A Gallery of 30 Industrial Revolution Inventions (Image Gallery) p. 28

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by Mark Cartwright
published on 20 April 2023

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The First Telegraph Machine

by Science Museum, London
published on 20 March 2023

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The First Telegraph Machine — View Full-Size Image

The first telegraph machine, invented in 1837 by William Fothergill Cook (1806-79) and Charles Wheatstone (1802-1875). The machine had only 20 letters, indicated in the message sent by the slight movement of two needles (from the machine’s set of five) towards a particular letter. The needles were moved by electrical impulses sent down the telegraph line connecting two machines. The telegraph was first used for messages for workers on railway lines but the idea soon caught on and people could eventually send private telegrams across continents.

Science Museum, London.

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