The power to connect instantly, no matter the distance, has reshaped American business and society. From the electric telegraph to digital media, Hagley’s collections capture the ever-changing story of telecommunications and computing. The basic parts of telecommunication include:
* A transmitter
* A transmission medium or pathway
* A receiver
* Most importantly, a message to send!
Electrical telecommunications began with the telegraph. On May 24, 1844, Samuel Morse used the telegraph to send the message “What hath God wrought?” from the U.S. Capital to Baltimore. Other innovations—radio, teletypewriter, telephone—added to the conversation in the decades following Morse’s message.
On April 20, 1939, at the New York World’s Fair, David Sarnoff introduced television to the American public. Sarnoff announced this new industry in a televised speech, saying television was “based on imagination, on scientific research, and accomplishment."
Computers entered the chat in the 20th century. On February 15, 1946, the University of Pennsylvania presented the world with ENIAC. This computer was electronic, digital, and able to be programmed by the user. Fifty years later, on December 3,1992, Neil Papworth texted “Merry Christmas” from a computer to a cell phone, the first SMS text message ever sent.
Enjoy these highlights from our collections! We hope they inspire you to reach out and connect with someone no matter the technology you use.
Image: “Never really far from home” poster, 1946. (Charles B. Jennings photographs, scrapbook boards, and other materials, Accession 2464.21). Click for details