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Victor Laughter and wireless telephony

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Victor Laughter in ‘Transmission of Photographs by Wireless’ in Popular Electricity in Plain English. v.3 n.3 pg.254

While I was being distracted by the little known 1909 precursor to solar panels when helping researchers, I noticed something else in Popular Electricity in Plain English that astonished me.  One of the authors who had written about Cove’s sun harnessing experiments, Victor Laughter, had also been written about for his own experiments in wirelessly transmitting photographs in 1910!  A quick search online for Victor Laughter provided none of the usual answers, no Wikipedia entry, no casual mention to his inventions.  So, of course, I had to find out more.

Victor Laughter was born in Mississippi in 1988 and by twelve was likely orphaned living in the Waverly Institute, along with his sister Belva (Bensman, n.d.).  Also around the age of 12, Laughter built his first experimental wireless set  (Bensman, n.d.).  Belva would marry and move to Memphis, making Memphis the home to which Victor would often return before residing their permanently.  He would perfect and advertise his wireless telegraphy set when he was twenty  (‘Inventor Tells About First Set,’ 1931), quickly following this with the publication of his book the Operator’s Wireless Telegraph and Telephone Handbook published by Drake and Company in 1909.  It was the most complete guide to wireless at the time, now believed to be the first book on radio  (‘Victor Laughter, Radio Pioneer, Dies,’ 1966), and would sell over 30,000 copies over two printings (Bensman, n.d.). 

Victor Laugher pictured in McCormack, Edward J. (1913).  A Voice From The Air.  Technical World Magazine. 84-85.  The Voice From the Air (1913) (earlyradiohistory.us)

Before getting too much further, it will be useful to understand the state of radio at the turn of the 20th century.  Prior to 1920, radio, known as wireless, was extremely experimental.  Most wireless telegraphy, later radiotelegraphy, prior to WWI was morse code that would turn the transmitter on and off producing the dot and dash pulses of radio waves. The waves being sent and received could not carry a voice until Reginald Fessenden invented the heterodyne receiver in 1901 (Wireless Telegraphy, 2023).  Wireless telegraphy became an exciting new hobby and challenge for anyone with the time and access to equipment needed (Halper, 1999).  These hobbyists made important discoveries and advancements that would cement radio’s importance in the upcoming war and as a commercially lucrative opportunity thereafter.

In 1910 Victor Laughter would take on the position of editor for Hugo Gernsback’s Modern Electrics magazine, all the while publishing consistently in Popular Electricity in Plain English and serving as Technical Director and  Secretary for the American Wireless Institute of Detroit (Bensman, n.d.; Massie & Perry, 2002).  His wireless transmission of photographs was highlighted in the Popular Electricity in Plain English 1910 article:  “Transmission of Photographs by Wireless.”  This invention, which would be an early example of a facsimile transmission, isn’t mentioned much elsewhere and may have been an experiment that was left by the wayside similar to those described by McCormack (1913): 

“In later years other experimenters tried to develop improved high-frequency spark transmitters–Victor Laughter himself wrote an article about William Dubilier’s efforts along these lines in the June, 1911 Modern Electrics. (A second article on Dubilier appeared in the January, 1912 issue–this time followed two months later by a letter from Laughter, complaining that Dubilier was now claiming credit for a transmitter design actually developed by Laughter). And in spite of the optimism Laughter expressed in this article about the future of his system, no high-frequency spark system for audio transmissions was ever developed to the point that it was successfully put into commercial service.” 

McCormack, Edward J. (1913).  A Voice From The Air.  Technical World Magazine. 84-85.  The Voice From the Air (1913) (earlyradiohistory.us)
Victor Laughter pictured in ‘Inventor Tells About First Set’ (1913).  Battle Creek Enquirer.  13 Sep 1931. pg 17

Victor Laughter would also transfer or sell most of his invention patents to various companies and organizations (‘Inventor Tells About First Set,’ 1931).  His first three patents, prior to 1911, were sold to Dr. Lee DeForest of the North American Wireless Corporation which would soon after go bankrupt, transferring all assets to the Radio Corporation of America  (Bensman, n.d.).  So the further development of many of his ideas would end up in the hands of others.  He seemed most committed to developing and improving wireless broadcasting.  In 1913 he had arranged to set up his equipment on the roof of the Tri-States station in the Falls Building in Memphis.  Laughter called the press to his experiment testing the area limits of a broadcast and had more reporters and his brother in law waiting at a house two miles away (McCormack, 1913; Bensman, n.d.; ‘Victor Laughter, Radio Pioneer, Dies,’ 1966).  Victor Laughter would also be credited with one of the first broadcasts of a live performance by W.C. Handy, the Father of the Blues, in 1914 (Halper, 1999).

“Our research during the war aided materially in the commercial development of the industry.  The Superheterodyne was the work of our development” 

Victor Laughter (‘Inventor Tells About First Set,’ 1931)

In 1917 Victor Laughter was mustered into the army, where he would work in the U.S. Signal Corp. as a First Lieutenant and keep radio communication the the front lines in operation until 1919 (‘Inventor Tells About First Set,’ 1931; Bensman, n.d.). After the war he worked in St. Louis and Memphis doing a variety of jobs, dealing radio parts, and helping the design of Clarence Saunders’ first automated grocery (‘Inventor Tells About First Set,’ 1931; Bensman, n.d.). He continued to patent inventions which he invariably assigned to other parties. By 1931 he had 18 patents, and by his death in 1966 he had 25. He also continued to work with Hugo Gernsback’s and to contribute articles to Radio Electronics magazine, the successor to Modern Electronics (‘Victor Laughter, Radio Pioneer, Dies,’ 1966; Bensman, n.d.).

Volumes of Popular Electricity in Plain English can be found in the Smithsonian Libraries and on the Internet Archive .

Selection of Articles by Laughter:

  • Laughter, Victor. (1908). Wireless Telegraphy Made Simple:  Part 1.  Popular Electricity in Plain English.  vol.1 iss.1 pg. 32
  • Laughter, Victor. (1908). Wireless Telegraphy Made Simple:  Part 2.  Popular Electricity in Plain English.  vol.1 iss.2 pg. 82
  • Laughter, Victor. (1908). Wireless Telegraphy Made Simple:  Part 3.  Popular Electricity in Plain English.  vol.1 iss.3 pg. 138
  • Laughter, Victor. (1908). Wireless Telegraphy Made Simple:  Part 4.  Popular Electricity in Plain English.  vol.1 iss.4 pg. 229
  • Laughter, Victor. (1908). Wireless Telegraphy Made Simple:  Part 5.  Popular Electricity in Plain English.  vol.1 iss.5 pg. 296
  • Laughter, Victor. (1908). Construction of a Two-Mile Wireless Outfit.  Popular Electricity in Plain English.  vol.1 iss.7 pg. 418
  • Laughter, Victor. (1909). Wireless Telephony by the Fessenden System.  Popular Electricity in Plain English.  vol.1 iss.10 pg. 638
  • first appearance of Wireless Queries column (answered by V.H. Laughter) 1909 Popular Electricity in Plain English.  vol.1. iss.10  pg 640
  • Laughter, Victor. (1909). Spark Coil Construction and Operation: Part 1.  Popular Electricity in Plain English.  vol.2. iss. 1 pg. 32.
  • Laughter, Victor. (1909). Spark Coil Construction and Operation: Part 2.  Popular Electricity in Plain English.  vol.2. iss. 2 pg. 104.
  • Laughter, Victor. (1909). Spark Coil Construction and Operation: Part 3.  Popular Electricity in Plain English.  vol.2. iss. 3 pg. 172.
  • Laughter, Victor. (1909). Spark Coil Construction and Operation: Part 4.  Popular Electricity in Plain English.  vol.2. iss. 4 pg. 241.
  • ?last appearance? Wireless Queries column (answered by V.H. Laughter)Popular Electricity in Plain English.  vol.2. iss.4  pg 247
  • Laughter, Victor (1910). Generating Electricity by the Sun’s Rays. Popular Electricity. 2(12): 804. https://archive.org/details/popularelectrici02chi/page/804/
  • Laughter, Victor (1910) You Can Install Your Own Outfit for Wireless.  Chicago Tribune.  11 Sep 1910 P26
  • Laughter, Victor (1911) Dubilier’s System of Wireless Telephony.  Popular Electricity in Plain English.  vol.4 iss. 4 pg. 372.

References

  1. Bensman, Marvin R. () Radio Pioneer:  Victor H Laughter.  https://libjournals.mtsu.edu/index.php/tcaj/article/download/936/773/2581
  2. Halper, Donna. (1999) African Americans and Early Radio. African Americans And Early Radio (otrr.org)
  3. Inventor Tells About First Set (1913).  Battle Creek Enquirer.  13 Sep 1931. pg 17
  4. McCormack, Edward J. (1913).  A Voice From The Air.  Technical World Magazine. 84-85.  The Voice From the Air (1913) (earlyradiohistory.us)
  5. Massie, K. & Perry S. (2002) Hugo Gernsback and Radio Magazines:  An Influential Intersection in Broadcast History.  Journal of Radio Studies. 9(2): 264-
  6. ” Transmission of Photographs by Wireless” (1910) Popular Electricity in Plain English. v.1 n.1:  p 254
  7. Victor Laughter, Radio Pioneer, Dies. (1966) Memphis Press-Scimitar, Friday September 30, 1966
  8. Wireless Telegraphy.  Wikipedia.  https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Wireless_telegraphy

How to Carbon-Date a Web Page

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carbondate

How to Carbon-Date a Web Page | MIT Technology Review… cool like the Way Back Machine.

little obsessions

little obsessions published on No Comments on little obsessions

I am absolutely fascinated by eyewear that is designed to augment our most perfect natural abilities to visually process the world around us.  I have much less than perfect natural vision abilities.  Some of my most stressful dreams have something to do with driving a speeding car without my glasses.  I fantasize about waking up some day without needing to put corrective lenses on.  I’m horribly envious of 20/20 vision.  And thus, when frolicking through science journals, I am helplessly captivated by contacts and glasses that do even more than ‘fix’ vision.

For instance, over on NewScientist (back in 2011 – hello GReader starred list) there are glasses that read the body language and expression of the person you are interacting with and give you clues about the best way to proceed in your conversation.  And then on BBC News, animal trials are wrapping up for contacts that stream emails and text messages directly over our vision of the world around us.  I imagine a blending of our physical and online existences.  I imagine not knowing which is which until the glasses are off.  It makes me think of the anime Dennō Coil.  It’s a really good anime.  I have to watch it through again.  And lest you think my mind is not just a repetitive circle, I am going to dig up some posts from the old Bean on exactly the same topic.  After the…Continue reading little obsessions

The Old Reader

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Hip hip hooray!  My OPML file has finally been uploaded by The Old Reader and it couldn’t be sooner as it is harder and harder to find links to Google Reader on any of those ‘more’ menus.  Now that I’ve spent the day with it, I have to tell you I am hella pleased!  I wasn’t looking for something vastly different, new and exciting, else I would’ve been looking for something to replace my Google Reader long ago.  Nope, I liked how it worked and I accepted the changes over the years that I didn’t like (ex. Google+ replacing the ‘Shared Items’ feed).  I liked my shared items.  It was like a blog for what I read and if anyone wanted to see the internet as it is filtered through my head then they could subscribe.  Well The Old Reader has a shared items feed just like Google Reader used to have.  Here is mine.

And, there was this nifty thing on my Home screen that alerted me to possibly dead feeds.  This was awesome, and led me to clean out a few more.  Sorry, The Old Reader, my OPML could have been smaller.Capturereader

If I had any complaints it would be that the option to ‘show only unread’ items in the settings menu doesn’t affect how your feeds show up in the navigation on the left.  But I can totally deal with that.

I wholeheartedly recommend The Old Reader for any of you Google Reader kids looking for a new world.  It took a while for my feeds to import due to heavy migratory traffic, so prepare to twiddle your thumbs, but you’ll get an email when it is done, so there is no wondering.

Feed Readers

Feed Readers published on No Comments on Feed Readers

Boo Hoo, Google Reader is going away.  Allow me to do something that thousands of other people are doing right now:  look at a bunch of replacements.

What I already like: folder organization, bulk ‘mark read’ for the times when I need to catch up by missing stuff, being able to view one feed at a time instead of having everything in a pot (i like to read feeds in an order that has no bearing outside my head), show only unread or not.

What I went looking for:  web based, because I move around, and not requiring any download because:  hassle.  This had the effect of eliminating a lot of options, so if you like browser add-ons and such I suggest looking at things like Feedly (which is getting a lot of recommendations right now).

What I looked at:

feedbooster

FeedBooster – has an easy import feature and allows you to browse by folder, but amalgamates all posts within a folder to one stream of content.  Bad for me because: webcomics.  NOT FOR ME.

FeedReader – no categorization or organization.  Everything in the pot and no import feature that I could find.  Thus no picture.  NOT FOR ME.

netvibes

Netvibes – more like a replacement for iGoogle, which has been plastered with messages about future unavailability for ages.  At a cube for each feed it’s not going to suite my needs. But, wait, on second look….there is a reader list style reading pane as well.  Reading something makes it disappear, so there is no going back?  Posts work like an inbox – open to read, check box on the side for actions.  The best part:  dashboard templates for changing themes and organizations.  The worst part is premium accounts for sale.  I always find that, though free versions might give you some thing to play with [the Brain], they always end up being frustrating in some way.  This is the only such reader I really checked out, I passed up all others with the paid accounts schema.  MAYBE FOR ME?  SECOND CHOICE.

theoldreader

The Old Reader – still in beta and a little busy to give me any immediate gratification on trying it out, but I am hopeful.  The tour looks like it has everything I already like, in fact, was made to replace just those things.  Plus there’s hints of social networking with other people using The Old Reader.  I think I am interested in this though I don’t know how I’d use it.  I’m going to say that THIS IS IT.  I only hope they don’t crash because of mass migration.

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