Bolter Bug Telegraph Key
name: label: maker
content: Boulter, Royal L.
notes: label: Description (Brief)
content: Telegraph keys are electrical on-off switches used to send messages in Morse code. This semi-automatic telegraph key was designed by Royal L. Boulter in the early 1910s. Boulter's patents were ultimately purchased by the Vibroplex Company. A semi-automatic key repeated the Morse code dots rapidly, much like holding down a key on a keyboard for repeated letters. The operator still keyed the dashes but could work much faster.
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.331681
label: accession number
content: 294351
label: collector/donor number
content: 100-056
label: catalog number
content: 331681
objectType: label: Object Name
content: bug
label: Object Name
content: semi-automatic key
label: Object Name
content: sending key
label: Object Name
content: telegraph key
physicalDescription: label: Physical Description
content: metal (overall material)
label: Physical Description
content: plastic (overall material)
label: Physical Description
content: cloth (overall material)
label: Measurements
content: overall: 3 in x 3 1/2 in x 9 in; 7.62 cm x 8.89 cm x 22.86 cm