https://diamondgeezer.blogspot.com/2026/01/tv100.html [jd] jack of diamonds Life viewed from London E3 diamond geezer >> email me Monday, January 26, 2026 >> follow me on twitter >> follow the blog on Television is 100 years old today. Twitter And it was born here, above an >> follow the blog on RSS Italian cafe in Soho. >> my flickr photostream [barital] twenty blogs The man who first demonstrated our bow television was John Logie Baird, a arseblog former engineering apprentice from ian visits Helensburgh. And although there are londonist other places that can plausibly on london claim to be TV's birthplace, blue witch including a terraced street in the great wen Hastings, a hill in north London and london centric Selfridges, most people agree that edith's streets the decisive moment was a spitalfields life demonstration given to journalists fifteensquared in Frith Street on 26th January linkmachinego 1926. round the island wanstead meteo Baird might never have made it to christopher fowler London had he not been a sickly boy. bus and train user When WW1 broke out he wanted to ruth's coastal walk enlist but was refused due to ill the greenwich wire health, so took a job with the Clyde round the rails we go Valley Electrical Power Company london reconnections helping to make munitions instead. In 1923 he moved to the south coast quick reference features for the good of his health because Things to do in Outer it had a warmer climate, renting London rooms at 21 Linton Crescent in Things to do outside London Hastings. Here the first television London's waymarked walks signal transmitting equipment was Inner London toilet map constructed, with component parts 20 years of blog series including a hatbox, tea chest, The DG Tour of Britain darning needles and bicycle light London's most... lenses. The first image to be transmitted was the shadow of a St read the archive Johns Ambulance medal with a Jan26 distinctive spiky outline, an item Dec25 Nov25 Oct25 Sep25 still on display at Hastings Museum. Aug25 Jul25 Jun25 May25 But his tinkering proved dangerous, Apr25 Mar25 Feb25 Jan25 and although a 1000-volt electric Dec24 Nov24 Oct24 Sep24 shock thankfully resulted in nothing Aug24 Jul24 Jun24 May24 worse than a burnt hand, his Apr24 Mar24 Feb24 Jan24 landlord duly asked him to vacate Dec23 Nov23 Oct23 Sep23 the premises. Aug23 Jul23 Jun23 May23 Apr23 Mar23 Feb23 Jan23 [hastins] Dec22 Nov22 Oct22 Sep22 Aug22 Jul22 Jun22 May22 Baird moved to London in November Apr22 Mar22 Feb22 Jan22 1924 in the hope of showing off his Dec21 Nov21 Oct21 Sep21 burgeoning invention, setting up a Aug21 Jul21 Jun21 May21 workshop in the attic at 22 Frith Apr21 Mar21 Feb21 Jan21 Street. Amongst those who dropped by Dec20 Nov20 Oct20 Sep20 was Gordon Selfridge who invited Aug20 Jul20 Jun20 May20 Baird to give demonstrations of his Apr20 Mar20 Feb20 Jan20 device in the Palm Court during his Dec19 Nov19 Oct19 Sep19 store's upcoming Birthday Week Aug19 Jul19 Jun19 May19 celebrations. He gave three shows a Apr19 Mar19 Feb19 Jan19 day to long queues of spectators, Dec18 Nov18 Oct18 Sep18 each invited to peer down a funnel Aug18 Jul18 Jun18 May18 at outlines of shapes transmitted Apr18 Mar18 Feb18 Jan18 from a separate device a few yards Dec17 Nov17 Oct17 Sep17 away, including a paper mask which Aug17 Jul17 Jun17 May17 Baird would make 'wink' by covering Apr17 Mar17 Feb17 Jan17 the eyehole. At this stage Baird's Dec16 Nov16 Oct16 Sep16 'Televisor' was still Aug16 Jul16 Jun16 May16 electro-mechanical, the images Apr16 Mar16 Feb16 Jan16 formed by spinning discs with Dec15 Nov15 Oct15 Sep15 doubled-up lenses and perforated Aug15 Jul15 Jun15 May15 rectangular holes. But spectators Apr15 Mar15 Feb15 Jan15 were impressed, and Baird earned a Dec14 Nov14 Oct14 Sep14 much-needed PS60 to plough back into Aug14 Jul14 Jun14 May14 his enterprise. Apr14 Mar14 Feb14 Jan14 Dec13 Nov13 Oct13 Sep13 By October 1925 Baird had honed his Aug13 Jul13 Jun13 May13 processes sufficiently to be able to Apr13 Mar13 Feb13 Jan13 transmit an image with gradations of Dec12 Nov12 Oct12 Sep12 light and shade. Initially he used a Aug12 Jul12 Jun12 May12 ventriloquist's dummy called Stooky Apr12 Mar12 Feb12 Jan12 Bill, this because it had greater Dec11 Nov11 Oct11 Sep11 contrast than a human face and also Aug11 Jul11 Jun11 May11 because it wouldn't be harmed by Apr11 Mar11 Feb11 Jan11 intense heat or possible exploding Dec10 Nov10 Oct10 Sep10 glass. Later, somewhat Aug10 Jul10 Jun10 May10 over-excitedly, he invited a 20 Apr10 Mar10 Feb10 Jan10 year-old office worker called Dec09 Nov09 Oct09 Sep09 William Taynton to come upstairs and Aug09 Jul09 Jun09 May09 become TV's first human subject. Apr09 Mar09 Feb09 Jan09 William wasn't keen but an Dec08 Nov08 Oct08 Sep08 appearance fee of half a crown Aug08 Jul08 Jun08 May08 persuaded him to pick through a Apr08 Mar08 Feb08 Jan08 jungle of wires, sit in front of Dec07 Nov07 Oct07 Sep07 blazing hot lamps and stick his Aug07 Jul07 Jun07 May07 tongue out, for just long enough Apr07 Mar07 Feb07 Jan07 that Baird exclaimed "I've seen you, Dec06 Nov06 Oct06 Sep06 William, I've seen you. I've got Aug06 Jul06 Jun06 May06 television at last!" When the time Apr06 Mar06 Feb06 Jan06 came for a blue plaque to be Dec05 Nov05 Oct05 Sep05 unveiled outside 22 Frith Street in Aug05 Jul05 Jun05 May05 1951, it was William they invited Apr05 Mar05 Feb05 Jan05 back to do the honours. Dec04 Nov04 Oct04 Sep04 Aug04 Jul04 Jun04 May04 [1926plaq] Apr04 Mar04 Feb04 Jan04 Dec03 Nov03 Oct03 Sep03 Then on 26th January 1926 came the Aug03 Jul03 Jun03 May03 first official demonstration to Apr03 Mar03 Feb03 Jan03 members of the press. Journalists Dec02 Nov02 Oct02 Sep02 and guests from the Royal back to main page Institution were invited into Baird's workshop in small groups and the diamond geezer index first shown the dummy on screen, 2025 2024 2023 2022 then each other's faces transmitted 2021 2020 2019 2018 2017 from a separate room. Only one 2016 2015 2014 2013 2012 visitor got too close to the discs 2011 2010 2009 2008 2007 and ended up with a sliced beard. 2006 2005 2004 2003 2002 Most of those present weren't especially impressed and failed to my special London features realise the significance of what a-z of london museums they'd just seen, but The Times E3 - local history month followed up with a short article two greenwich meridian (N) days later. greenwich meridian (S) the real eastenders Members of the Royal Institution london's lost rivers and other visitors to a olympic park 2007 laboratory in an upper room in great british roads Frith-Street, Soho, on Tuesday oranges & lemons saw a demonstration of apparatus random boroughs invented by Mr. J.L. Baird, who bow road station claims to have solved the high street 2012 problem of television. They were river westbourne shown a transmitting machine, trafalgar square consisting of a large wooden capital numbers revolving disc containing east london line lenses, behind which was a lea valley walk revolving shutter and a light olympics 2005 sensitive cell. It was explained regent's canal that by means of the shutter and square routes lens disc an image of articles silver jubilee or persons standing in front of unlost rivers the machine could be made to cube routes pass over the light sensitive Herbert Dip cell at high speed. The current metro-land in the cell varies in proportion capital ring to the light falling on it, and river fleet this varying current is piccadilly transmitted to a receiver where bakerloo it controls a light behind an optical arrangement similar to ten of my favourite posts that at the sending end. By this the seven ages of blog means a point of light is caused my new Z470xi mobile to traverse a ground glass five equations of blog screen. The light is dim at the the dome of doom shadows and bright at the high chemical attraction lights, and crosses the screen quality & risk so rapidly that the whole image london 2102 appears simultaneously to the single life eye. (The Times, 28th January boredom 1926) april fool [baritali] ten sets of lovely photos my "most interesting" These days 22 Frith Street is home photos to retro cafe Bar Italia. It's been london 2012 olympic zone owned and run by the Polledri family harris and the hebrides since 1949, a coffee-squirting betjeman's metro-land dynasty who also run the Little marking the meridian Italy restaurant nextdoor. The stone tracing the river fleet floor was laid by their uncle london's lost rivers Torino, a terrazzo mosaic inside the gherkin specialist, and the counter was one seven sisters of the first in London to be graced iceland by an original Gaggia machine. Once a magnet for mods on scooters Bar just surfed in? Italia has attracted many famous here's where to find... names over the years, notably Rocky diamond geezers Marciano whose huge poster has pride flash mob #1 #2 #3 #4 of place behind the counter. You ben schott's miscellany could thus celebrate today's london underground centenary with an espresso and a watch with mother slice of pizza in the photo-bedecked cigarette warnings interior, or risk sitting outside digital time delay below the neon sign with a froth and wheelie suitcases cheesecake combo. war of the worlds transit of venus Number 22 also displays a Milestone top of the pops plaque erected by The Institution of old buckenham Electrical Engineers citing "the ladybird books world's first public demonstration acorn antiques of live television". Below is a much digital watches newer plaque citing this as an outer hebrides accredited World Origin Site. I olympics 2012 first saw one of these inside the school dinners Alexander Fleming Laboratory Museum pet shop boys earlier in the month, earned for the west wycombe discovery of penicillin, but whereas bletchley park that was designated WOS 0001 the george orwell invention of television only ranks big breakfast 0037. I believe they're unveiling it clapton pond officially at 2pm this afternoon, san francisco even though it was perfectly visible thunderbirds over the weekend. routemaster children's tv [worldorig] east enders trunk roads Baird was a highly driven inventor amsterdam and entrepreneur and went on to little britain develop prototypes for all sorts of credit cards forward-looking formats. In 1927 he jury service came up with 'Phonovision' (image big brother recordings onto 78 rpm gramophone jubilee line records) and 'Noctovision' number 1s (infra-red TV). In 1928, amazingly, titan arum he demonstrated both colour typewriters television and stereoscopic (3D) doctor who television. His ultimate aim was coronation television broadcasting via the BBC, comments beginning experimental transmissions blue peter of 30-line television in 1930 and matchgirls delivering the first outside hurricanes broadcast (from the Derby) in 1931, buzzwords not that anyone was yet watching. brookside monopoly But in 1932 EMI started to provide peter pan serious competition, developing starbucks their own pioneering electronic feng shui television camera called the Emitron leap year . The government's Television manbags Advisory Committee ultimately bbc three recommended that both Baird's vision on 240-line mechanical system and piccadilly Marconi-EMI's 405-line electronic meridian system be developed as alternatives concorde for the proposed new London wembley television station. And so it was islington that when broadcast TV first ID cards launched at Alexandra Palace on 2nd bedtime November 1936 the two systems freeview alternated one week each... Baird beckton second. blogads eclipses [allipalli] letraset arsenal It rapidly became clear that the sitcoms Marconi system was far superior and gherkin Baird's was dropped after just three calories months. Baird also suffered when his everest studios were burned in the fire that muffins destroyed the Crystal Palace, and sudoku his company went into receivership camilla when all TV broadcasting was london suspended at the start of WW2. He ceefax carried on inventing at home in robbie Sydenham, vastly improving his becks system for colour television, until dome his laboratory was made unusable by BBC2 bomb damage. Alas ill health caught paris up with him and he died after a lotto stroke at the age of 57, just one 118 week after the BBC restarted itv television broadcasts in 1946. You can't see his final home in Bexhill because it was replaced by a block of flats in 2005, but Baird does have an impressive number of plaques across central London and SE26. It's not always easy being first, and after early televisual success John Logie Baird saw his star wane and fade. But it's still him we remember for making possible one of the key transformative inventions of the 20th century, even though barely anyone watched his first efforts. It took ten years to get from Stooky Bill to BBC TV's opening night, then another two decades before the widespread adoption of TV sets in British households and two more until colour television took hold. But 100 years on almost all of us have a TV set at home and effectively another in our pocket, and all because a Scotsman came to London and cleverly spun some discs. posted 01:00 : comments click for Older Posts >> click to return to the main page ...or read more in my monthly archives Jan26 Jan25 Feb25 Mar25 Apr25 May25 Jun25 Jul25 Aug25 Sep25 Oct25 Nov25 Dec25 Jan24 Feb24 Mar24 Apr24 May24 Jun24 Jul24 Aug24 Sep24 Oct24 Nov24 Dec24 Jan23 Feb23 Mar23 Apr23 May23 Jun23 Jul23 Aug23 Sep23 Oct23 Nov23 Dec23 Jan22 Feb22 Mar22 Apr22 May22 Jun22 Jul22 Aug22 Sep22 Oct22 Nov22 Dec22 Jan21 Feb21 Mar21 Apr21 May21 Jun21 Jul21 Aug21 Sep21 Oct21 Nov21 Dec21 Jan20 Feb20 Mar20 Apr20 May20 Jun20 Jul20 Aug20 Sep20 Oct20 Nov20 Dec20 Jan19 Feb19 Mar19 Apr19 May19 Jun19 Jul19 Aug19 Sep19 Oct19 Nov19 Dec19 Jan18 Feb18 Mar18 Apr18 May18 Jun18 Jul18 Aug18 Sep18 Oct18 Nov18 Dec18 Jan17 Feb17 Mar17 Apr17 May17 Jun17 Jul17 Aug17 Sep17 Oct17 Nov17 Dec17 Jan16 Feb16 Mar16 Apr16 May16 Jun16 Jul16 Aug16 Sep16 Oct16 Nov16 Dec16 Jan15 Feb15 Mar15 Apr15 May15 Jun15 Jul15 Aug15 Sep15 Oct15 Nov15 Dec15 Jan14 Feb14 Mar14 Apr14 May14 Jun14 Jul14 Aug14 Sep14 Oct14 Nov14 Dec14 Jan13 Feb13 Mar13 Apr13 May13 Jun13 Jul13 Aug13 Sep13 Oct13 Nov13 Dec13 Jan12 Feb12 Mar12 Apr12 May12 Jun12 Jul12 Aug12 Sep12 Oct12 Nov12 Dec12 Jan11 Feb11 Mar11 Apr11 May11 Jun11 Jul11 Aug11 Sep11 Oct11 Nov11 Dec11 Jan10 Feb10 Mar10 Apr10 May10 Jun10 Jul10 Aug10 Sep10 Oct10 Nov10 Dec10 Jan09 Feb09 Mar09 Apr09 May09 Jun09 Jul09 Aug09 Sep09 Oct09 Nov09 Dec09 Jan08 Feb08 Mar08 Apr08 May08 Jun08 Jul08 Aug08 Sep08 Oct08 Nov08 Dec08 Jan07 Feb07 Mar07 Apr07 May07 Jun07 Jul07 Aug07 Sep07 Oct07 Nov07 Dec07 Jan06 Feb06 Mar06 Apr06 May06 Jun06 Jul06 Aug06 Sep06 Oct06 Nov06 Dec06 Jan05 Feb05 Mar05 Apr05 May05 Jun05 Jul05 Aug05 Sep05 Oct05 Nov05 Dec05 Jan04 Feb04 Mar04 Apr04 May04 Jun04 Jul04 Aug04 Sep04 Oct04 Nov04 Dec04 Jan03 Feb03 Mar03 Apr03 May03 Jun03 Jul03 Aug03 Sep03 Oct03 Nov03 Dec03 Jan02 Feb02 Mar02 Apr02 May02 Jun02 Jul02 Aug02 Sep02 Oct02 Nov02 Dec02 Web Analytics