Transmitting keyboard, 1830-1920
- Made:
- 1830-1920 in unknown place
This image is released under a CC BY-NC-SA 4.0 Licence
Buy this image as a print
BuyLicense this image for commercial use at Science and Society Picture Library
LicenseThis image is released under a CC BY-NC-SA 4.0 Licence
Buy this image as a print
BuyLicense this image for commercial use at Science and Society Picture Library
LicenseThis image is released under a CC BY-NC-SA 4.0 Licence
Buy this image as a print
BuyLicense this image for commercial use at Science and Society Picture Library
LicenseThis image is released under a CC BY-NC-SA 4.0 Licence
Buy this image as a print
BuyLicense this image for commercial use at Science and Society Picture Library
LicenseThis image is released under a CC BY-NC-SA 4.0 Licence
Buy this image as a print
BuyLicense this image for commercial use at Science and Society Picture Library
LicenseThis image is released under a CC BY-NC-SA 4.0 Licence
Buy this image as a print
BuyLicense this image for commercial use at Science and Society Picture Library
LicenseTransmitting keyboard with ivory keys
Science Museum Group
© The Board of Trustees of the Science Museum
Transmitting keyboard with ivory keys
Science Museum Group Collection
© The Board of Trustees of the Science Museum
Transmitting keyboard with ivory keys
Science Museum Group Collection
© The Board of Trustees of the Science Museum
Transmitting keyboard. Front three quarter view
Science Museum Group Collection
© The Board of Trustees of the Science Museum
Transmitting keyboard. Detail view
Science Museum Group Collection
© The Board of Trustees of the Science Museum
Transmitting keyboard. Front three quarter detail view
Science Museum Group Collection
© The Board of Trustees of the Science Museum
Transmitting keyboard with ivory keys, similar to known examples of the Royal E House telegraph instrument, unknown maker, 1830-1920. Possibly American, possibly dating from the 1840s.
Very little is known about this instrument. It is similar to the original printing telegraph invented by an American, Royal Earl House, in 1846. House's instrument worked by linking two 28-key piano like keyboards, similar to a piano, with wire. Each key represented a letter of the alphabet, with the black keys representing A to N and the white keys O to Z, as well as a full stop and a hyphen. When a key was pressed at the sending end, magnets at the receiving end moved to align the correct letter with type wheel, where it was pressed against blackened silk ribbon and paper tape. The House telegraph could print at up to 2600 words an hour.
Details
- Category:
- Telecommunications
- Object Number:
- 1923-268
- Materials:
- wood (unidentified), brass (copper, zinc alloy), iron and ivory
- Measurements:
-
overall: 150 mm x 500 mm x 325 mm, 6.23kg
- credit:
- Donated by the Institution of Electrical Engineers
