Life on the Line

Aug. 6, 2014
Vintage photos from the early days of electricity.

Linemen are crucial to the power that brings light to our lives. For the men and women who build our infrastructure and maintain it, line work is a way of life. Over the years, the equipment and methods have changed, but the dedication of the linemen who keep the lights on has not.

In fact, the power lines of yesteryear are amazingly similar to the lines of today. And line work, at its core, has many similarities to when men first started climbing those poles. Check out the early horse-drawn line platforms. As you peruse these photos, you will notice that practices in developing countries are amazingly similar to what you see here.

We received some of these phenomenal photographs of early linemen and their tools from the International Lineman’s Museum as well as others from Hubbell/Chance. Have a look into the past, and share these photos with your friends.

Please send your vintage photos with brief descriptions to slakin@tdworld.com. 

And for more vintage photos, see T&D World's retrospective on old magazine covers.

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