Telegraph Register
notes: label: Description (Brief)
content: This incomplete telegraph register is an early example and shows the large electromagnets typical of Morse units of the 1840s although it is missing much of the tape drive. This object came to the Smithsonian in 1897 from Western Union and we are uncertain if it is a demonstration or experimental piece. Telegraph registers are electrically-activated printers that receive Morse code messages. The message travels as a series of electrical pulses through a wire. The pulses energize the register’s electromagnets which move a lever-arm holding a pen or stylus. A clockwork mechanism pulls a strip of paper across the pen or stylus, recording the message. Short pulses draw or emboss a dot, slightly longer pulses a dash. The sequence of dots and dashes represent letters and numbers.
label: Location
content: Currently not on view
topic: label: web subject
content: Communication, telegraph
setName: label: See more items in
content: Work and Industry: Electricity
label: See more items in
content: Telegraph Registers
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content: Communications
creditLine: label: Credit Line
content: from Western Union Telegraph Co.
dataSource: label: Data Source
content: National Museum of American History
identifier: label: ID Number
content: EM.181414
label: catalog number
content: 181414
label: accession number
content: 31652
objectType: label: Object Name
content: telegraph receiver
label: Object Name
content: telegraph register
physicalDescription: label: Physical Description
content: wood (overall material)
label: Physical Description
content: brass (overall material)
label: Physical Description
content: copper (overall material)
label: Measurements
content: overall: 7 in x 6 in x 13 1/2 in; 17.78 cm x 15.24 cm x 34.29 cm