Some history of telegraphy

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ChrisGreaves
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Some history of telegraphy

Post by ChrisGreaves »

Paris_HPIM8821.JPG
A bit more debris from my trip. I was walking up Rue de Belleville and came across this plaque.

Claude Chappe

Semaphore Telegraph
(I love the line " ...in an attempt to mitigate the effects of the wind ..." and can feel a short story creeping up on me ...)

The plaque is at (roughly) 44 Rue de Telegraphe, not quite the highest point, but close enough.
The building looks like a public parks toilet in Toronto, circa 1960s.
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BobH
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Re: Some history of telegraphy

Post by BobH »

Rather an inauspicious location. I like the association with the French Revolution, however.

It reminds me of an event reported to have happened during the Spanish Civil War - an enormous tragedy in my opinion. I listened to what I think was a reproduction of the phone call reported below in the Alcázar in Toledo about 25 years ago. It sent chills up my spine and gave me a better understanding of the effects of the Civil War on the peoples of Spain
From a Wikipedia article

The Siege of the Alcázar commenced and Moscardó held out for General Francisco Franco's Nationalist forces for 70 days from 22 July to 27 September 1936. Day after day, the Colonel sent out his daily radio report: Sin novedad en el Alcázar ("Nothing new at the Alcázar," or "All quiet at the Alcázar", an ironic understatement). His defiance heartened Franco's supporters everywhere and maddened the Republicans, who committed vast forces in vain assaults on the Alcázar.

On 23 July, Republican forces captured Moscardó's 16-year-old son, Luis. They called the Alcazar on the telephone and Moscardó himself picked up the receiver. The political officer of the Republican force informed him that unless he surrendered the Alcazar, Luis would be shot. Moscardó asked to speak to his son. He then told Luis, "Commend your soul to God and die like a patriot, shouting 'Long live Christ the King' and 'Long live Spain.'" "That," answered his son, "I can do." Although a legend has grown up that Luis was immediately shot, he was not in fact shot until a month later "in reprisal for an air raid".
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GeoffW
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Re: Some history of telegraphy

Post by GeoffW »

Our Claude is a nice chap as well.

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John Gray
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Re: Some history of telegraphy

Post by John Gray »

Chris: there is an interesting book on The Victorian Internet, which attempted to draw an analogy between the new-fangled internet and the Electric Telegraph of the Victorian era. You might enjoy it?
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ChrisGreaves
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Re: Some history of telegraphy

Post by ChrisGreaves »

John Gray wrote:Chris: there is an interesting book on The Victorian Internet, ...
Thanks John. :cheers: :chocciebar: :clapping: :fanfare:
I now have it on hold from the TPL.
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hlewton
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Re: Some history of telegraphy

Post by hlewton »

:thankyou:
Regards,
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ChrisGreaves
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Re: Some history of telegraphy

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John Gray wrote:Chris: there is an interesting book on The Victorian Internet,...
Now safely back in the library. Thanks again, John.

I loved it from the shocking point where the 200 monks were wired up in a line. After that it just got better! :evilgrin:
Belleville got its mention on page 9.
Separate dining-rooms for males and females was a little sad, but those were the Good Old days, eh?
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