Abstract
As a transmitter for reliable long distance communications, the spark gap was a technology dead end, although no one would realize it for at least another decade. Sure, Marconi had founded a successful company using spark and was competing with the transatlantic cable for communications between London and New York. De Forest himself had success with his similar spark wireless system and had gained and lost several companies because of it. But de Forest was restless. He is tired of the spark message business, and by 1906 he is turning his attention to a wireless replacement for the wired telephone. Reginald Fessenden and other inventors also wanted primacy in this invention, but it was only de Forest who saw both a wireless telephone for two way voice messages and a way to send music into the home. Radio and Broadcasting would grow out of it. Before that could be fully realized, he would have to invent something totally different from the spark gap and its less sophisticated detectors. What de Forest will invent will make the radio and the talkies possible.
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Notes
- 1.
FOR, Lee de Forest in Father of Radio on his invention.
- 2.
Gerald F. Tyne, Saga of the Vacuum Tube, Sams, 1977, p31–32.
- 3.
Ibid., p32.
- 4.
Nikola Tesla’s signature invention, three-phase AC, is more efficient than DC for the distribution of electricity to homes and businesses. Electric lights operate directly from it. Direct current is used to power most electronic devices, so such devices either have rectifiers or operate on batteries which are DC.
- 5.
J. Ambrose Fleming, U. S. patent 803,684, from Google Patents.
- 6.
See Bart Lee in AWA review, various, G.F. Tyne, Aitken and others for details on the relationship between Edison and Fleming, later Marconi and Fleming.
- 7.
Notes from de Forest, early patent specification for a flame detector, Perham de Forest papers.
- 8.
Gerald F. Tyne, Saga of the Vacuum Tube, Sams, 1977, p55.
- 9.
Lee de Forest U. S. patent 836,070, from the Perham de Forest papers.
- 10.
Letter from de Forest to patent lawyer Woodworth, December 10th, 1906, de Forest papers “scrapbook” in Seaver Center Collection of Western History, Natural History Museum of Los Angeles County. To be abbreviated “Seaver Center.”
- 11.
Ibid.
- 12.
FOR p213.
- 13.
Gerald F. Tyne, Saga of the Vacuum Tube, Sams, 1977, p61.
- 14.
Lee de Forest U. S. patent 841,387, from the Perham de Forest papers.
- 15.
Scientist Dr. John Staples and science historian Bart Lee contributed to the author’s understanding of the arcane terminology of the vacuum tube.
- 16.
Gerald F. Tyne, Saga of the Vacuum Tube, Sams, p61.
- 17.
Lee de Forest U. S. patent 879,532, Space Telegraphy, filed January 29th, 1907, from the Perham de Forest papers.
- 18.
Hijiya, p72.
- 19.
Tom Lewis, “Empire of the Air,” Edward Burlingame Books, NY, 1991, p55.
- 20.
Reginald Fessenden, “Wireless Telephony,” a paper presented to the twenty-fifth annual convention of the American Institute of Electric Engineers, Atlantic City NJ, June 29, 1908, p15. This is a reprint from Lindsay Publications.
- 21.
Susan Douglas, Inventing American Broadcasting, Johns Hopkins University Press, Baltimore, 1987, p171–172.
- 22.
Ibid., p172.
- 23.
See Gordon Greb, “The Golden Anniversary of Broadcasting,” Journal of Broadcasting, Broadcast Education Association, 1959; Joseph Baudino and John Kittross, “Broadcasting’s Oldest Stations: An Examination of Four Claimants,” Journal of Broadcasting, Broadcast Education Association, Vol 21:1, Winter 1977.
- 24.
Clark Radiana Collection, his papers, Smithsonian, obtained in earlier author research there for the book, Mike Adams and Gordon Greb, Charles Herrold, Inventor of Radio Broadcasting, 2003, McFarland, NC.
- 25.
Ibid.
- 26.
Also see the author’s previous work based on Clark Papers research: Michael Adams, “The Race for Radiotelephone,” AWA Journal, Vol 15, 1996.
- 27.
Author research at Clark Papers in 2001, R. A. Fessenden, letter to S.M. Kintner, January 29th, 1932, Clark Radiana collection, Smithsonian.
- 28.
James O’Neil in Radio World, 2006; Christopher Sterling and Donna Halper, “Fessenden’s Christmas Eve Broadcast: Reconsidering an Historic Event, AWA Review,” vol. 19, August 2006.
- 29.
Christopher Sterling and Donna Halper, “Fessenden’s Christmas Eve Broadcast: Reconsidering an Historic Event, AWA Review,” vol. 19, August 2006.
- 30.
Ibid.
- 31.
John Belrose, “Fessenden’s 1906 Christmas Eve Broadcast, It does not matter what three U.S. radio historians have said, there is no controversy the broadcast was made.” January 2007.
- 32.
There was a point-counterpoint on Fessenden and the Christmas Eve broadcast of 1906 which began in Radio World and the AWA Review in 1906, and then answered by the primary Fessenden researcher-biographer in 1907.
- 33.
Reginald Fessenden, “Wireless Telephony,” a paper presented to the twenty-fifth annual convention of the American Institute of Electric Engineers, Atlantic City NJ, June 29th, 1908, p21. This is a reprint from Lindsay Publications.
- 34.
Gordon Greb and Mike Adams, Charles Herrold, Inventor of Radio Broadcasting, 2003, McFarland, NC.
- 35.
See the author’s book, author’s Website, http://www.charlesherrold.org.
- 36.
The collection by Professor Gordon Greb of open-reel audio recordings of interviews he made in the 1950s of former Herrold students are housed in the Columbia University Oral History Library.
- 37.
From the Electro-Importing catalogue of wireless parts, January 1910, Herrold papers, History San Jose.
- 38.
San Jose Mercury Herald, July 22nd, 1912.
- 39.
San Jose Mercury Herald, July 8th, 1912.
- 40.
San Jose Mercury Herald, July 22nd, 1912.
- 41.
The author found this collection of press clippings about early radiotelephone in the Clark Radiana collection “A New 100 Watt Wireless Telephone,” Electrical Experimenter, July 1915; “Aids Wireless Telephony,” Detroit Free Press, June 29th, 1913; “Conversations and Music by Wireless,” Illustrated World, December 1915; “Eagle Men use Wireless Phone,” Brooklyn Eagle, June 19th, 1913; “Famous-Barr Installs Wireless Phone Music,” St Louis Post-Dispatch, October 26th, 1913; “Fined for Testing New Wireless Phone,” New York Evening Sun, October 23rd, 1913; “Fined for Wireless,” New York Journal, October 24th, 1913; “Human Voice Heard 700 Miles by Wireless Phone,” Savannah News, May 1913; “May Talk Soon from Europe to America,” New York World, November 17th, 1912; “Perfects Wireless Telephone System,” Brooklyn Standard-Union, October 17th, 1912;“Receives Wireless Telephone Messages with the Aid of Auto,” Los Angeles Examiner, September 29th, 1912; “San Jose Inventor Claims Perfect Conversation with Santa Barbara,” San Jose Mercury Herald, February 1913; “To Extend Wireless Phone,” New York Times, March 6th, 1913; “Trinity Men’s Club Hears About Wireless,” San Jose Daily Mercury, January 16th, 1913; “Two-Way Wireless Phone Between Rome and Paris,” New York Times, March 6th, 1913; “University of California Doing Good Radio Work,” Electrical Experimenter, April 1914; “Wireless Telephony is Near at Hand,” Little Rock Gazette, November 2nd, 1913; “Wireless Talk Across The Atlantic,” Boston Transcript, November 22nd, 1913; “Wireless Telephones,” Omaha Herald, October 10th, 1913; “Wireless Telephone,” Macon (GA) Times, October 30th, 1913; “Wonders of The Wireless Phone,” Savannah News, January 10th, 1914.
- 42.
See the author’s previous work: Michael Adams, “The Race for Radiotelephone,” AWA Journal, Vol 15, 1996.
- 43.
Susan Douglas, Inventing American Broadcasting, Johns Hopkins University Press, Baltimore, 1987, p214.
- 44.
Other inventors who used the Poulsen arc may have been infringing on his patent, but by the time it mattered, the vacuum tube had replaced the arc for voice communication and the arc was relegated solely to high power trans-continental code transmission. The infringement was never tested. The American rights to the Poulsen arc were purchased by Cyril Elwell of Federal Telegraph, who would become a future friend and employer and later an employee of de Forest.
- 45.
Western Electrician, November 7th, 1902, from the Perham de Forest papers, History San Jose.
- 46.
Ibid.
- 47.
A de Forest news interview with New York World, April 7th, 1907.
- 48.
From a speech by de Forest, date unknown, probably written in the early 1920s, from the Perham de Forest papers, History San Jose.
- 49.
Archer, Gleason L. History of Radio to 1926, New York: American Historical Society, Inc., 1938, p112.
- 50.
Philadelphia Pan American, June 22nd, 1922, from the Seaver Collection of de Forest materials, 1919–1925, Los Angeles County Natural History Museum.
- 51.
US Navy World Cruise, 1907–1908, told to George Clark by Com. HJ Meneratti, June 1938, in the AWA Bruce Kelly Files, Antique Wireless Association Archives, NY. The AWA or Antiques Wireless Association is the major international collection of early wireless and pre-broadcasting technology.
- 52.
Ibid.
- 53.
Ibid.
- 54.
Ibid.
- 55.
Ibid.
- 56.
Ibid.
- 57.
Ibid.
- 58.
De Forest in his diary in FOR p225–6.
- 59.
Talking Machine World quoted in FOR p229.
- 60.
Philadelphia Pan American, June 22nd, 1922.
- 61.
Ibid.
- 62.
New York Herald, July 10th, 1908.
- 63.
New York Journal, February 20th, 1909.
- 64.
Jersey City Journal, February 20th, 1909, from the Perham de Forest papers.
- 65.
FOR p 257–8.
- 66.
“To Hear Opera by Wireless” New York Times January 9th, 1910.
- 67.
New York World, January 9th, 1910.
- 68.
Ibid.
- 69.
John Belrose, “Fessenden’s 1906 Christmas Eve Broadcast, It does not matter what three U.S. radio historians have said, there is no controversy the broadcast was made.” January 2007.
- 70.
De Forest stories, writings, and diary entries that repeated this theme in its various iterations, Perham de Forest papers.
- 71.
FOR p254.
- 72.
New Haven Union, March 22nd, 1906.
- 73.
A hand written letter to Mignon, June 1906, Perham de Forest papers.
- 74.
Ibid.
- 75.
Ibid.
- 76.
Ibid.
- 77.
Ibid.
- 78.
Ibid.
- 79.
Ibid.
- 80.
Ibid.
- 81.
Ibid.
- 82.
Ibid.
- 83.
Ibid.
- 84.
Ibid.
- 85.
FOR, in his autobiography de Forest seems to give a fair assessment of his marriage to Nora. In his biography Hijiya gets deeper into the family of Nora and his book contains some new photographs from his research connection to the family.
- 86.
A news story scrap, 1907, no month or publication, Perham de Forest papers.
- 87.
New York Times February 26th, 1909.
- 88.
Ibid.
- 89.
New York Times October 19th, 1911.
- 90.
Ibid.
- 91.
Ibid.
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Adams, M. (2012). The Meaning of the Audion. In: Lee de Forest. Springer, New York, NY. https://doi.org/10.1007/978-1-4614-0418-7_3
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