... the first 200 years
Ian Graham
www.iangraham.org
(hi)story
technology
evolution
innovation
25 December, 1763
b. Claude Chappe
14 July, 1789
2 March, 1791
"si vous réussissez,
vous serez bientôt
couverts de gloire"
560
stations
4,800
km
~3 bits/sec (26 words/min) 1400 km/h
~1840
telegraph
semaphore
control codes
1837
1 January 1845
...he is in the garb of a
kwaker with a brown
coat on which
reaches....
Culture
coded messages -AB BFT CK IF CHN ATE
social networking
technology subculture
Monopoly (Western Union)
The “1891” World Network
…and circa 1914
“Mr Watson, come
here: I want to see you”
“What use,” he asked pleasantly, “could
this company make of an electrical toy?”
President Orton, of Western Union,
refusing a $100,000 plea to purchase the Bell
telephone company assets.
Explosive Growth
3,500,000
Subscribers
3,000,000
2,500,000
2,000,000
1,500,000
1,000,000
500,000
0
1870
1880
1890
Year
1900
1910