# Digital Media and Information in Society/Discussions/6-Telegraph, Phonograph, Photograph, Telephone
## Innovation in Information Technology in the 19th Century: The Telegraph, The Phonograph, The Photograph, and The Telephone
### Introduction: The Evolutionary Spectrum

* Recap of history:
** Orality and its communal nature. Orality
** Early literacy's rise with the alphabet. History of the Alphabet
** The transformation brought by printing. History of Printing

### 19th Century Technologies: A Brief Overview

* Telegraphy:
** Samuel Morse's invention. Samuel Morse
** The first transcontinental line. First Transcontinental Telegraph
** Social and economic implications. Telegraphy Impact
* Photography:
** The daguerreotype process. Daguerreotype
** Expansion into journalism. Photojournalism
** Photography's democratization. History of Photography
* Telephony:
** Alexander Graham Bell's innovation. Alexander Graham Bell
** Spread of telephone networks. History of the Telephone
** Social transformations. Social Aspects of the Telephone
* Phonography:
** Edison’s phonograph. Phonograph
** Music distribution and consumption changes:
*** Rise of recording studios. Recording Studio
*** Changes in music sales. Music Industry History
*** Cultural shifts in music appreciation. Music Appreciation
** Preservation of oral history. Oral History

### Late 19th Century Cultural Shifts

* Rise of Urbanization Amplified by Communications:
** Impact of the Telegraph:
*** Revolutionized long-distance communication, fostering faster urban growth and inter-city connections. Telegraphy
*** Financial districts and stock exchanges thrived due to instant communication, elevating cities as economic hubs.
*** The telegraph network laid the groundwork for future communication infrastructures
* Social Restructuring
** Role of the Telephone:
*** Transformed personal communication, allowing urban dwellers to maintain broader social networks. Telephone History
*** The rise of telephone exchanges and operators added new urban job roles and influenced city dynamics.
** Phonograph's Cultural Influence:
*** Changed entertainment landscapes by enabling recorded music and performances. Phonograph
*** Birth of the music industry and the shift from live to recorded entertainment.
** Cultural Hubs and the Lenses of Technology
*** Impact of Photography:
**** Allowed for the capture and sharing of urban life, influencing societal perceptions and memory. Photography's History
**** Magazines and newspapers incorporated photographs, enhancing storytelling and documentation.
**** Artists and social reformers used photography to highlight urban realities, from high society events to social issues.

### Economic Transitions

* Emergence of Consumer Culture:
** Popularity of novel products. Consumer Culture
** Shifts in retail and buying habits. Retail
*** Advent of department stores. Department Store
*** Changing dynamics of the marketplace. Marketplace
*** Growth of mail-order businesses. Mail Order
** Advertising's growth and strategies. History of Advertising
*** Rise of ad agencies. Ad Agency
*** New mediums for advertising: magazines, newspapers, etc. Advertising Medium
*** Influence of branding and brand loyalty. Brand Loyalty
* Branding and Trademarks:
** Concept and need for branding. Branding
** Emergence of trademarks. Trademarks
*** Legal implications and battles. Trademark Law
*** The birth of iconic brands in the 19th century. History of Brands
*** Importance in differentiating products. Product Differentiation
* Shifts in Employment and Labor:
** Move from agrarian to industrial employment. Industrial Revolution
** Rise of factory work and related conditions. Factory Work
*** Labor movements and their impact. Labor Movement
*** The growth of specialized trades and professions. Trades and Professions
*** Urban migration for job opportunities. Urban Migration

### Government as a Balancing Force against Big Business

* Universal Service:
** Commitment to providing services to all citizens. Universal Service
*** Telecommunication as an essential utility.
*** Vision of the US Mail, and later telephony, for comprehensive service. US Mail
* Public Interest and Common Carrier:
** The principle that certain businesses serving societal needs must operate fairly. Common Carrier
*** Early instances in medieval royal charters granting exclusive business rights with attached duties for fairness. Royal Charter
*** Evolution into the "common carrier" doctrine in English common law, emphasizing nondiscrimination in essential services.
*** The telegraph and telephony's roles as crucial infrastructures reflecting this principle.
* Anti-Trust:
** Addressing monopolistic behaviors in the age of industrialization. U.S. Anti-Trust History
*** Government efforts to dismantle monopolies and encourage competitive markets. Sherman Antitrust Act

### Cognitive and Perceptual Transformations

* Redefinition of Time and Space:
** Accelerated pace of communication due to telegraphy. Telegraphy
*** Alteration of traditional notions of distance and time. Time-space Compression
*** Rapid dissemination of news and events, creating a more "immediate" world. History of Telecommunication
* Reality and its Reproductions:
** Photography's influence on perceptions of reality. Photography
*** Challenging authenticity and originality. Authenticity in Art
*** The phonograph's capture of sound and its implications on memory and experience. Phonograph
* Shifts in Literacy and Learning:
** Increased accessibility and democratization of information. Democratization of Information
*** Evolution from purely textual to visual information mediums. Visual Literacy
*** Emphasis on rapid information consumption and processing. Information Processing
* Multisensory Engagement and Early Multimedia:
** The intertwining of auditory and visual experiences. Multimedia
*** Emergence of new forms of entertainment and consumption. Media Consumption
*** Interplay between different sensory experiences redefining cultural engagements. Culture Industry
* ↑ ChatGPT in collaboration with Steven M. Schneider (2023-10-04). "Electric Age Cognitive Revolution". ChatGPT. Retrieved 2023-10-04.