Object Details
- Description (Brief)
- This telegraph system is a replica of one of the 1844 units used on Samuel Morse’s line between Baltimore and Washington. The replica includes the key, paper tape reel, and register. 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.
- Location
- Currently not on view
- Credit Line
- from Western Union Corporation
- ID Number
- EM.332160
- accession number
- 294351
- catalog number
- 332160
- collector/donor number
- 100-389
- Object Name
- telegraph apparatus
- telegraph unit
- Physical Description
- wood (overall material)
- brass (overall material)
- paper (overall material)
- plastic (overall material)
- copper (overall material)
- steel (overall material)
- Measurements
- overall: 11 in x 30 in x 7 in; 27.94 cm x 76.2 cm x 17.78 cm
- See more items in
- Work and Industry: Electricity
- Telegraph Registers
- Communications
- National Museum of American History
- web subject
- Communication, telegraph
- Record ID
- nmah_881808
- GUID (Link to Original Record)
- https://n2t.net/ark:/65665/ng49ca746a6-f67f-704b-e053-15f76fa0b4fa
