The Amstutz System
Of all the mechanisms which have been designed for the transmission of pictures electrically, that of N. S. Amstutz, of Valparaiso, Indiana, U. S. A., in the author’s opinion, stands out as the most conspicuous, not only for fine work, but for the cleverness of its accomplishment, the first successful picture being sent in May, 1891, over a 25-mile wire in eight minutes.
“Mr. Amstutz was not the first to send pictures over wire, but he was the first to send pictures with halftones, the others were simply line drawings. In this first method Mr. Amstutz used a relief photograph. The amount of relief was in direct proportion to the amount of light which had acted on the sensitive gelatine, resulting in an irregular surface, representing in elevation all the variations of light and shade in a regular picture.
“The picture received is actually a phonographic spiral around the receiving drum carrying the celluloid sheet. When finished it is removed from the cylinder and flattened out and a stereotype or electrotype made from it for relief printing; or the engraved celluloid sheet can be inked and printed immediately on the intaglio press.” (From exhibit in U. S. National Museum.)
The Electrograph
From the accompanying illustration and title it will readily be seen that rather good pictures were reproduced with pen and ink method in 1890.
The original of this picture was given the author by Mr. T. A. Witherspoon, who at the time of the experiment (1900) was a principal examiner in the U. S. Patent Office, and detailed in charge of the Patent Office Exhibit at the Buffalo Exposition, where, also, these machines were on exhibition.
It may be a coincidence of passing interest that from Cleveland twenty-four years later the American Telephone and Telegraph Company sent their first wire pictures.