 digits, or even just 5 in some places, as late as the 1990s.
And it was really common to give the first two digits, the “exchange”, as letters for most of that time; that’s why the phone keypad has both numbers and letters.
The phone exchanges weren’t just the first part of the phone number, they were physical locations that the copper wires carrying the phone signals were connected through.
((Added: apparently the ten digit dialing requirement in North America only became mandatory in 2023, with a few remote parts of Canada still being exempted from the need to upgrade their switching infrastructure to handle it. https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Ten-digit_dialing )
It was 7-digit, within an area code. Nobody ever had to dial all 10 unless it was calling another area code, which at the time were specific geographic regions. Cell phones blew that out of the water, but not till almost 50 years later than 1951
I bought a bundle of hangers at a thrift store a few years back. I found out when I got home one of them was labeled in sharpie. The name jumped out at me as I have a friend with the same very distinctly spelled last name. I sent a picture to my friend and asked, do you know Della ‘funnylastname’? He said that’s my Mom. And that’s my handwriting. I had to label everything when we took her to the care home before she passed. I donated everything when she died to the local thrift store but that was 23 years ago! And to top it off, the town he donated her items to was 5 hours away. Somehow that hanger made it back to me from another thrift store half a days drive and two decades later and I was friends with her Son.
I still remember my grandfather’s phone number as PI4 – xxxx.
I remember when we started having to use area codes even locally, this would have been mid-late 2000s.
forever i had a business card from great grandfather when he sold cars. their phone number was like 58
Made to last, my oldest wooden rack is from 2000, they rarely make them like they used to any more.
Meanwhile I’m wondering why I need a new data cable every few months.
Pretty old and still hangin’ in there.
They will out last all the crappy made in China shit we get now.
And we can’t get a stadium to last 30years
Love it. I have a hanger that was my grandfathers. From the Statler Hotels. I figure it’s from the 1920’s or so.
Someone gifted Donna Karan some embossed hanger’s from her dad Gabby Karan’s tailor shop – very similar to these.
You should hang them up!
Call up BR-549 fer all your used car needs
They just don’t make stuff like they used to
4336 Market St in Riverside is a dermatologist’s office now.
When I was growing up in the 80s and into the 90s, most local businesses just advertised with 7 digits, assuming everyone in town used them same area code
I can still use 7-digit dialing to my local area code with my VoIP router, and me being an old dog, still dial just 7 numbers whenever possible
Built to last