Combination set, telegraph
Use this image
Can I reuse this image without permission? Yes
Object images on the Ingenium Collection’s portal have the following Creative Commons license:
Copyright Ingenium / CC BY-NC-ND (Attribution-NonCommercial 4.0 International (CC BY-NC 4.0)
ATTRIBUTE THIS IMAGE
Ingenium,
2003.0387.001
Permalink:
Ingenium is releasing this image under the Creative Commons licensing framework, and encourages downloading and reuse for non-commercial purposes. Please acknowledge Ingenium and cite the artifact number.
DOWNLOAD IMAGEPURCHASE THIS IMAGE
This image is free for non-commercial use.
For commercial use, please consult our Reproduction Fees and contact us to purchase the image.
- OBJECT TYPE
- LINEMAN'S SET/MINIATURE
- DATE
- 1851–1872
- ARTIFACT NUMBER
- 2003.0387.001
- MANUFACTURER
- Caton
- MODEL
- Unknown
- LOCATION
- Ottawa, Illinois, United States of America
More Information
General Information
- Serial #
- N/A
- Part Number
- 1
- Total Parts
- 2
- AKA
- N/A
- Patents
- N/A
- General Description
- hard brown rubber casing; black synthetic, natural brass and cream-colour imitation ivory components and fittings. Ebonite
Dimensions
Note: These reflect the general size for storage and are not necessarily representative of the object's true dimensions.
- Length
- 12.6 cm
- Width
- 5.6 cm
- Height
- 3.4 cm
- Thickness
- N/A
- Weight
- N/A
- Diameter
- N/A
- Volume
- N/A
Lexicon
- Group
- Communications
- Category
- Telegraphy
- Sub-Category
- N/A
Manufacturer
- AKA
- Caton
- Country
- United States of America
- State/Province
- Illinois
- City
- Ottawa
Context
- Country
- North America
- State/Province
- Unknown
- Period
- This type of key used mid-1800s, and possibly later. Dates of use for this key are unknown.
- Canada
-
This set belonged to John Thomas Townsend, the donor's great-grandfather. According to the donor, Townsend worked for the Montreal Telegraph Co. and later the Great North-Western Telegraph Co. and as manager in Brantford in August 1876 gave Alexander Graham Bell permission to use his company's lines for his long distance telephone trials. Evidence exists of a J.T. Townsend employed as Inspector or Travelling Superintendant for the Montreal Telegraph Co. at their Toronto office in 1871 and from1875 to 1882 [Lovell's Canadian Dominion Directory for 1871, p. 855; Toronto Directory for 1875 - 1882] and for the Great North-Western Telegraph Co., also in Toronto, in 1884 [Canadian Electrical News, March 31, 1884, p. 4], but it has not been possible to confirm any connection between Townsend, Bell and Brantford in documentary sources. Archival evidence suggests that Bell used the wires of the Dominion Telegraph Co, not the Montreal Telegraph Co., for his field trials between Brantford, Paris and Mount Pleasent, Ont. - Function
-
To send and receive telegraph signals. - Technical
-
Caton Instrument Shop was associated with the Illinois and Mississippi Telegraph Co., of which John Dean Caton was the president. This set is a fine example of a lineman's set from this period, and consists of a miniature key and relay housed in a hard rubber case. It could be carried in the pocket, and allowed the user to tap into a telegraph line in the field. (Ref.1) Donor was told by his father that John Thomas Townsend used this set so he could climb a telegraph pole and tap into the line. Donor's father John William Durand Townsend (1899-1985/6) created hole in case end c. 1908-12 in order to run wire into it. (Ref. 3) - Area Notes
-
Unknown
Details
- Markings
- "CATON" and "OTTAWA ILL."stamped into key arch.
- Missing
- Appears complete. Small area of loss in raised edge bordering key.
- Finish
- Oval-shaped brown hard rubber case has smooth sides; fine cross-hatched pattern on underside; four moulded synthetic feet; brass lever, arch, binding post, terminals, and other hardware; imitation ivory knobs; smooth black synthetic casing over electromagnets.
- Decoration
- N/A
CITE THIS OBJECT
If you choose to share our information about this collection object, please cite:
Caton, Combination set, telegraph, between 1851–1872, Artifact no. 2003.0387, Ingenium – Canada’s Museums of Science and Innovation, http://collection.ingeniumcanada.org/en/id/2003.0387.001/
FEEDBACK
Submit a question or comment about this artifact.