In the modern world, we have come to expect easy and instant communication. We rely on it for almost everything, from staying connected with friends and family to conducting business. However, it’s important to remember that this convenience is a relatively recent development. Just a few decades ago, communication was a much more complex process.
Imagine parking your car on a London street in the 1930s and returning to find it missing. To report the theft, you would have to locate a Post Office phone box or police box and make a call for help. At Scotland Yard’s headquarters, a call handler would answer your call immediately and jot down the details of the crime in a shorthand code. They would then go to a map table in the information room, where counters representing patrol cars were placed. They would place a red hoop over one of the counters to assign it to the job. The message would then be relayed to patrol cars using Morse code, with bleeps broadcasted from a station in West Wickham, Kent. The officer in the passenger seat would decode the bleeps and relay the information to the driver.
It’s fascinating to think about how these steps were necessary to ensure effective crime fighting at the time. Despite the seemingly elaborate process, some stolen cars were recovered within 20 minutes of being reported, showcasing the efficiency of the system.
In addition to communication, recording audio and video was also a much more complicated task in the 1930s. Nowadays, we take for granted the ability to capture high-quality photos and videos on our smartphones. However, back then, it required heavy camera and audio equipment. We learned about a truck built for the record label His Master’s Voice, which was used for non-live broadcasting and record pressing. The truck was built on a 30hp Lancia chassis and had a length of 7m and weight of 7.6 tonnes. Inside, it housed a self-contained recording unit with duplicate amplifiers, recording machines, and microphones. The required electricity came from a special 456V battery set charged by an onboard 1.5hp generator. The recording machine used a gravity motor to ensure the turntable spun at exactly 78rpm while a sapphire-tipped stylus engraved the inch-thick wax disc in response to currents from the microphones. The carved-out strips of wax were sucked away by a vacuum tube. The recorded disc had to go through various processes to be converted into a commercial disc.
These historical examples highlight the significant advancements in communication and recording technology that we often take for granted today. They serve as a reminder of how far we have come in terms of convenience and efficiency. From reporting a stolen car in minutes to capturing high-quality audio and video on our smartphones, these developments have transformed our daily lives.
