The History of the Telegram and Telegraph

Telegram and Telegraph Vintage Films on DVD

An original production published by The Classic Archives!

This DVD contains a fully interactive menu and contains the following films:

This early, silent educational film from the 20s shows us various forms of communication technology and how they work. It starts with a simple electric bell and goes on to cover the telegraph, the telephone, and radio. This is actually quite well done and interesting. The visual images have a striking vintage look and the explanations are clear and understandable. I learned some things I didn’t know about how these technologies work. This would also make a good film for video artists to mine footage from. And there is a slight irony in watching a silent film try to explain how sound waves are carried.

Silent, B&W, 13:04

Modern radar for passenger aircraft. Shows how man has always reached for vision of the things beyond his sight, beginning, perhaps, with the ancient sailor who first climbed the mast to see over the horizon. In modern times the quest has led to such airborne aids as the gyro compass, horizon indicator and radio direction finding navigational systems. Sequences on radar show its basics and how it works in modern planes. Director: Marvin Dreyer.

Sound, Color, 14:41

Promotional film for Western Union Telegraph Company, featuring its history, current practice and emerging technology. Pictures Western expansion; railroads; early hand telegraphy and telegraph keys. Shows 1950s-vintage teletype and paper tape network serving all cities and towns in the United States. Shows telegraphy of service in business, to families, to government, in natural disasters (floods and fires) and in the commodities market. Numerous scenes of 1950s business and industry. Footage of Western Union plant and facilities, including the microwave tower located in the Tenleytown district of Washington, D.C. Considerable coverage of new technology including facsimile (fax) transmission and delivery of telegrams. Also coverage of the "Telmobile," a mobile reception center for fax telegrams that then delivers them to customers in outlying suburban districts.

Sound, B&W, 19:29

Norton, CT: Several hundred enlisted men complete a course in radio engineering at the U.S. Navy school here and graduate as radio operators. Listen to them as they learn their 'Da-Dit-Das'." includes some sound of Morse code.

Sound, B&W, 1:15

The parallels between safe flying and safe driving. With footage of Army Air Force cadets studying Morse Code, having their reaction time and depth perception tested, and doing classroom work.  Overview of the steps one has to take to become a pilot. As you might guess, much of the steps that this Jam Handy explains, can be used for Chevrolet drivers as well. One of the neat appeals of this film is the glimpse of very early cockpits. They had a steering wheel! And scary looking hand cranks!

Sound, B&W, 8:32

Telecommunications workers in the analog era.  Late 40's vocational film covering the careers in telegraph and telephone industries. Lots of shots of analog telecommunications equipment, along with mention of early radio-telephone and facsimile machines. What I found interesting is how up front gender divided the roles were (women as operators and teletype operators where a high school education would be "useful"; men as couriers, engineers and managers, the later two urged to get a college degree). It also appears that some of the footage, such as the historical recreations of the late 19th century Western Union office and Bell's telephone, probably came from other industrial films.

Sound, B&W, 10:34

DVD Menu Sampler: