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Telegraph Sounder and Resonator

National Museum of American History

Object Details

J. H. Bunnell & Co.
Description (Brief)
Telegraph sounders convert electrical pulses into audible sounds and are used to receive Morse code messages. The message travels as a series of electrical pulses through a wire. Short pulses make a dot, slightly longer pulses make a dash. The sequence of dots and dashes represent letters and numbers. The pulses energize the sounder’s electromagnets which move a lever-arm. The arm makes a loud “click” when it strikes a crossbar and the operator translates the pattern of sounds into the original language. A resonator like this was used to amplify the sound, making it easier for an operator to hear his or her own sounder when working in a room filled with these devices. This resonator is the only one in the collection holding two sounders.
Location
Currently not on view
Credit Line
from Western Union Corporation
ID Number
EM.332779
accession number
294351
collector/donor number
100-764
catalog number
332779
Object Name
telegraph resonator
telegraph receiver
telegraph sounder
Physical Description
wood (overall material)
plastic (overall material)
metal (overall material)
Measurements
overall: 5 in x 7 in x 7 1/2 in; 12.7 cm x 17.78 cm x 19.05 cm
each sounder: 3 1/2 in x 3 in x 5 1/2 in; 8.89 cm x 7.62 cm x 13.97 cm
See more items in
Work and Industry: Electricity
Communications
Telegraph Sounders
National Museum of American History
Record ID
nmah_891696
Metadata Usage (text)
CC0
GUID (Link to Original Record)
https://n2t.net/ark:/65665/ng49ca746a7-20a5-704b-e053-15f76fa0b4fa
There are restrictions for re-using this image. For more information, visit the Smithsonian's Terms of Use page .
International media Interoperability Framework
IIIF provides researchers rich metadata and media viewing options for comparison of works across cultural heritage collections. Visit the IIIF page to learn more.
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