# Bain's facsimile

Bain's Facsimile was an innovative method for transmitting images over long distances, invented by the Scottish inventor Alexander Bain in 1843. Bain's "recording telegraph", as he called it, can be considered the first facsimile machine. This groundbreaking invention is widely regarded as one of the earliest precursors to the modern fax machine, marking a significant milestone in the history of telecommunications.
Alexander Bain's facsimile system was a pioneering invention that demonstrated the potential of transmitting images electronically. While it may have been limited in its practical application during Bain's time, its conceptual breakthrough laid the groundwork for the evolution of facsimile technology. Today, Bain's work is remembered as a crucial chapter in the history of telecommunications, showcasing the power of innovation to transform how we communicate across distances.

## History

Alexander Bain, born in 1810 in Watten, Caithness, Scotland, was a prolific inventor whose contributions spanned various fields, including electric clocks and telegraphy. In the 1840s, Bain turned his attention to the challenge of transmitting images over long distances. Leveraging his expertise in electrical systems, he developed a method for sending images using electrical signals. This invention laid the foundational principles for what would later become facsimile (fax) technology.
Bain's telegraph was able to transmit images by electrical telegraphic wires, so he called his invention a "recording telegraph". Frederick Bakewell made several improvements on Bain's design and demonstrated a telefax machine In 1855, an Italian priest, Giovanni Caselli, also created an electric telegraph that could transmit images. Caselli called his invention "Pantelegraph". Pantelegraph was successfully tested and approved for a telegraph line between Paris and Lyon.
In 1881, English inventor Shelford Bidwell constructed the scanning phototelegraph that was the first telefax machine to scan any two-dimensional original, not requiring manual plotting or drawing. Around 1900, German physicist Arthur Korn invented the Bildtelegraph widespread in continental Europe especially since a widely noticed transmission of a wanted-person photograph from Paris to London in 1908 used until the wider distribution of the radiofax. Its main competitors were the Bélinographe by Édouard Belin first, then since the 1930s, the Hellschreiber, invented in 1929 by German inventor Rudolf Hell, a pioneer in mechanical image scanning and transmission.
Bain's work was part of a broader wave of innovation during the 19th century, as inventors sought to harness electricity for communication. His facsimile system was one of the first practical demonstrations of how images could be transmitted electronically, paving the way for future advancements in the field.

## Functionality

Bain's facsimile system was a landmark achievement in the history of communication technology. It proved that images could be transmitted over long distances using electrical signals, a concept that was revolutionary in the mid-19th century. This invention bridged the gap between telegraphy, which was limited to text, and the future of visual communication.
Bain's facsimile system was a marvel of engineering for its time. It operated by scanning an image line by line using a pendulum mechanism. Here’s how it worked:
* Scanning the Image: The original image was etched onto a copper plate. A pendulum, equipped with a stylus, would sweep across the plate in a precise, back-and-forth motion. As the pendulum moved, it made electrical contact whenever it encountered a line or mark in the drawing. These contacts generated electrical signals corresponding to the image's details.
* Transmission of Signals: The electrical signals produced by the pendulum were transmitted over telegraph wires to a receiving station. This was a revolutionary concept at the time, as it demonstrated that not only text (as in telegraphy) but also visual information could be sent electronically.
* Recreating the Image: At the receiving end, a similar pendulum mechanism operated in perfect synchronization with the transmitter. The incoming electrical signals controlled the movement of a stylus, which marked a piece of chemically treated paper. As the stylus moved, it reproduced the original image line by line, creating a facsimile (an exact copy) of the transmitted image.

## Legacy

While Bain's system was rudimentary by modern standards, it demonstrated the feasibility of image transmission and inspired further innovation. It also highlighted the potential of combining mechanical and electrical systems to achieve complex tasks, setting the stage for future developments in telecommunications.
Although Bain's facsimile system was not widely adopted during his lifetime, its impact on the field of image transmission was profound. It served as a critical stepping stone for later inventors who refined and improved upon Bain's ideas. For example:
* Arthur Korn, a German physicist, developed the first practical photoelectric fax system in the early 20th century, which eliminated the need for mechanical pendulums and improved image quality.
* Édouard Belin, a French inventor, created the Belinograph, a device that used light and photoelectric cells to transmit images, further advancing facsimile technology.
These later innovations built on Bain's foundational work, eventually leading to the development of the modern fax machine, which became a ubiquitous tool for business communication in the 20th century.