Discover the technological development of wireless telegraphy through objects relating to the history of radio, and television transmission and reception.
Radio Communication
1945-1955
Bush TV22 9 inch television receiver, made by Bush Radio Limited, England, 1945-1955. With band III convertor, 1957
1935-1965
'Standlens' liquid-filled plastic lens for magnifying a television picture, mounted on adjustable wooden stand, probably made by Lumex, probably British, 1935-1965
1934
Three-ring Enigma cypher machine complete in oak wood transit case, together with original German battery (Serial number A6421/1937), unsigned, Germany, 1934 (see Note)
1969-1970
Sony 'Trinitron' colour television set, model type KV-1320UB, manufactured by Sony, Japan, 1969-1970. Serial No. 505704
1922
Marconi 1.5kW transmitter, Marconi Company Limited, Chelmsford, 1922. Used by the BBC London station 2LO between 1922 and 1925, as rebuilt c.1954 incorporating some non-original but contemporary components
1944-1959
BBC Marconi AXBT ribbon microphone, inst. no. 498044, made by Marconi's Wireless Telegraphy Company Limited, Chelmsford, Essex, England, 1944-1959
1922-1925
Three-valve receiver used in a Derbyshire colliery test, unknown maker, Derby, England, 1922-1925. Ref. Wireless World 2/12/22 p.314
1939-1945
Headphones DLR no. 5 from wireless set no. 38 Mk. II serial no. 6319, unknown maker, British, 1939-1945
1980-1983
CB mobile antenna Oscar 11SE from `Oscar One' 27 MHz f.m. CB mobile/base radio transceiver, manufactured by South Midlands Communications Limited, Eastleigh, Hampshire, England, 1980-1983
1934-1940
Two albums of cigarette cards showing early British radio performers, "Radio Celebrities" and "Radio Celebrities Second Series", manufactured by Imperial Tobacco and distributed under the brand name W D and H O Wills and Company, probably Bristol, 1934-1940
1943-1966
Variable inductance coil for tuning the aerial of the very-low-frequency (16 kHz) transmitter (callsign GBR) installed at Rugby Radio Station, unknown maker, British, 1943-1966. Constructed in 1943 to the original 1926 design, and as modified in 1966, together with separate transformer and variometer with supporting framework.
1963
Set of Knochenhauer spirals, replica of originals in Deutsches Museum, made by the Science Museum, South Kensington, London, England1963.
1953
Pye 'Cambridge International' 11-band broadcast receiver, type PE80, made by Pye Limited, Cambridge, England, 1953
1963-1965
One Pye Bantam radio telephone set, labelled as 'Museum A', made by Pye Telecommunication Limited, Cambridge, England, 1963-1965
1923
Gecophone crystal detector radio set no. 1, complete with instruction handbook, made by the General Electric Company Limited, British, 1923. Instruction handbook not mentioned in the nominal file (4868), nor on the form 100. Polished mahogany case with a lift up lid and ebonite control panel.
1925
Amplion loud speaker with wooden horn, made by Graham Amplion Limited, Slough, England, 1925
1928
Volume 1 number 1 of "Television" monthly magazine, "The Official Organ of the Television Society", published by Television Press Limited, British, March 1928.
1899-1901
Carbon-mercury-iron semiconductor diode detector, of the type invented by J C Bose in 1899, modified version, unknown maker, 1899-1901. Known as the ‘Italian Navy coherer’, used by G Marconi in Newfoundland to receive the first wireless communication across the Atlantic, December 1901.
1955-1964
Pye Ranger V.H.F. radio telephone set. Type PTC 2007, made by Pye Telecommunications Limited, Cambridge, England, 1955-1964
1924-1927
Primax loud speaker (sectioned), made by the Sterling Telephone and Electric Company Limited, Dagenham, London, England, 1924-1927
1946
Ekco A D 75 receiver, designed by Wells Coates for E K Cole Limited, Leigh-on-Sea, England, 1946.
1920-1940
Voigt condenser microphone, probably made by Voigt Patents Limited, Sydenham, London, England, 1920-1940.
One pair B.T.H. headphones, bearing B.B.C. insignia, c. 1923
1927-1956
Part of Rugby transatlantic telephone transmitter, made by Standard Telephones and Cables, New Southgate, England, 1927
1951-1953
Reporter mobile radiophone type PTC 116, serial No. 6744, made by Pye Limited, Cambridge, England, 1951-1953
1925-1935
Marconi-Reis transverse-current carbon microphone, invented by Georg Neumann, unknown maker, British, 1925-1935.
1965
Portable "Spinney" transistor radio by Perdio Radio Co., England, 1965.
1979
Ferguson television receiver, 20", black-and-white, 625-line, hybrid valve/transistor, Model 3821, manufactured 1979
1927
Two-valve, short wave radio - telephonic receiver, made for the Science Museum by Frederick H Walker, Walton-on-Thames, Surrey, England, 1927
1917
C.W. (continuous wave) transmitter/receiver, Mk.I**, also known as Trench set C.W. Mk.I, made by W/T Factory, W.D. Soho W. (Wireless Telegraphy Factory, War Department), England, 1917
1870-1923
Righi pattern oil-bath oscillator, made by John J Griffin & Sons Ltd, c. 1910
2014
Presentation Model of the 1922 Shukhov Radio Tower, also known as the Shabolovka tower, created by the model builder Henry Milner, England, 2014.
1938 and 1951
Two amateur radio call books: RSGB Amateur Radio Call Book First Edition, published by the Radio Society of Great Britain, British, Autumn 1951; Radio Amateur Call Book Magazine Vol.19. (worldwide), unknown publisher, Summer 1938.
1900-1910
Experimental model of Marconi's magnetic detector with moving magnet, unknown maker, England, 1900-1910
'Radio Celebrities Second Series' cigarette card album, manufactured by Imperial Tobacco and distributed under the brand name W D and H O Wills and Company, probably Bristol, England, 1934-1940
1899
Experimental transmitting ‘jigger’ or oscillation transformer used by the Marconi Company, probably made by Marconi's Wireless Telegraphy Company, Chelmsford, Essex, England, 1899
1955-1985
Antiference Band I (Channel 4) television aerial, "H" type, on mounting pole, manufactured by Antiference Limited, Aylesbury, Buckinghamshire, England, 1957-1985
1949
Models (scale 1:4) of three wooden prisms used by Heinrich Hertz, made by the Science Museum Workshops, South Kensington, London, England, 1949
1923-1930
Rexophone crystal set with, 2 of 3, pairs telefunken head-phones (see note). Rexophone crystal set manufactured by Morch Borthers Limited, London, 1923-1930. Headphones manufactuered by Telefunken, Germany, 1923-1930
1905
Experimental form 1 (Licence to use Wireless Telegraph for Experimental purposes) dated 14 November 1905 and made out to Ernest Dundas Gledall Esq BSc, issued by the General Post Office on behalf of the Postmaster General, British, 1905
Model (scale 1:4) of two parabolic zinc reflectors used by Heinrich Hertz, one with oscillator and the other with resonator, made by the Science Museum Workshops, South Kensington, London, England, 1949
B.B.C. Marconi AXBT ribbon microphone, inst. no. 498044, made by Marconi's Wireless Telegraphy Company Limited, Chelmsford, 1944-1959
1954
Murphy 14-inch Band I/Band III television receiver, Model V240, made by Murphy Radio Limited, Welwyn Garden City, Hertfordshire, England, 1954
Branly tripod coherer, probably made by Edouard Branly, France, 1900-1910
1920-1930
Low power transportable radio transmitter in teak case, complete with hand-driven generator, made by G E Mortley-Sprague and Company, Tunbridge Wells, Kent, England, 1920-1930
1962-1967
Telstar maser assembly with magnet, made by Mullard Research Laboratories, Redhill, Surrey, England, 1962-1967
CB antenna tuner 100TU27 from `Oscar One' 27 MHz f.m. CB mobile/base radio transceiver, manufactured by South Midlands Communications Limited, Eastleigh, Hampshire, England, 1980-1983
1894
Iron borings coherer (Branly type), probably made by Oliver Lodge, England, 1894. Mounted on wooden baseboard.
1926
Television receiving apparatus, made by John Logie Baird, British, 1926. Used by Baird in the demonstration given by him to members of the Royal Institution and others on 27 January 1926.
1995
BayGen "Freeplay" wind-up radio, a portable receiver powered by internal generator driven by hand-wound clockwork spring, by BayGen Power Company (Pty) Ltd, Johannesburg, South Africa, 1995.
