The Telegraph Office -- for Telegraph Key Collectors and

Historians (original) (raw)

Key Photo Gallery | Wireless Photo Gallery | On-Line Key ID
Foreign Key Photo Gallery | Foreign Key Photo Gallery Annex | Bibliography
On-Line Museums | FAQ| Site Map

Copyright © 1996 - 2004, Neal McEwen

Welcome to The Telegraph Office. Whether you are a collector, historian or have a casual interest in the many facets of wire and wireless telegraphy, you will find something of interest here. Many resources are presented. You should be able find information about an old telegraph key or other artifact that you have. If you have a question, take a minute to read the Telegraph Office FAQ, Frequently Asked Questions. Then send any questions or suggestions to k5rw@telegraph-office.com.

Last updated and link checked 11 September 2004

Guest Book

References forCollectors and Historians

• List of Semi-Automatic Key (bug) Manufacturers: Did you know there were 60 plus makers of bugs in the U.S. alone?
• Navy Telegraph Key and Spark Key Numbering Systems: What do the numbers on your Navy key mean? Learn who made it and when.
• American Telegraph Instrument Makers 1837-1900: a reference by Roger Reinke.
• List of Spark Key manufacturers: by Russ Kleinman.
• The "N7CFO Keyletter" and Cumulative Index: Issues 1 - 37 of the Keyletter indexed.
• The Dow-Key bug research project: Documenting the Dow-Key bugs by Lynn Burlingame and Tony Rogozinski. Can you add any information?
• "Modern Practice of the Electric Telegraph":The complete 1870s book by Franklin Pope on-line. Many beautiful engravings of telegraph instruments.
• Vintage J. H. Bunnell catalog:thanks to Steve Massy, N6TT.
• Types of Telegraph Instruments: Greg Raven's photos and explanations of the various type of instruments.
• Jame's Doty's list of Telegraph companies: A comprehensive list from the very beginning of the telegraph business.

Topics ForCollectors

• "The Telegraph Office Magazine":

• Collecting Telegraph Instruments

• Landline Telegraph Instruments

• Wireless / Radiotelegraph Instruments

• Submarine Cable Telegraphy and Instruments

• Where do I find old keys? Tips on where to look plus a trick or two.

• Advice for Beginning Key Collectors: Lynn Burlingame, N7CFO offers sage advice.

• Where do I find parts for my old keys? Are you missing a few parts?

• Why "Trade Only"? Breaking the trade barrier with experienced collectors.

• Key Values: What is your old key worth?

• Telegraph Lore: Information for collectors about telegraphy and tales of days gone by.

• Learn how to pack a Semi-Automatic key (bug)

On-lineKey andWireless Collections -- Domestic On-line Key andWireless Collections -- Foreign

• Fons Vanden Berghen's 19th Century European Telegraph Instruments: A sample of Fons' collection courtesy of Greg Raven.

• Larry Rice's museum of Australian 'jiggers' (slang for 'bug' down under).

• Foreign Key Photo Gallery: A sampling of European keys from the K5RW Collection, by Neal McEwen

  • Featured keys from the Foreign Key Photo Gallery:
    • Ducretet & Roger spark key: c. 1914 -1919, unusual French "oil break" design.
    • Swiss PTT "silent key" c. 1920.
    • Photo of British Highland regiment with visual signalling equipment, c. 1898.
    • French spark key with two sets of high current contacts: c. 1908 - 1916.

• Foreign Key Photo Gallery Annex: More European and Australian keys from the K5RW Collection, by Neal McEwen

• Thomas Scherrer's On-line Morse Key Collection: by OZ2CPU of Denmark.

• The New Zealand Morse Key Pages: by David Smith, ZL2BBB.

• Historical Morse Museum: by Ludwig, DK5KE of Germany.

• Swedish PTT Instrument Collection:: Includes early Morse register, Hughes printing telegraph, Marconi transmitter, telephones and more. Histories of the KeyMakers

• The J. H. Bunnell Company : 100+ Years of making Telegraph Instruments. Maker of the sideswiper, Gold Bug, steel lever key and many others.

• Charles Williams, Jr.: The most prolific and influential key maker of the mid 19th century.

• T. R. McElroy: maker of the "MAC-KEY" and famous '"teardrop" keys and bugs and World's Champion Radio Telegrapher; the man, the legend and the keys! Photo of McElroy and staff of WSO / WCC c. 1920.

• George M. Phelps: Besides making beautiful keys, Phelps was a developer of printing telegraphs and technical director of Western Union in the mid 19th century.

• George M. Phelps: More on Phelps by John Casale, W2NI, from Phelps' home town.

• Thomas Edison: The teenage telegrapher became a telegraph engineer an telegraph instrument maker before becoming the premier inventor of the 19th century.

• The Eddystone bug story: Only 500 of these unusual British bugs made --Extract from Morsum Magnificat:

LandlineTelegraphHistory -- American Morse

• The history of women in telegraph service: a well researched web page by Thomas Jepsen.
• Library of Congress -- Samuel F. B. Morse papers: 50,000 images from the Morse collection on-line.
• A look the early landline telegraph fraternity -- humor, friendship and "hog Morse" on the wire: From a McClure Magazine article, 1902.
• Time, Standard Time and Western Union: by Ed Trump, railroader and telegrapher
• Was the Cumming Key ever made?
• The Wizard Key and Dinger Bug: two very unusual keys !!!
• The Era of Morse Telegraphy: An account of the glory days by one who lived it. KPH/KFS shuts down.
• The Aurora Borealis and the Telegraph: How did the Northern Lights effect telegraph lines?
• Australian Overland Telegraph Line: History of Telegraphy and Telegraphists from down under by Larry Rice, Australian telegraph historian.
• Morse Register image: predecessor of the telegraph sounder, circa 1844.
• The Harmonic Telegraph, 1881:
• The Yetman Transmitter: telegraph or typewriter?
• The Railroads and The Telegraph: an historical account of their maturation together.
• Image of the Morse / Vail key: Used on the Washington to Baltimore line in 1844.
• Restoring Telegraph Service after the great San Francisco earthquake of 1906:
• History of the Boston Fire Alarm Telegraph System: An early application of telegraph technology.
• Needles and Wires: the early telegraph systems before the Morse system.
• Early English Telegraph Cables.
• A short history of Western Union:
• Image of register tape "What hath God wrought?": Click on the image for a full size image. Library of Congress on-line. Old Photos of Telegraph Operators and TelegraphOffices
• (Must See!) Teenage telegrapraphers during WWII:Young boys and girls answered their countrie's call when older men were called to war. Sid Reith and Bryan Robinson tell their story.
• ORT Headquarters:photo of the Organization of Railroad Telegraphers building, c. 1880s in St. Louis. Originally the Cupples mansion. Became ORT building sometime after 1908.
• Photo of T. R. McElroy and staff of WSO / WCC, c. 1920.
• Cable office at Canso, Nova Scotia: a priceless photo of the inside of the office, c. 1910?
• Photo of Telegraph Maintenance crew: c. 1912. Charlie DeVore is second from the right on the top row in both photos. Second photo. Thanks to Karen Kane for the photos of her great-grandfather.
• Early U. S. Navy Communications photo: circa 1918, notice DeForest detector and Western Electric amplifier.
• Photo of British Highland regiment with visual signalling equipment, c. 1898.
• Photo of Postal Telegraph office in Mineral Wells, Texas: c. 1927. Why the hole in the ceiling?
• Riggers at KPH/KFS:The men with nerves of steel who maintained the antennas. Thanks to Denise Stoops, former KPH/KFS operator.
• Learning the code at Camp Wadsworth, South Carolina in 1917: From an old postcard. Wireless Telegraphy (pre-1920) General:
• Early U. S. Navy Communications photo: circa 1918, notice DeForest detector and Western Electric amplifier.
• The Marconi Wireless Station at Cape Cod, Mass.: A short history.
• Marconi National Historic Site: Cape Breton, Canada.
• U.S. Marconi Museum and Library: Bedford, N.H.
• Marconi Calling: A look at Guglielmo Marconi's life, discoveries, influence on modern communications.
• Requirements for advancement for Naval radio operators during W.W.I.:Could you have made Chief Petty Officer?
• (Must See!) A remarkable collection of very old wireless documents by Thomas White.
• An unusual artifact from the Tidewater Wireless Telegraph Co.

Damped Wave (Spark):

• Concise History of Spark Gap Transmitters: superb diagrams and early photos.
• Ducretet & Roger spark key: c. 1914-1919, unusual French "oil break" design
• The Marconi "Grasshopper" key: A mechanical and electrical description from a 1903 wireless book.
• A Quenched Spark Gap, c. 1920
• An unusual spark key by General Radio, c. 1918
• "Rescue at Sea": the story of Jack Binns, RO and the sinking of Republic by PBS.
• "Boys of Wireless": PBS article on the attraction of young men to wireless before W.W.I.

Undamped Wave (CW or Continuous Wave):

• Photo of Ted McElroy and staff of WSO / WCC: c. 1920, Alexanderson site.

• Relay Key from a U.S. Navy Federal Telegraph arc transmitter, c. 1919..

• History of the Poulsen Arc wireless transmitter : RF from an arc of electricity?

• Interview with Dr. Leonard Fuller: Federal Telegraph chief engineer c. 1913 and developer of high powered arcs. IEEE document. Radiotelegraphy andMaritime Radiotelegraphy (post-1920)

• Q-signals:Perhaps the first listing from a professional wireless telegrapher's handbook, 1909.

• The History of KFS: a long time maritime wireless station on the West Coast.

• "How to Pass U.S. Government Wireless License Examinations": Amateur and commercial test requirements taken from 1922 RCA license manual.

• End of Commercial Morse: A touching account by Dick Dillman.

• "The Art & Skill of Radio-Telegraphy":by Bill Pierpont -- online book

• The Bliley Crystal Story: Earlier supplier of radio crystals.

• Amateur Wireless Operator's Guide: From an unknown clipping, c. 1930.

• The first amateur trans-Atlantic tests: History by the Radio Club of America.

• Radiograms and the duties of a merchant marine Radio Officer: by Jerry Proc, VE3FAB.

• Radio Officer's radiogram 'abstract' from S.S. Cities Service Denver, KDNN, 1940: A required log of messages sent and received including charges and message class. Abstract - side two. Abstracts explained.

• SS Rider Victory Radio Room: W.W.II era ship's radio room restored. Take a three dimensional tour.

• Portishead Radio: A look at the busiest ship to shore station in wireless history, by Jerry Proc, VE3FAB. Wireless on the RMS Titanic

• A description of the Titanic's Radio Room and Antenna:

• The "Wireless Telegraphists" and Their Work: by Dave Gittins

• The Titanic's first radio contact: The Tenerife Coast Station and Titanic, by Jerry Proc, VE3FAB.

• A Key like used on the Titanic: A reproduction of the Marconi key made from photos and measurements of the key from the Titanic's sister ship Olympic. Made by Don, W2CUV, now a Silent Key.

• Schematic Diagram of Titanic Wireless Room: Details of the 5 KW rotary spark transmitter, Marconi triple tuner, magnetic detector, keys and battery back up rig with ten inch spark coil. Thanks to Francisco Jose Dávila Dorta, EA8EX, wireless historian.

• "SOS," "CQD" and the History of Maritime Distress Calls: With a glimpse of how they were used on the Titanic.

• Anecdote about Harold Bride, surviving Marconi wireless operator: Plus more of the disaster story.

• The Titanic Story from the radio operators perspective: A 1929 article from Radio magazine. Told by Bill Breniman, wireless pioneer and long time president of the Society of Wireless Pioneers. Discusses aspects of the disaster overlooked today.

• TITANIC Tragedy Spawns Wireless Advancements: A look at the tragedy from several viewpoints, by Ray Minichiello, P.E., (W1BC), Chairman, The Guglielmo Marconi Foundation, U.S.A., & The U.S. National Marconi Museum.

• Titanic Inquiry Project: Transcripts of both the American Senate Hearings, and the British Board of Trade Inquiry into the sinking of the RMS Titanic. Includes testimony of G. Marconi and Titanic wireless operator Harold Bride. Submarine CableTelegraphy

• 

• Porthcuno Mesuem of Submarine Telegraphy: See the display of old cable instruments.

• Atlantic Cable piece:c. 1879. Given as a commemorative gift to cable company dignitary

• Atlantic Cable Site:An excellent bibliography, photos of Cyrus Field, cable postage stamps and more, by Bill Burns.

• History of the Cable station at Canso and Hazel Hill: An early cable station documented by a extremely well done Canadian effort.

• "The Atlantic Cable" by Bern Dibner's 1959: an on-line book.

• A primer on submarine cables by the Smithsonian.

• Cable office at Canso, Nova Scotia: A priceless photo of the inside of the office c. 1910? Used with permission.

• Cable map of the North Atlantic: Shows route of cables between the old world new world, c. 1880.

• The Bottom of the Ocean Is "Main Street" to Him: A cable ship captain recalls thirty years of repairing cables in the North Atlantic -- a fascinating story, c. 1925!

• History of Irish Cable stations and cable laying ships.

• "Ocean Telegraph March" - 1858 Instrumental by Francis H Brown: Ornate sheet music cover honoring the laying of the first trans-Atlantic cable.

• Advertisements by Cable Companies: from 1921 issue of Telegraph and Telephone Age

• All American Cables: connecting the Americas.

• Postal Telegraph-Cable Co.: "The Pulse of the World."

• Western Union: telegrams and cablegrams.

• Commercial Cable Co: with map of cable routes.

Topics for AdvancedCollectors

• "Big Deals" and "Little Deals": A look at the factors influencing key prices; how to find a key for a reasonable price.
• Disposing of your key collection: Do you and your heirs know what to do when you pass on?
• Being a good caretaker of your keys: Are you documenting the history and stories of your keys? What will happen to those stories when the next caretaker owns your keys? Military TelegraphHistory
• SOS Wheel from "Gibson Girl": Taken from a life raft of a downed U. S. Army Air Force B-17 bomber. Notice how teeth on the perimeter of the whell form the letters "SOS." Also note the long "key down" period so the DF (direction finding) crews could get a fix on them.
• The Fullerphone by Louis Meulstee: Unique telegraphic device developed during W.W.I.
• "Secret Wires", Civil War Telegraphy, by Fred Chesson.
• Signal Corps Association Reenactors' Division (SCARD): A Civil War reenactor's group.
• 
• Photo of British Highland regiment with visual signalling equipment, c. 1898.
• Marine siginaling unit with French Blue Devils early in W.I.I: War Dept. photo.
• Requirements for advancement for Naval radio operators during W.W.I.:Could you have made Chief Petty Officer?
• The Signal Corps J-38 key:An informative analysis of a common W.W.II. surplus key, by K6IX.
• Military keys from around the world: from the Military Radio home page. TelegraphicCodes
• The three codes used in early wireless service: The American Morse code, the Continental Code, (later know as the International code) and U. S. Navy code.
• Q-signals:Perhaps the first listing from a professional wireless telegraphers handbook, 1909..
• Morse Code or Vail Code? Did Samuel F. B. Morse invent the code as we know it today? What Franklin Pope knew. Morse's MagneticTelegraph

"The perfect success of professor Morse's Electro Magnetic Telegraph has excited theastonishment and admiration of the community. The most incredulous have been convinced, and occurring at the time they have done, the experiments have satisfied the public that the Magnetic Telegraph is not merely a beautiful illustration of a philosophical principle, but an agent that may be made of practical and every day utility in the business transaction of the country."

A commentary on Samuel F. B. Morse's Washington to Baltimore telegraph line and its ability to report news instantaneously. from Exeter New Hampshire News Letter, July 1, 1844.

Telegrams and Radiograms

• "How to Write Telegrams Properly": A 1928 booklet on the effective use of telegrams. How telegrams were authored, sent and delivered.

• Radio Officer's radiogram 'abstract' from S.S. Cities Service Denver, KDNN, 1940: A required log of messages sent and received including charges and message class. Abstract - side two. Abstracts explained.

• Western Union credit card: See John Bell's card giving him "franking" privelidges."

• Western Union frank, 1879: Notice the colors and penmanship!

• James Doty's sampling of telegrams: Some old and beautiful examples.

• Telegram Collecting : History of the telegram from an Australian perspective.

• Dollygram: Doll delivered with a Western Union telegram, c. 1960-70. Detail of W.U.Tel.Co line on doll.

• Radiograms and the duties of a merchant marine Radio Officer: by Jerry Proc, VE3FAB. Using yourLandlineTelegraph Instruments

• Dial Up Morse Telegraphy: how to use a modem to connect your key with others using American Morse.

• Morse Dial-Up Hub: one of two dial-up hubs in North American. See Ed Trump passing traffic with a 'mill.'

• Adjusting a bug: Learn how to adjust a bug for perfect sending, the Army way.

• The Art of Side-Swipery: How to use a sideswiper, plus a bit of history, by Jerry L. Bartachek, KD0CA.

• The Mill:A program for your PC that teaches you American Morse code. By Jim Farrior, W4FOK. Telegraph and WirelessInventors

• Morse's Telegraph Register Patent Model , patented May 1, 1849, patent number 6,420.

• Morse's obituaries: New York Times and Washington Evening Star, April 1872.

• Franklin Pope: 19th century inventor and entrepreneur.

• Heroes of the Telegraph: Biographies of telegraph inventors and entrepreneurs written by John Munro, 1891.

• Lee DeForest : Wireless pioneer and Inventor of the triode tube.

• Alexander Graham Bell: Telegraph patent 174,465.

• Alexanderson: he made very high power transmitters with AC machinery.

• Edwin H. Armstrong:Armstrong (father of regenerative receivers and FM radio) home page; many fine photos of early gear and documents from the Harry Houck collection.

• The wireless experiments of J.C.Bose: He predated Marconi. Well researched IEEE paper by Darrel Emerson.

Nostalgia and TelegraphicPoetry

• The Banana Boat Swing and other Distinctive Fists.
• Three Telegraphic Poems of the 19th century: Besides being a great electro-physicist, James C. Maxwell was quite a poet.
• Two Wireless Poems of the early 20th century: Are all wireless operators romantics?
• Two Telegraphic Poems: by telegrapher Jerry Newton (1846-1917).
• "Reminiscing":An old time shipboard radio operator looks back to the early days of wireless.
• Code Ode: A beautiful poem about Morse code and those who love it.
• Oldest Surviving Associated Press Telegrapher: Aubrey Keel, W0AKL, a walking encyclopedia of telegraph history.
• Worlds Fastest Telegrapher on a straight key: The story of Harry Turner, an extract from Morsum Magnificat.

TheK5RW Wire and Wireless TelegraphKeyCollection and HistoricalLibrary

• Read about the K5RW Collection: a private collectionof telegraph keys and reference material with photos of unusual keys.

• Visit the K5RW Home Page: Who is K5RW?

• Keys Wanted: trying to fill some holes in the collection! Can you help? Got anything for sale?

• Duplicate List: a few duplicates for trade. Would you like to swap keys? Here are some good ones!

• Books Wanted: trying to find new research material.

• Help me ID this Galvanometer: A very attractive and unique British instrument.

• Recent acquisitions with photos and detailed documentation:

• (NEW) French spark key with two sets of high current contacts: c. 1908 - 1916.

• (NEW) Swiss PTT "silent key": c. 1920.

• Photo of British Highland regiment with visual signalling equipment, c. 1898.

• Ducretet & Roger spark key: c. 1914-1919, unusual French "oil break" design.

• Atlantic Cable piece: c. 1879.

• Wilson Royal Canadian Air Force Right Hand / Left Hand bug, c. W.W.II.

• Charles Williams camelback key, c. 1860s.

• T. A. Edison key, c. 1870.

• Vibroplex Junior, c. 1921.

• Electrical Construction Co. S.F. key, c. 1870s.

• An unusual spark key by General Radio, c. 1918.

• A quenched spark gap, c. 1920.

• Relay Key from a U.S. Navy Federal Telegraph arc transmitter, c. 1919.

Historical and FraternalOrganizations

• SOWP home page: Society of Wireless Pioneers -- Former Commercial and Military radiotelegraphers.
• QCWA home page: Quarter Century Wireless Association -- Hams radio operator for 25 or more years.
• OOTC home page: Old Old Timer's Club -- Those with a wireless experience 40 or more years ago.
• VWOA home page:Veteran Wireless Operators of America. Check out their scrapbook of old time wireless operators and the equipmentthey used.
• Morse Telegraph Club: Organization of former Landline Telegraphers.
• Maritime Radio Historical Society: Restoring KPH/KFS.
• Signal Corps Association Reenactors' Division (SCARD): A Civil War reenactor's group. Related TelecommunicationsResources
• Insulator Collecting:glass survivors of the Telegraph and Telephone Age.
• Early and Unusual Telegraph Insulators: Extremely well researched with Excellent Photos.
• Telephone Collectors Home Page : about the Old Phones and Collectors Activities.
• Cyber Telephone Museum:
• Antique Light Bulb Collectors Page: Old and unusual light globes.
• QCWA On-Line Amateur Radio Museum: Quarter Century Wireless Association.
• Postage Stamps and Post Marks representing telegraph and radio: Very nice collection of stamps
• Online Morsum Magnificat: a journal devoted to Morse Code, old and new; a great work by Tony Smith. Student Information
• Build a simple telegraph set: a science fair or school science project; thanks to W1TP.
• Code Practice Oscillator and Homemade Key from Arthur Nilson's 1942 book on code.
• Telegraph Projects for Students: Return to the Main Menu

You are visitor number

counter courtesy of Web Counter

Thanks for visiting The Telegraph Office.