Henley's magneto electric double needle telegraph, 1848-1852

Henley's magneto electric double needle telegraph, made by the Magnetic Telegraph Company, England, 1848-1852.

This telegraph system, which did not require a battery for operation, was patented in 1848 by W T Henley and T Forster. Instead of a battery, the instrument was powered by magnets and electro-magnetic currents, using pedal keys. The needles for indicating letters could only move in one direction, but the code was the same modified Morse code used by other telegraph systems.