Semi-automatic Telegraph Key
name: label: maker
content: Mecograph Company
notes: label: Description (Brief)
content: Telegraph keys are electrical on-off switches used to send messages in Morse code. The Mecograph Company created a right-angle semi-automatic telegraph key around 1906. They competed with Horace Martin's Vibroplex Company until Martin purchased Mecograph in 1914. the design is also referred to as a "side-swiper." 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.332297
label: accession number
content: 294351
label: collector/donor number
content: 72-01
label: catalog number
content: 332297
objectType: label: Object Name
content: semi-automatic key
label: Object Name
content: bug
label: Object Name
content: telegraph key
label: Object Name
content: side-swiper key
physicalDescription: label: Physical Description
content: metal (overall material)
label: Physical Description
content: plastic (overall material)
label: Measurements
content: overall: 2 3/4 in x 4 in x 5 7/8 in; 6.985 cm x 10.16 cm x 14.9225 cm