Heurtley magnifier, 1919.

Made:
1919 in Beckenham
maker:
Muirhead and Company Limited
Heurtley magnifier, made by Muirhead and Company Limited Heurtley magnifier, made by Muirhead and Company Limited Heurtley magnifier, made by Muirhead and Company Limited Heurtley magnifier, made by Muirhead and Company Limited Heurtley magnifier, made by Muirhead and Company Limited Heurtley magnifier, made by Muirhead and Company Limited Heurtley magnifier, made by Muirhead and Company Limited Heurtley magnifier, made by Muirhead and Company Limited Heurtley magnifier, made by Muirhead and Company Limited Heurtley magnifier, made by Muirhead and Company Limited

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Heurtley magnifier, made by Muirhead and Company Limited
Science Museum Group Collection
© The Board of Trustees of the Science Museum

Heurtley magnifier, made by Muirhead and Company Limited
Science Museum Group Collection
© The Board of Trustees of the Science Museum

Heurtley magnifier, made by Muirhead and Company Limited
Science Museum Group Collection
© The Board of Trustees of the Science Museum

Heurtley magnifier, made by Muirhead and Company Limited
Science Museum Group Collection
© The Board of Trustees of the Science Museum

Heurtley magnifier, made by Muirhead and Company Limited
Science Museum Group Collection
© The Board of Trustees of the Science Museum

Heurtley magnifier, made by Muirhead and Company Limited
Science Museum Group Collection
© The Board of Trustees of the Science Museum

Heurtley magnifier, made by Muirhead and Company Limited
Science Museum Group Collection
© The Board of Trustees of the Science Museum

Heurtley magnifier, made by Muirhead and Company Limited
Science Museum Group Collection
© The Board of Trustees of the Science Museum

Heurtley magnifier, made by Muirhead and Company Limited
Science Museum Group Collection
© The Board of Trustees of the Science Museum

Heurtley magnifier, made by Muirhead and Company Limited
Science Museum Group Collection
© The Board of Trustees of the Science Museum

Heurtley magnifier plus two boxes, one with Wollaston wires and one with quartz fibres, Muirhead and Company Limited, Beckenham, 1919. Ex Submarine Cable Exhibition, 1950.

This instrument was invented by E S Heurtley in 1909, and was widely used until the early 1940s, particularly by the Western Union Telegraph Company and the Commercial Cable Company, to magnify feeble electrical currents received over long-distance submarine cables. The electrical currents moves very thin wires (known as 'Wollaston wire') in and out of a hot air current, causing changes in the resistance of the wires. This unbalances the mechanism inside the magnifier, and creates higher currents which could then be used to relay the signal. It became obsolete when working valve amplifiers were introduced.

Details

Category:
Telecommunications
Object Number:
1950-278
Materials:
wood (unidentified), brass (copper, zinc alloy), glass, aluminium (metal), platinum (metal), silver (metal) and quartz
Measurements:
overall: 363 mm x 341 mm x 390 mm, 34 kg
overall (Wollaston wires box): 61 mm x 320 mm x 21 mm,
overall (quartz fibres): 91 mm x 280 mm x 23 mm,
type:
amplifier
credit:
Donated by the Western Union Telegraph Company

Parts

Box containing wollaston wire for Heurtley magnifier, 1919.

Box containing wollaston wire for Heurtley magnifier, 1919.

Wollaston wire for Heurtley magnifier , Muirhead and Company Limited, Beckenham, 1919.

Measurements:
overall: 61 mm x 320 mm x 21 mm,
Materials:
wood (unidentified) , platinum (metal) and silver (metal)
Object Number:
1950-278/2
type:
wollaston wire
Quartz fibres for Heurtley magnifier, 1919

Quartz fibres for Heurtley magnifier, 1919

Box containing quartz fibres for Heurtley magnifier, Muirhead and Company Limited, Beckenham, 1919.

Measurements:
overall: 91 mm x 280 mm x 23 mm,
Materials:
wood (unidentified) and quartz
Object Number:
1950-278/3
type:
quartz fibre