Illustrated London News on Broadcasting History
January 23, 2011 at 6:20 pm
filed under photo
I found an old copy of the Illustrated London News on my mother-in-laws bookshelf. More specifically it’s the special edition published to celebrate George V’s Silver Jubilee in 1935.
The 50-or-so-page book is largely a review of the key events and scientific, cultural and technical achievements falling with in the monarchs reign, which, with hindsight, was only to last a further 7 months (he died in early 1936 from assorted smoking related diseases).
The early 1920s saw attempts to popularise radio broadcasting so included in the book are several references to (upper-class) members of society experiencing the medium.
Here’s my favourites…
1913: A family calibrating their various time pieces using the Parisian 11:30pm broadcast.
1923: Several overdressed folk sat on the London to Liverpool Express were entertained by radio broadcasts from London and Birmingham. The caption reads as if the train carriage was a successful proof of concept rather than an everyday occurrence.
1923: It was noted that a live band in one location could simultaneously play at many private parties. This was later to inspire the work of a Mr Peter Tong of Kent.
1933: Broadcasting House is finished and the 10-year old BBC moves in.
1935: The announcement of a ‘London television station’ was illustrated by an early model of a home tv set (aka. the Baird receiver). Note the comically small screen, I think displaying Adrian Chiles’ face, and some kind of mechanical apparatus built in to the armchair that appears to be associated with the function of the gentleman’s telly (possibly the receiver).
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