A Brief History of the Fax Machine
Summary
TLDRThe fax machine's history dates back to 1843 with Alexander Bain's invention. It evolved through key innovations like the scanning photo Telegraph in 1880 and the TEL autograph in 1888. AT&T and RCA advanced it in the 20th century, with wireless and caller faxes. By 1960, the US Army sent the first satellite fax. Xerox introduced the first commercial fax machine in 1964. Prices dropped, and by 1982, the first computer-based fax was introduced. The internet fax service emerged in 1996, leading to modern smartphone fax capabilities.
Takeaways
- 📜 The first faxing device was invented by Alexander Bain in 1843, named the electric printing Telegraph.
- 🔍 In 1880, Shelford Bidwell invented the scanning photo Telegraph machine, capable of scanning and sending 2D images.
- 🖋️ Elisha Gray invented the Telautograph in 1888, enabling the transmission of signature images.
- 📞 AT&T advanced fax technology in 1924 by implementing wire transmission, and later, the Radio Corporation of America transmitted a wireless fax.
- 📺 Herbert E. Ives transmitted the world's first caller fax, which contributed to early television broadcasts.
- ⏱️ Over time, fax transmission time was significantly reduced from an average of six minutes to one minute.
- 🚀 In 1960, the US Army sent the world's first photograph via satellite facsimile from America to Puerto Rico.
- 🖨️ Xerox Corporation introduced the first commercialized version of the modern-day fax machine in 1964, using telephone lines.
- 💸 The cost of a fax machine was quite high in 1982, priced at $20,000.
- 💻 In 1982, the first computer-based fax, the Gamma Fax, was introduced by Gamal, Inc.
- 🌐 1996 marked the availability of the first internet fax service, allowing users to send and receive faxes via computer.
- 📱 By 2010, the classic fax machine became obsolete, with faxes being sent from smartphones.
Q & A
Who invented the world's first faxing device?
-Alexander Bain invented the world's first faxing device, the electric printing Telegraph, in 1843.
What was the first machine capable of scanning and sending a 2-dimensional image?
-The scanning photo Telegraph machine, invented by English inventors Shelford Bidwell in 1880, was the first machine capable of scanning and sending a 2-dimensional image.
What did Elisha Gray's TEL autograph invention allow users to do?
-Elisha Gray's TEL autograph invention in 1888 allowed users to send images of their signature over long distances.
How did AT&T corporation advance fax technology in the early 20th century?
-AT&T corporation advanced fax technology by faxing via wire transmission at the beginning of the 20th century.
Who transmitted the world's first wireless fax across the Atlantic Ocean?
-The Radio Corporation of America successfully transmitted the world's first wireless fax across the Atlantic Ocean.
What was the significance of Herbert E. Ives' caller fax transmission?
-Herbert E. Ives transmitted the world's first caller fax at the AT&T corporation, which would eventually play a key role in early television broadcasts.
How long did it take to transmit a fax on average in the past?
-In the past, fax transmission time was reduced from an average of six minutes to an average of one minute.
Which organization sent the world's first photograph via satellite facsimile?
-The US Army sent the world's first photograph via satellite facsimile from America to Puerto Rico in 1960.
Which company introduced the first commercialized version of the modern-day fax machine?
-The Xerox Corporation introduced the first commercialized version of the modern-day fax machine in 1964, using telephone transmission.
How much did a fax machine cost in 1982?
-In 1982, a fax machine would cost around $20,000.
When was the first internet fax service made available to the general public?
-The first internet fax service was made available to the general public in 1996.
How have fax machines evolved in terms of sending faxes from personal devices?
-The classic fax machine of the 1980s has become obsolete, and faxes are now routinely sent from Android and iOS smartphones.
Outlines
📄 The Evolution of Fax Technology
The fax machine has a rich history dating back to 1843 with the invention of the electric printing telegraph by Alexander Bain, which was the world's first faxing device. It was followed by significant advancements such as Shelford Bidwell's scanning photo telegraph in 1880, which could scan and send 2D images, and Elisha Gray's Telautograph in 1888, enabling the transmission of signatures. The 20th century saw further developments with AT&T's wire transmission fax and the Radio Corporation of America's wireless fax across the Atlantic. Herbert E. Ives transmitted the first caller fax, and the technology was integral to early television broadcasts. The transmission time was reduced significantly, and by 1960, the US Army sent the first photograph via satellite facsimile. The modern fax machine was introduced by Xerox Corporation in 1964, using telephone lines. By 1982, a fax machine was priced at $20,000, and the same year, Galilee Inc. introduced the first computer-based fax. The internet fax service became available in 1996, and by 2010, fax machines had become obsolete, with faxes being sent from smartphones.
Mindmap
Keywords
💡Fax Machine
💡Alexander Bain
💡Scanning Photo Telegraph Machine
💡TEL Autograph
💡Wire Transmission
💡Wireless Fax
💡Caller Fax
💡Transmission Time
💡Satellite Facsimile
💡Xerox Corporation
💡Internet Fax Service
💡Smartphone Faxing
Highlights
In 1843, Alexander Bain invented the world's first faxing device, the electric printing telegraph, predating the telephone.
In 1880, English inventor Shelford Bidwell created the scanning photo telegraph machine, the first capable of scanning and sending 2-dimensional images.
Elisha Gray invented the telautograph in 1888, allowing users to send images of their signatures over long distances.
In 1924, AT&T advanced fax technology by enabling faxing via wire transmission.
The Radio Corporation of America successfully transmitted a wireless fax across the Atlantic Ocean in the early 20th century.
Herbert E. Ives of AT&T transmitted the world's first color fax, contributing to early television broadcasts.
Fax transmission time was reduced from an average of six minutes to one minute over the years.
In 1960, the US Army sent the world's first photograph via satellite facsimile from America to Puerto Rico.
The first commercialized version of the modern-day fax machine was introduced by Xerox Corporation in 1964, using telephone transmission.
In 1982, a fax machine would cost $20,000.
Also in 1982, GammaLink introduced the first computer-based fax port, the GammaFax.
In 1996, the first internet fax service was made available, allowing users to send and receive faxes via computer.
By 2010, traditional fax machines became obsolete as faxes were routinely sent from Android and iOS smartphones.
AT&T and RCA's innovations in fax technology played a key role in the early development of television broadcasts.
The evolution of fax technology from wire transmission to wireless, satellite, and eventually internet-based systems marks significant advancements in communication.
Transcripts
it's time for a brief history of the fax
machine 1843 invented back in 1843 by
Alexander Bain the electric printing
Telegraph was the world's first faxing
device amazingly it predated the
telephone 1880 English inventors
Shelford Bidwell invents the scanning
photo Telegraph machine which is the
first machine capable of scanning and
sending a 2-dimensional image 1888 the
TEL autograph was invented by Elisha
gray which allowed users to send images
of their signature over long distances
1924 at the beginning of the 20th
century the AT&T corporation advanced
fax technology further by faxing via
wire transmission
soon after the Radio Corporation of
America successfully transmitted a
wireless fax across the Atlantic Ocean
while at the AT&T corporation Herbert E
Ives transmitted the world's first
caller fax the technology would
eventually play a key role in early
television broadcasts over the years fax
transmission time has been reduced from
an average of six minutes to an average
of one minute 1960 the US Army sends the
world's first photograph via satellite
facsimile from America to Puerto Rico
1964 the first commercialized version of
the modern-day fax machine is
introducing
by the Xerox Corporation using telephone
transmission 1982 in 1982 a fax machine
would cost you $20,000
ouch and who could forget about our
friends at Galilee also in 1982 Gamal
Inc introduced the first computer based
backs port the gamma fax 1996 finally in
1996 the first internet fax service was
made available to the general public
allowing users to send and receive a fax
via computer 2010 alas the classic fax
machine of the 1980s has become obsolete
and faxes are now routinely sent from
Android and iOS smartphones who knows
what will happen next for this most
beloved technology this has been a brief
history of the fax machine
[Music]
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