Semi-automatic Telegraph Key
date: label: date made
content: ca 1910
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. 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.331682
label: model number
content: 07728
label: collector/donor number
content: 100-057
label: accession number
content: 294351
label: catalog number
content: 331682
objectType: label: Object Name
content: bug
label: Object Name
content: semi-automatic key
label: Object Name
content: telegraph key
physicalDescription: label: Physical Description
content: metal (overall material)
label: Physical Description
content: plastic (overall material)
label: Measurements
content: overall: 2 1/2 in x 6 in x 3 3/4 in; 6.35 cm x 15.24 cm x 9.525 cm