Morse key, 1850-1870.

Made:
1850-1870 in United Kingdom
Morse key, 1850-1870 Morse key, 1850-1870

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Morse key, 1850-1870
Science Museum Group Collection
© The Board of Trustees of the Science Museum

Morse key, 1850-1870
Science Museum Group Collection
© The Board of Trustees of the Science Museum

Morse key, unknown maker, British, 1850-1870.

Morse code was developed by Samuel Morse and his assistant Theodore Vail, and uses a series of dots and dashes for sending messages. This is a camelback Morse key, named for its hump. They were among the first telegraph keys to be used commercially. Many were still in use when the British Post Office took over the inland telegraph companies in 1870.

Details

Category:
Telecommunications
Object Number:
1964-81
Materials:
plastic (unidentified), metal (unknown), bakelite and copper (alloy)
Measurements:
overall: 125 mm x 204 mm x 126 mm, 1.1 kg
type:
telegraph peripheral
credit:
Donated by the National Postal Museum