Telegraph Key
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. This British “thumb key” was designed for use on underwater telegraph cables. Typical telegraph keys turn the current on and off in the line. This double-current key keeps the battery on the line and reverses the direction of the current flow when the operator presses down on the lever. Setting the small lever to “receive” sends the current to a separate relay instead of through the main section of the key.
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 Western Union Corporation
dataSource: label: Data Source
content: National Museum of American History
identifier: label: ID Number
content: EM.331673
label: accession number
content: 294351
label: collector/donor number
content: 14-02
label: catalog number
content: 331673
objectType: label: Object Name
content: telegraph key
label: Object Name
content: submarine telegraph key
physicalDescription: label: Physical Description
content: brass (overall material)
label: Physical Description
content: metal (overall material)
label: Physical Description
content: plastic (overall material)
label: Physical Description
content: wood (overall material)
label: Measurements
content: overall: 3 3/4 in x 4 3/4 in x 8 1/4 in; 9.525 cm x 12.065 cm x 20.955 cm