{"id":823,"date":"2010-08-16T10:12:41","date_gmt":"2010-08-16T10:12:41","guid":{"rendered":"http:\/\/swling.com\/blog\/?p=823"},"modified":"2013-11-08T10:08:06","modified_gmt":"2013-11-08T14:08:06","slug":"victorian-era-radio","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/swling.com\/blog\/2010\/08\/victorian-era-radio\/","title":{"rendered":"Victorian era “radio”"},"content":{"rendered":"
\"A<\/a>

A stentor reading the day’s news to 6200 subscribers – An image depicting the stentor of Telefon Hirmond\u00f3. Source: Wikimedia Commons<\/p><\/div>\n

This post is off topic from my typical posts about wireless technology. Nonetheless, I’m a sucker for documentaries regarding the history of technology.<\/p>\n

BBC Radio 3<\/a> recently had a Sunday documentary about the “Pleasure Telephone”–a Victorian era technology that used telephone almost like we use radio today. As someone interested in broadcasting and technology, I found the story fascinating.<\/p>\n

BBC no longer has the documentary available to stream from their site.<\/p>\n

However, Clark Boyd, of PRI’s The World Technology Podcast, picked up the story and published the bulk of it at the end of his July 14th show. You can find it here<\/a>.<\/p>\n

It’s worth a listen–in fact, the PRI World Technology Podcast series in general is worth a subscription. I never miss an episode.<\/p>\n

For more information on the pleasure telephone, check out this article in Early Radio History<\/a>, or its Wikipedia entry<\/a>.<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"

This post is off topic from my typical posts about wireless technology. Nonetheless, I’m a sucker for documentaries regarding the history of technology. BBC Radio 3 recently had a Sunday documentary about the “Pleasure Telephone”–a Victorian era technology that used telephone almost like we use radio today. As someone interested in broadcasting and technology, I […]<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":15,"featured_media":0,"comment_status":"open","ping_status":"open","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"jetpack_post_was_ever_published":false,"_jetpack_newsletter_access":"","_jetpack_dont_email_post_to_subs":false,"_jetpack_newsletter_tier_id":0,"_jetpack_memberships_contains_paywalled_content":false,"_jetpack_memberships_contains_paid_content":false,"footnotes":"","jetpack_publicize_message":"","jetpack_publicize_feature_enabled":true,"jetpack_social_post_already_shared":false,"jetpack_social_options":{"image_generator_settings":{"template":"highway","default_image_id":0,"font":"","enabled":false},"version":2}},"categories":[8,288],"tags":[289,291,290],"class_list":["post-823","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","hentry","category-articles","category-radio-history","tag-pleasure-telephone","tag-pri-world-technology-podcast","tag-telephone-newspaper"],"jetpack_publicize_connections":[],"jetpack_featured_media_url":"","jetpack_shortlink":"https:\/\/wp.me\/pn3uc-dh","jetpack-related-posts":[{"id":7856,"url":"https:\/\/swling.com\/blog\/2013\/11\/bbc-radio-4-documentary-the-worlds-first-radio-station\/","url_meta":{"origin":823,"position":0},"title":"BBC Radio 4 Documentary: The World’s First Radio Station","author":"Thomas","date":"November 8, 2013","format":false,"excerpt":"We've mentioned this 19th century broadcasting technology before; the \"telephone newspaper.\" If, like me, you found the technology fascinating, you'll certainly love this BBC Radio 4 documentary The World's First Radio Station. Here is the description from BBC Radio 4: We often think of the scheduled broadcasting of news, information\u2026","rel":"","context":"In "AM"","block_context":{"text":"AM","link":"https:\/\/swling.com\/blog\/category\/am\/"},"img":{"alt_text":"The concert room of Telefon H\u00edrmond\u00f3 (1901) Source: Wikimedia Commons","src":"https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/swling.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2013\/11\/800px-Telefon_Hirmondo_-_Concert_room-300x204.jpg?resize=350%2C200","width":350,"height":200},"classes":[]},{"id":51467,"url":"https:\/\/swling.com\/blog\/2022\/01\/radio-waves-the-barbed-wire-comms-line-fcc-denies-am-appeal-raspberry-pi-radio-astronomy-and-interview-with-dick-smith\/","url_meta":{"origin":823,"position":1},"title":"Radio Waves: The Barbed Wire Comms Line, FCC Denies AM Appeal, Raspberry Pi Radio Astronomy, and Interview with Dick Smith","author":"Thomas","date":"January 10, 2022","format":false,"excerpt":"Radio Waves:\u00a0 Stories Making Waves in the World of Radio Because I keep my ear to the waves, as well as receive many tips from others who do the same, I find myself privy to radio-related stories that might interest\u00a0SWLing Post\u00a0readers.\u00a0 To that end:\u00a0Welcome to the\u00a0SWLing Post\u2019s Radio Waves, a\u2026","rel":"","context":"In "Books"","block_context":{"text":"Books","link":"https:\/\/swling.com\/blog\/category\/books\/"},"img":{"alt_text":"","src":"https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/swling.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2021\/08\/Mount-Pisgah-Tower-1.jpeg?resize=350%2C200&ssl=1","width":350,"height":200,"srcset":"https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/swling.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2021\/08\/Mount-Pisgah-Tower-1.jpeg?resize=350%2C200&ssl=1 1x, https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/swling.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2021\/08\/Mount-Pisgah-Tower-1.jpeg?resize=525%2C300&ssl=1 1.5x, https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/swling.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2021\/08\/Mount-Pisgah-Tower-1.jpeg?resize=700%2C400&ssl=1 2x"},"classes":[]},{"id":42075,"url":"https:\/\/swling.com\/blog\/2020\/02\/video-the-bell-telephone-1940s-era-mobile-network\/","url_meta":{"origin":823,"position":2},"title":"Video: The Bell Telephone 1940s era mobile network","author":"Thomas","date":"February 21, 2020","format":false,"excerpt":"Earlier this week, I stumbled upon this Bell Telephone short film about the beginnings of the mobile phone network: https:\/\/youtu.be\/xDy2tHCPdk8 I don't know about you, but I love the view inside the trunk of the car! I bet that tube receiver and transmitter both weighed over 100 pounds. Although the\u2026","rel":"","context":"In "News"","block_context":{"text":"News","link":"https:\/\/swling.com\/blog\/category\/news\/"},"img":{"alt_text":"","src":"https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/swling.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2020\/02\/Mobile-Telephones.jpeg?resize=350%2C200&ssl=1","width":350,"height":200,"srcset":"https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/swling.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2020\/02\/Mobile-Telephones.jpeg?resize=350%2C200&ssl=1 1x, https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/swling.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2020\/02\/Mobile-Telephones.jpeg?resize=525%2C300&ssl=1 1.5x"},"classes":[]},{"id":59056,"url":"https:\/\/swling.com\/blog\/2024\/02\/vis-the-end-of-an-era\/","url_meta":{"origin":823,"position":3},"title":"VIS: The End of an Era","author":"Thomas","date":"February 20, 2024","format":false,"excerpt":"Many thanks to SWLing Post and SRAA contributor, Dan Greenall, who shares the following guest post: The End of an Era by Dan Greenall Many of us can remember the many radio telephone stations that could be found outside the regular SWBC bands during the 1970\u2019s and 80\u2019s and even\u2026","rel":"","context":"In "News"","block_context":{"text":"News","link":"https:\/\/swling.com\/blog\/category\/news\/"},"img":{"alt_text":"","src":"https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/swling.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2024\/02\/OTC-Sydney-Australia-reverse-side.jpeg?resize=350%2C200&ssl=1","width":350,"height":200,"srcset":"https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/swling.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2024\/02\/OTC-Sydney-Australia-reverse-side.jpeg?resize=350%2C200&ssl=1 1x, https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/swling.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2024\/02\/OTC-Sydney-Australia-reverse-side.jpeg?resize=525%2C300&ssl=1 1.5x, https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/swling.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2024\/02\/OTC-Sydney-Australia-reverse-side.jpeg?resize=700%2C400&ssl=1 2x, https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/swling.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2024\/02\/OTC-Sydney-Australia-reverse-side.jpeg?resize=1050%2C600&ssl=1 3x, https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/swling.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2024\/02\/OTC-Sydney-Australia-reverse-side.jpeg?resize=1400%2C800&ssl=1 4x"},"classes":[]},{"id":769,"url":"https:\/\/swling.com\/blog\/2010\/07\/slate-magazine-explores-how-russian-spies-used-shortwave-radio\/","url_meta":{"origin":823,"position":4},"title":"Slate Magazine explores how Russian spies used shortwave radio","author":"Thomas","date":"July 11, 2010","format":false,"excerpt":"Slate: It may seem like the digital era of spy technology has passed the Russians by. In the Washington Post, columnist Jeff Stein tittered that \"the FBI must have been clapping its collective hands when it discovered the primitive radio techniques the Russians were using.\" But they aren't the only\u2026","rel":"","context":"In "News"","block_context":{"text":"News","link":"https:\/\/swling.com\/blog\/category\/news\/"},"img":{"alt_text":"","src":"https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/swling.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2009\/11\/grimetonbandw.jpg?resize=350%2C200","width":350,"height":200},"classes":[]},{"id":64360,"url":"https:\/\/swling.com\/blog\/2025\/10\/we-love-you-telephone-thing-listening-in\/","url_meta":{"origin":823,"position":5},"title":"We love you telephone thing, listening in…","author":"Fastradioburst23","date":"October 29, 2025","format":false,"excerpt":"Greetings all SWLing Post community, here's what Imaginary Stations crew will sending up into the atmosphere next week. There'll be another telephone tribute via shortwaveradio.de called Skybird Telegraph & Telephone Co. 2 on Saturday 1st November 2025 at 1200 hrs UTC\u00a0and then again on Sunday 2nd November 2025 at 1000\/1400\/2200\u2026","rel":"","context":"In "Guest Posts"","block_context":{"text":"Guest Posts","link":"https:\/\/swling.com\/blog\/category\/guest-posts\/"},"img":{"alt_text":"","src":"https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/swling.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/10\/KBIN-November-25.jpg?resize=350%2C200&ssl=1","width":350,"height":200,"srcset":"https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/swling.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/10\/KBIN-November-25.jpg?resize=350%2C200&ssl=1 1x, https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/swling.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/10\/KBIN-November-25.jpg?resize=525%2C300&ssl=1 1.5x, https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/swling.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/10\/KBIN-November-25.jpg?resize=700%2C400&ssl=1 2x, https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/swling.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/10\/KBIN-November-25.jpg?resize=1050%2C600&ssl=1 3x, https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/swling.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/10\/KBIN-November-25.jpg?resize=1400%2C800&ssl=1 4x"},"classes":[]}],"jetpack_sharing_enabled":true,"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/swling.com\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/823","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/swling.com\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/swling.com\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/swling.com\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/15"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/swling.com\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=823"}],"version-history":[{"count":0,"href":"https:\/\/swling.com\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/823\/revisions"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/swling.com\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=823"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/swling.com\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=823"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/swling.com\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=823"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}