Western Union Telegraph Ticker Receiver

Object Details

Description

This Western Union Telegraph Company stock ticker was produced during the early 20th century. The ticker received stock information via a telegraph line and printed out a company’s abbreviated name and stock price on the spool of paper tape. After the Civil War, the volume of stocks traded rose sharply with American corporations’ need for investment capital. The 1867 invention of the stock ticker, transmitting up-to-the-minute share prices over telegraph lines, helped modernize the stock exchange.

Credit Line

Western Union Corporation

ID Number

EM.332283

accession number

294351

catalog number

332283

collector/donor number

100-772

Object Name

stock ticker

telegraph receiver

Physical Description

glass (cover material)

steel (parts material)

paper (recording tape material)

copper (wires material)

wood (base material)

Measurements

ticker only: 9 in x 8 5/8 in; 22.86 cm x 21.9075 cm

overall: 13 in x 10 in; 33.02 cm x 25.4 cm

See more items in

Work and Industry: Electricity

Communications

Computers & Business Machines

American Stories exhibit

National Museum of American History

Record ID

nmah_739453

Metadata Usage (text)

CC0

GUID (Link to Original Record)

https://n2t.net/ark:/65665/ng49ca746a5-61d1-704b-e053-15f76fa0b4fa