Telegraph Key
date: label: date made
content: ca 1890
label: date made
content: ca 1903
name: label: maker
content: Queen and Company
notes: label: Description (Brief)
content: Telegraph keys are electrical switches used to send coded messages that travel as a series of electrical pulses through a wire. These keys are also known as momentary contact switches and can be used for more that sending messages. This particular key was used in testing insulation at Tufts University in the years around 1903.
label: Description (Brief)
content: Two keys mounted side-by-side on a common hard rubber base. A two-position sweep switch allows the user to select the desired key. Brass fittings. Each key is fitted with an off-axis wheel to provide tension adjustment. Stamped on front: "Queen & Co. Phila. Makers."
label: Description (Brief)
content: Professor Rollins recalled: "Used in connection with some of our measurements of high insulation at Tufts. Bought with the $1000 that Dr. Pearson gave Prof. Hooper, around 1902 or 1903."
label: Location
content: Currently not on view
setName: label: See more items in
content: Work and Industry: Electricity
label: See more items in
content: Telegraph Keys
label: See more items in
content: Communications
creditLine: label: Credit Line
content: from Tufts University, Departments of Electrical Engineering and Physics
dataSource: label: Data Source
content: National Museum of American History
identifier: label: ID Number
content: EM.328049
label: catalog number
content: 328049
label: accession number
content: 270107
label: collector/donor number
content: 13
objectType: label: Object Name
content: telegraph key
label: Object Name
content: submarine telegraph key
label: Other Terms
content: telegraph key; Telegraphy
physicalDescription: label: Physical Description
content: plastic (overall material)
label: Physical Description
content: brass (overall material)
label: Measurements
content: overall: 4 in x 4 3/4 in x 7 in; 10.16 cm x 12.065 cm x 17.78 cm