What was this old photography equipment?

Nolanger

Was wondering if any photography expert knows what this was? There's an old movie from the 1930s called 'Charlie Chan at the Opera'. One scene has the police transmitting a photograph of a suspect to another station by wrapping the photo around a cylinder. They then use a microphone to record the sound emitted from a machine which reads the photo image. This recording is then transmitted along phone lines to the other police station and they develop the photograph from the transmitted sounds. Did such equipment exists or was this just a movie thing?

melekalikimaka

morse fax?:D

trooney

Nolanger wrote: »

Was wondering if any photography expert knows what this was? There's an old movie from the 1930s called 'Charlie Chan at the Opera'. One scene has the police transmitting a photograph of a suspect to another station by wrapping the photo around a cylinder. They then use a microphone to record the sound emitted from a machine which reads the photo image. This recording is then transmitted along phone lines to the other police station and they develop the photograph from the transmitted sounds. Did such equipment exists or was this just a movie thing?

Was probably a representatoin of a fax machine, which was developed in the latter part of the 19th Century and would've been in common enough use in by the 1930's

democrates

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Wirephoto
via http://charliechanfamily.tripod.com/id31.html

And thanks I feel fecking old now because it reminded me of using a telex in work.

pullandbang

democrates wrote: »

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Wirephoto
via http://charliechanfamily.tripod.com/id31.html

And thanks I feel fecking old now because it reminded me of using a telex in work.

LOL I remember the telex well. I also remember telegrams (I used to deliver them). God I'm getting old - and today is my B-Day (2 years on boards today )

trooney

pullandbang wrote: »

LOL I remember the telex well. I also remember telegrams (I used to deliver them). God I'm getting old - and today is my B-Day (2 years on boards today )

Happy Birthday you old fart

democrates

pullandbang wrote: »

LOL I remember the telex well. I also remember telegrams (I used to deliver them). God I'm getting old - and today is my B-Day (2 years on boards today )

Happy Birthday! And thanks you fixed it, telegrams go way back . Both still in use in odd places is the gas part, why, in my day...

pullandbang

Hey, when I said B-Day I meant BOARDS-Day not Birthday

Two years to the day that I joined Boards.ie

PS. You can all stop sending me the cards with fivers in them.

pixbyjohn

pullandbang wrote: »

LOL I remember the telex well. I also remember telegrams (I used to deliver them). God I'm getting old - and today is my B-Day (2 years on boards today )

Congratulations on 2 years and I remember those small green envelopes too.
Were you called "the wire boy" as most telegram boys were ?

pullandbang

pixbyjohn wrote: »

Were you called "the wire boy" as most telegram boys were ?

No, we were JP's (Junior Postmen). When you drove the motor bikes and had a few crashes under your belt you were an "Ace"

Remember the night time photowalk back in November? I took this shot in the GPO Arcade off Henry Street.


That was where we were based and between us on our bikes and the Indo guys on their scooters, Pricnce's Street had to be one of the most dangerous streets in Ireland :eek:

sNarah

pullandbang wrote: »

LOL I remember the telex well. I also remember telegrams (I used to deliver them). God I'm getting old - and today is my B-Day (2 years on boards today )

Hey it's my birthday too! I don't remember to Telex though
Anyho, sorry for going of topic, I've no clue what that machiny-ma-thingie is...

Whoops... Mine actually IS today haha

democrates

Lol, ex P&T here too albeit briefly, engineering branch then Telecom/eircom. Early days were gas "Are those gloves issue?", "yeah but you'll be waitin 2 year on stores". One country lad known for watching every penny was royally set up and got roasted by the OC when he asked for a non-existing form to claim the "milk and matches allowance". It was like a Carry On movie at times.

There was a museum of all the old equipment out in Kimmage Manor, wonder where that stuff is now...

Nolanger

http://www.youtube.com/watch#playnext=1&playnext_from=TL&videos=l5IF2my8rqc&v=3TeXcOYK2N0