Harry Cheetham's Radio Operator License

Object Details

Description

Harry Cheetham was one of the pioneers of early radio in the United States. His 1911 radio operator's license was issued shortly before Titanic sank, and the Boston Globe newspaper hired him to listen for and intercept radio communications messages from Carpathia while it steamed back to New York with the Titanic survivors aboard. Although Carpathia's captain had imposed a general radio blackout, it did communicate the names of survivors for the benefit of the families ashore who were anxiously awaiting news of their relatives' fates. Cheetham intercepted one of the survivor messages and sold the information to the Globe for $175.00.

Location

Currently not on view

Credit Line

from Harry R. Chetham

1911-1929

ID Number

EM.310187

catalog number

310187

accession number

112399

Object Name

radio licenses

See more items in

Work and Industry: Electricity

Communications

Titanic

National Museum of American History

Record ID

nmah_1351258

Metadata Usage (text)

CC0

GUID (Link to Original Record)

https://n2t.net/ark:/65665/ng49ca746ac-96ba-704b-e053-15f76fa0b4fa