BT's archive: Pictures from the vault

Summary: As BT gets going on a project to digitise half a million pictures from its archives, ZDNet UK has selected some already online that illustrate the ups and downs of the UK communications over the years

By Rupert Goodwins | January 20, 2012 -- 16:08 GMT (08:08 PST)

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Teleprinter

Teleprinters, one of the last gasps of the pre-computer digital network, took a long time to die.

Although they were limited in speed and scope — basically, electric typewriters that could talk to each other at around 10 characters a second — messages passed on the public Telex teleprinter network were legally considered to have their source and destination verified. This kept the network going as an important business tool long past the point where it was technologically obsolete.

Teleprinters live on in virtual form in shortwave radio, where radioteletype — RTTY — is still used by radio amateurs, for no particularly good reason.

Image credit: BT

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My father-in-law managed the cable station at Fanning Island in the late Fifties, it was operated by Cable & Wireless who shipped tech- staff around the world.

Sue Schofield

11 May, 2012 07:00

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Thanks for that, Sue - there are lots of untold tales from the far-flung bits of the Imperial network, when gutta percha and directly-heated triodes were the staple of comms (rather than the staple of my spare room, which they are today). The fact that the early years of telecommunications coincided with the last flowering of Empire had a subtle but very deep impact on the politico-economics of the Cold War: the Americans spotted that "wherever you want to build a station, the Brits have a speck of land" and rolled out their espionage, military and security global network on the back of it.

Definitely a story to be written, even if some of the best bits (like closing Hong Kong) are still well and truly sekrit.

rupert.goodwins@...

11 May, 2012 09:46

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The article does not mention that ..... the British public have a legal right of access ... appears to mean the right to pay £8 in order to download a high res image for personal use. Or have I got that wrong?

terry@...

13 May, 2012 13:55

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Teleprinter

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