Belt, Safety
Object number2016.38.2 a,b
Date1939-1945
OriginNY
MediumCanvas; Fabric; Metal
Credit LineIn memory of John F. Leahy
DescriptionLineman's climbing belt with safety strap.DimensionsHeight x Width x Depth (a and b together): 10.5 × 15 × 40 in. (26.7 × 38.1 × 101.6 cm)Height x Width x Depth (a): 10.5 × 14 × 15 in. (26.7 × 35.6 × 38.1 cm)
Height x Width x Length (b): 3.125 × 1.5 × 62 in. (7.9 × 3.8 × 157.5 cm)
Marks(b)
Each hook clip has raised text, but it is difficult to read due to corrosion: "[W or V] 4757 FORGED" and "[illegible] CO. NY. USA".
Historical NotesWiretapping equipment. Federal Bureau of Investigation (FBI) agent John Francis Leahy used this equipment to test and tap phone lines, investigating cases of industrial sabotage in Pittsburgh during World War II. Technically, Leahy’s actions were illegal. The 1934 Communications Act federally outlawed phone taps; the U. S. Supreme Court upheld this ruling in 1939. But in 1940, President Franklin Roosevelt issued a secret executive order allowing wiretapping for “subversives” and spies. The FBI, which maintained a field office in Pittsburgh since 1914, used the order to investigate suspected enemy agents in western Pennsylvania, a fear that was especially high during the early years of the war, c. 1942 - 43.
Related institution
Federal Bureau of Investigation
(founded 1908)
Previous owner
John Francis Leahy
Terms
On View
Not on view
1943
Atlantic Manufacturing Company
Invacare Corporation
