Telegraph

The History of Telecommunications and Related Matters

The graphic shows the Chappe optical telegraph in operation.

• The Electromagnetic Telegraph: A technical history of the 19th-century electric telegraph and the Morse Code. This account has expanded greatly, for which I apologize, but light has been shed on a number of obscure aspects. I am now revising it to correct the rough spots. Anyone who has written something without a detailed outline will know how rough spots and duplication can occur.
• The Teletypewriter: a description of the classic Baudot alphabet teletypewriter from the 1950's.
• Alphabets, Ciphers and Codes: a miscellany of signalling lore, including Civil War ciphers.
• Early Wireless Telegraphy at Sea: The PBS Rescue at Sea program.
• Fundamentals of Electricity and Magnetism: How to design telegraph apparatus; the electrical fundamentals of the telegraph.
• Early Telegraphs In London: The start of urban telegraphs.
• The Tubular Post: Die Berliner Röhrenpost and Western Union in New York.
• Hear American Morse: how it sounded on a sounder.
• The Sounder: a description of the classical telegraph sounder.
• Magnetic Storms: modern effects of geomagnetic fluctuations, observed first with the telegraph

• The American Time Table and Train Order System
• Railway Telegraphs in 1863: Preece's report on British railway telegraphs.

• Pneumatic Telegraphs: The Tubular Post (die Berliner Röhrenpost).
• String Telegraphs: these have a long history, beginning with Robert Hooke.

• Spokane Chapter Morse Telegraph Club. Reminiscences of railroad telegraphers; the personal side. Includes links to other sites.
• Civil War Signals: an interesting site concerned with flag and electromagnetic telegraphy of the Civil War. It wants to put an astounding number of cookies on your computer at every click, which I reject, but I am sure there are no ulterior motives, just an enthusiastic programmer. It contains links to other telegraph sites.