Television: An international history of the formative years

by R.W. Burns

Overview

From the first notions of 'seeing by electricity' in 1878, through the period of the first demonstration of rudimentary television in 1926 and up to 1940, when war brought the advance of the technology to a temporary halt, the development of television gathered about it a tremendous history. Following the discovery of the photo-conductive effect, numerous schemes for television were suggested but it was in the wake of Baird's early demonstrations that real industrial interest developed and the pace of progress increased. Much research and development work was undertaken in the UK, the US, Germany and France. By 1936 television technology had advanced to the point where high definition broadcasting was realistic.

This meticulous and deeply researched book presents a balanced and thorough international history of television from 1878 to 1940, considering the factors - technical, commercial and social - that influenced and led to the establishment of public services in many countries. Highly illustrated throughout, this is a major book in the study of history of science, technology and media.

Product Details

ISBN-13:	9780852969144
Publisher:	The Institution of Engineering and Technology
Publication date:	06/30/1998
Series:	History and Management of Technology
Pages:	676
Product dimensions:	6.14(w) x 9.21(h) x (d)

About the Author

Russell Burns graduated in 1948 with a first class honours degree in Physics. Following postgraduate research he joined the Royal Naval Scientific Service, subsequently going on to hold various appointments in higher education before retiring in 1986. Professor Burns has been researching and writing on the history of electrical engineering for more than 25 years. His publications include the definitive account of British television, the formative years (1986), Radar development to 1945 (1988), and more than 50 papers. The IEE's SET Divisional Board Premium was awarded to him in 1993, and he shared the Maxwell Premium in 1994. Professor Burns is a past chairman of the IEE's Archives Committee, and the IEE's Science Education and Technology Divisional Board. Professor Burns is a Fellow of the Institution of Electrical Engineers.

Table of Contents

• Part I: The era of speculation, 1877 to c. 1922
• Chapter 1: Images and society (c. 16th Century to c. mid-19th Century)
• Chapter 2: Images by wire, picture telegraphy (1843-c. 1900)
• Chapter 3: Seeing by electricity, the earliest notions (1878-1880)
• Chapter 4: Persistence of vision and moving images (1825-c. 1900)
• Chapter 5: Distant vision (1880-1920)
• Chapter 6: A possible way forward (1900-1920)
• Chapter 7: Developments of importance to television
• Part II: The era of low-definition television, 1926 to 1934
• Chapter 8: The breakthrough, J.L. Baird and television (the 1920s)
• Chapter 9: The approaches of a lone inventor and a chief engineer (the 1920s)
• Chapter 10: Excellence in low-definition television (1925-1930)
• Chapter 11: German and French developments (the 1920s and early 1930s)
• Chapter 12: Some low-definition television broadcasting services, c. 1930
• Part III: The era of pre-war and high-definition television, 1934 to 1939
• Chapter 13: Large-screen television (1930-1935)
• Chapter 14: Between low and high-definition television (1930-1931)
• Chapter 15: Early electronic camera tubes, and the work of Farnsworth (c. 1920-1935)
• Chapter 16: Zworykin and the kinescope (1923-1930)
• Chapter 17: RCA, Sarnoff and television (1919-1932)
• Chapter 18: RCA and all-electronic television (1933-1935)
• Chapter 19: EMI, Shoenberg and television (1931-1934)
• Chapter 20: Progress in the UK and abroad (1934-1935)
• Chapter 21: The London station and foreign developments (1935-1938)
• Chapter 22: Television in the US (1935-1941)
• Chapter 23: The world's first, regular, public, high-definition service (1936-1939)
• Appendices

Editorial Reviews

'Definitive is not a word to be used lightly, but this magisterial study of television's development up to 1940 richly deserves the term'

Technology & Culture

'the story of television is not that of a single inventor, it is a star studded epic. Burns guides us through this epic in a book of similar proportions. An excellent book'

British Vintage Wireless Society

Presents a thorough international history of television from 1878 to 1940, considering commercial, social, and especially technical factors which influenced the establishment of public broadcasting services in many countries. Traces developments in the US, the UK, Germany, and France, offering technical and social history as seen by scientists, engineers, journalists, and cartoonists of the time, and discusses industry conflicts and the evolution of various broadcasting companies. Includes b&w photos and illustrations. Annotation c. by Book News, Inc., Portland, Or.

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