It is interesting that registers seem to be very prevalent in Europe compared to the United States. This is due to the fact that in Europe the telegraph systems were under strict control by government authorities. Post Offices, railways, and telecommunications were under jurisdiction of government agencies. These bureaucratic systems enforced regulations requiring physical proof of the messages. In the United States the telegraph companies were private entities with relatively minimal regulation by the government. The labor saving and simplicity of the sounder was adopted early, although registers continued to be used in some cases, such as the wire transfer of money. In Europe sounders were used later in the history of the telegraph. For example, it was not until 1892 that sounders were officially permitted in Belgium. At the London International Telegraphy Conference in 1903 the use of sounders on international lines was adopted.

Click on the image for a detailed view. Enjoy.

	A complete Breguet (TX-RX-bell) set circa 1860. The bell is extremely rare.
	Bunnell (United States) automatic start and stop register.
	Bunnell key-on-board, sounder, and double key. The double key is rarely found, even in the US. This key was used on marine cable telegraphs. The operator alternates the levers to form the dots and dashes of the International Morse code.
	A toy or "demonstration" register.
	Another toy or "demonstration" register.
	Ericsson register.
	A Henley transmitter circa 1850. This was used with a single needle receiver.
	A copy of Samuel F.B. Morse's demonstration model of 1837. This is a copy of a copy in the collection of the Science Museum in London. Fons requested a series of measurements and photos from the museum. Using this data, a local technical school helped Fons build this splendid reproduction of the very first Morse instrument.

PROCEED TO PAGE FOUR

Return to Introduction to Telegraph Instruments of Europe

Return to Instrument Collecting

Return to Telegraph Lore Home Page