Communications

Tools of communication have transformed American society time and again over the past two centuries. The Museum has preserved many instruments of these changes, from printing presses to personal digital assistants.

The collections include hundreds of artifacts from the printing trade and related fields, including papermaking equipment, wood and metal type collections, bookbinding tools, and typesetting machines. Benjamin Franklin is said to have used one of the printing presses in the collection in 1726.

More than 7,000 objects chart the evolution of electronic communications, including the original telegraph of Samuel Morse and Alexander Graham Bell's early telephones. Radios, televisions, tape recorders, and the tools of the computer age are part of the collections, along with wireless phones and a satellite tracking system.

Currently not on view
Location
Currently not on view
date made
ca 1937
maker
Kloss, Gene
ID Number
GA.19276
catalog number
19276
accession number
170056
Currently not on view
Location
Currently not on view
date made
ca 1930
graphic artist
Totten, Ralph J.
ID Number
2013.0196.02
accession number
2013.0196
catalog number
2013.0196.02
Currently not on view
Location
Currently not on view
date made
ca 1930
ca 1928
graphic artist
Totten, Ralph J.
ID Number
2013.0196.18
accession number
2013.0196
catalog number
2013.0196.18
Currently not on view
Location
Currently not on view
date made
ca 1930
ca 1928
ca 1931
ca 1927
ca 1933
ca 1932
graphic artist
Totten, Ralph J.
ID Number
2013.0196.28
accession number
2013.0196
catalog number
2013.0196.28
Currently not on view
Location
Currently not on view
date made
ca 1927
ca 1930
graphic artist
Totten, Ralph J.
ID Number
2013.0196.04
accession number
2013.0196
catalog number
2013.0196.04
Currently not on view
Location
Currently not on view
date made
ca 1930
ca 1928
graphic artist
Totten, Ralph J.
ID Number
2013.0196.15
accession number
2013.0196
catalog number
2013.0196.15
The origin of magnetic recording can be traced to design work by Oberlin Smith of the United States in 1878. After seeing a demonstration of Thomas Edison’s phonograph, Smith thought about how to record sound using a magnetic medium.
Description (Brief)
The origin of magnetic recording can be traced to design work by Oberlin Smith of the United States in 1878. After seeing a demonstration of Thomas Edison’s phonograph, Smith thought about how to record sound using a magnetic medium. After ten years of failing to make a working model, Smith published his idea in the hope that someone else might benefit. Valdemar Poulsen of Denmark read Smith’s idea and in 1898 demonstrated the first practical magnetic recorder, a telephone answering machine he called a “telegraphone.” Various companies sold telegraphones for about ten years but microphone and amplification technology were not sufficiently developed to support the device. Poulsen turned to radio experiments in 1902.
The telegraphone spurred others to continue development of magnetic recording devices. Much early work took place in Germany where the telephone manufacturing firm of Ferdinand Schuchard hired engineer Semi Begun to work on circuit design. Begun became interested in magnetic recording and while working for Lorenz Company helped to design a new answering machine, the “Textophone.” Introduced in 1933, the textophone sold well since it could also be used as a dictating machine.
The Textophone consisted of two units: this telephone desk set, and a recording and playback console. The recording mechanism passed a steel wire from one reel to another in front of an electromagnet that impressed a magnetic field on the wire. When the wire was passed back in front of the electromagnet, a signal was induced in the speaker circuit. The desk set operated as a regular telephone but also includes control buttons for the recorder.
Location
Currently not on view
date made
ca 1935
maker
C. Lorenz AG
ID Number
1995.0316.01
accession number
1995.0316
catalog number
1995.0316.01
Currently not on view
Location
Currently not on view
date made
ca 1930
ca 1928
ca 1931
ca 1927
ca 1933
ca 1932
ca 1936
ca 1929
graphic artist
Totten, Ralph J.
ID Number
2013.0196.43
accession number
2013.0196
catalog number
2013.0196.43
Currently not on view
Location
Currently not on view
date made
ca 1930
ca 1928
ca 1931
ca 1927
ca 1933
ca 1932
ca 1936
graphic artist
Totten, Ralph J.
ID Number
2013.0196.31
accession number
2013.0196
catalog number
2013.0196.31
Currently not on view
Location
Currently not on view
date made
ca 1930
ca 1928
ca 1931
ca 1927
ca 1933
ca 1932
graphic artist
Totten, Ralph J.
ID Number
2013.0196.27
accession number
2013.0196
catalog number
2013.0196.27
Currently not on view
Location
Currently not on view
date made
ca 1930
ca 1928
ca 1931
ca 1927
graphic artist
Totten, Ralph J.
ID Number
2013.0196.24
accession number
2013.0196
catalog number
2013.0196.24
Currently not on view
Location
Currently not on view
date made
ca 1930
graphic artist
Totten, Ralph J.
ID Number
2013.0196.13
accession number
2013.0196
catalog number
2013.0196.13
Currently not on view
Location
Currently not on view
date made
ca 1930
ca 1928
ca 1931
ca 1927
ca 1933
ca 1932
ca 1936
graphic artist
Totten, Ralph J.
ID Number
2013.0196.30
accession number
2013.0196
catalog number
2013.0196.30
Currently not on view
Location
Currently not on view
date made
ca 1930
ca 1928
ca 1931
graphic artist
Totten, Ralph J.
ID Number
2013.0196.23
accession number
2013.0196
catalog number
2013.0196.23
Currently not on view
Location
Currently not on view
date made
ca 1930
ca 1928
ca 1931
graphic artist
Totten, Ralph J.
ID Number
2013.0196.20
accession number
2013.0196
catalog number
2013.0196.20
Currently not on view
Location
Currently not on view
date made
ca 1930
ca 1928
ca 1931
ca 1927
ca 1933
ca 1932
ca 1936
graphic artist
Totten, Ralph J.
ID Number
2013.0196.33
accession number
2013.0196
catalog number
2013.0196.33
Currently not on view
Location
Currently not on view
date made
ca 1930
ca 1928
ca 1931
ca 1927
ca 1933
ca 1932
ca 1936
ca 1929
ca 1935
graphic artist
Totten, Ralph J.
ID Number
2013.0196.44
accession number
2013.0196
catalog number
2013.0196.44
Currently not on view
Location
Currently not on view
date made
ca 1930
ca 1928
ca 1931
ca 1927
ca 1933
ca 1932
ca 1936
ca 1929
graphic artist
Totten, Ralph J.
ID Number
2013.0196.36
accession number
2013.0196
catalog number
2013.0196.36
Currently not on view
Location
Currently not on view
date made
ca 1930
ca 1928
ca 1931
ca 1927
ca 1933
ca 1932
ca 1936
graphic artist
Totten, Ralph J.
ID Number
2013.0196.32
accession number
2013.0196
catalog number
2013.0196.32
The origin of magnetic recording can be traced to design work by Oberlin Smith of the United States in 1878. After seeing a demonstration of Thomas Edison’s phonograph, Smith thought about how to record sound using a magnetic medium.
Description (Brief)
The origin of magnetic recording can be traced to design work by Oberlin Smith of the United States in 1878. After seeing a demonstration of Thomas Edison’s phonograph, Smith thought about how to record sound using a magnetic medium. After ten years of failing to make a working model, Smith published his idea in the hope that someone else might benefit. Valdemar Poulsen of Denmark read Smith’s idea and in 1898 demonstrated the first practical magnetic recorder, a telephone answering machine he called a “telegraphone.” Various companies sold telegraphones for about ten years but microphone and amplification technology were not sufficiently developed to support the device. Poulsen turned to radio experiments in 1902.
The telegraphone spurred others to continue development of magnetic recording devices. Much early work took place in Germany where the telephone manufacturing firm of Ferdinand Schuchard hired engineer Semi Begun to work on circuit design. Begun became interested in magnetic recording and while working for Lorenz Company helped to design a new answering machine, the “Textophone.” Introduced in 1933, the textophone sold well since it could also be used as a dictating machine.
The Textophone consisted of two units: a telephone desk set, and this recording and playback console. The recording mechanism passed a steel wire from one reel to another in front of an electromagnet that impressed a magnetic field on the wire. When the wire was passed back in front of the electromagnet, a signal was induced in the speaker circuit. The desk set operated as a regular telephone but also includes control buttons for the recorder.
Location
Currently not on view
date made
ca 1935
maker
C. Lorenz AG
ID Number
1995.0316.03
accession number
1995.0316
catalog number
1995.0316.03
During World War II, the United States government recognized that full public support and dedication to the war effort was essential to victory.
Description
During World War II, the United States government recognized that full public support and dedication to the war effort was essential to victory. To bolster support, the government hired artists to create propaganda posters, designed to promote patriotism with simple, catchy slogans and colorful images. Toiling factory workers, thrifty home front mothers, and fearless soldiers were among the most popular images used by artists to communicate the message.
This 1942 poster commissioned by the War Shipping Administration encouraged a specific mission, designed to attract former seamen back into the Merchant Marine. At the time, American shipyards were producing cargo ships faster than crews could be assembled, forcing recruiters to rely not only on new volunteers, but also to persuade experienced mariners to leave retirement and go back to sea.
The creation of incentive posters mainly fell under the watch of the Office of War Information, a government agency created by President Franklin D. Roosevelt in June 1942 to consolidate public information services and coordinate the sanctioned release of war news. The OWI reviewed and approved the content of newsreels, radio broadcasts, and billboards, in addition to producing hundreds of posters. Initially, the most pressing message to be communicated through posters was a warning to Americans about the dangers of discussing sensitive information like production schedules and troop movements that could be overheard by enemy spies. Over the course of the war, posters covered a variety of topics, such as encouraging the purchase of war bonds and galvanizing the work force at shipyards to keep production going on the assembly line.
date made
1942
commissioned poster
War Shipping Administration
directed poster program
United States. Office of War Information
Associated Name
Roosevelt, Franklin Delano
ID Number
1991.0856.07
catalog number
1991.0856.07
accession number
1991.0856
Currently not on view
Location
Currently not on view
date made
ca 1930
graphic artist
Totten, Ralph J.
ID Number
2013.0196.07
accession number
2013.0196
catalog number
2013.0196.07
Currently not on view
Location
Currently not on view
date made
ca 1930
graphic artist
Totten, Ralph J.
ID Number
2013.0196.05
accession number
2013.0196
catalog number
2013.0196.05
Currently not on view
Location
Currently not on view
date made
ca 1930
graphic artist
Totten, Ralph J.
ID Number
2013.0196.12
accession number
2013.0196
catalog number
2013.0196.12

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