The other week I discovered an item that at first glance looks quite unexciting but is actually a very significant object in the prehistory of Cinema. It is the eye cover (cowl) from the original US patent model for an optical toy called the Kinematoscope. Invented by a noted Philadelphia-based engineer named Coleman Sellers II...Read More
Although specifically designed Car radios were first commercially offered as early as 1922, it was the post WW2 Car boom which really made it a desired and expected feature in every vehicle. Designs naturally varied but most went for a simple unit that mounted either under or within the dash and incorporated. While the mechanics...Read More
(Please note all images can be clicked to enlarge) Like many who ventured into the newly emerging field of Computer Art in the 1970s, Marcus West did not come with a formal background in the Arts. Instead, a strong curiosity to test the boundaries of his mathematical and programming knowledge meant his art ultimately found...Read More
One of the really enjoyable parts of my job is getting to know the many and varied customers who purchase items from me. Whether they are a professional body or a passionate individual, I am always humbled by the sheer levels of expertise and commitment these people show towards their interest. As a group, fans...Read More
The other day I happened across a great piece of forgotten communication technology from the 1980s called the ‘Interlaser’ by a small UK company named Modular Technology Ltd. This had been an optical communication system which could send either data or multiple phone lines back and forth via a beam of light up to 1km...Read More
Looking back at old technology it is often hard for us to get a sense of the behind-the-scenes infrastructure which was needed to support these important products. It is also difficult for us to grasp how quickly those infrastructures were forced to grow to keep up with consumer demand. While we are still surrounded today...Read More
Daguerrotype of a Seated Gentleman c1840 The next time you are complaining about the quality of your photographs, spare a thought for those who pioneered the medium over 180 years ago. Back then capturing a momentary image involved a lengthy technical process which required careful chemical preparation, elbow grease and a large dose of...Read More
When one looks up the history of road safety devices, few have such an appealing story as that of the Cat’s Eye lane marker invented in 1934 by Percy Shaw. Here was an inspired Yorkshireman who after taking a car journey down a dark road one night noticed the glint of light coming off some...Read More
(All references have been included as links within the text.) When one mentions fax machines, it is natural to think of those 1980s and 90s machines we all proudly owned to send illegible hand scrawled messages to the distant family or boss. However few people realise that the first attempts at the fax machine really...Read More
This piece is the culmination of many hours of research so far. Feel free to share but please be kind and attribute HistoricTech.com In 1949 a 24-year-old Welsh computer scientist named Donald Watts Davies created an electro-mechanical version of the classic game of Noughts and Crosses (Tic-Tac-Toe). A colleague of Alan Turing, Davies’ simple intention...Read More
