Talk:Telegraphy

Signal lamp

I feel more should be said in the article about signal lamp communication, probably a separate section. It is probably the most widely used form of "telegraphy" remaining, regularly used worldwide between naval ships when under radio silence conditions. There is only one brief mention in the "Heliograph" section. A signal lamp is not a "heliograph". --Chetvorno^TALK 19:16, 8 May 2021 (UTC)

In this article's lead definition of its topic is long distance communications. Ship signal lamps are certainly not that which explains why it only gets a passing mention. I wouldn't object to more being said, but there is no network built of signal lamps so I'm not sure it's own section would be justified. The signal lamp article itself is relatively short, perhaps that is a better target for expansion. SpinningSpark 08:39, 7 August 2021 (UTC)

Telegraph Exchanges

Some material I am suggesting be added.

In A Century in Print London: Hazell Watson & Viney Ltd (1939) by Keefe, H. J., on pp. 82–83 Keefe writes (emphasis mine),

Mr. Dunn remembers that the Firm's Strand branch possessed a facility which may be described in his own words: “One day in 1875, when I was alone in the office, the bell of the private telegraph to the Head Office in Charles Street rang. The pointer on the dial spelt out the message, ‘Mr. Hazell wishes to see Mr. Dunn at once.’ I wired back, ‘O.K.,’ and left to hear that I was to return to the Head Office in a new capacity.”

From this we see that business firms had an equivalent to the telephone a good many years before Bell invented it. The instrument linking 265 Strand and 28 Charles Street from 1873 to 1880 was Wheatstone's A.B.C. Telegraph, which any child able to spell could use. In the case of Hazell's, it seems to have been merely a private wire, but subscribers could, if desired, be linked to an exchange, and thus communicate with other firms or individuals. This switchboard system was in existence as early as 1869, possibly earlier, and when the telephone came on the scene, Wheatstone’s A.B.C. switchboards, where available, were adapted to form telephone exchanges.

I do not see any mention anywhere within Wikipedia of telegraph exchanges; nor does a quick Google search turn anything up. I quoted the text of the book here as there is--at this time--no electronic copy of the book that I may reference.

On a related note, this Telegraphy page does not mention the A.B.C Telegraph mentioned in the quoted text. There is however a very nice write-up on the device on the Museums Victoria Australia website: https://collections.museumsvictoria.com.au/articles/1798

Christopher Rath (talk) 00:42, 1 December 2023 (UTC)