When Old Technologies Were New - Thinking About Electric Communication in the Late Nineteenth Century

This book describes how two newly invented communications technologies - the telephone and the electric light - were publicly envisioned, in specialized engineering trade journals as well as in more popular media, at the end of the nineteenth century. Much of the focus is on the telephone, particularly how it disrupted established social relations (people did not know how to to respond to its use or impact) and how society tried to bring it under a carefully prescribed pattern of proper usage. While the emphasis is on the way professionals in the electronics field tried to control the new media, their broader social impact is also discussed.

About the author

Carolyn Marvin is Associate Professor of Communication, Annenberg School for Communication, University of Pennsylvania.

Summary

This study describes how two late 19th-century electronic technologies - the telephone and the electric light - were publicly envisaged both by specialized engineering trade journals and the popular media.

Additional text

'not only is the book a good read, but also it is a valuable source book for writers, historians and researchers pursuing the history of, or writing on, the subject of mass communications ... The anecdotes are often highly amusing, but mostly are entertaining or informative ... an important book'
Electronics and Communications Engineering

Product details

• Authors: Carolyn Marvin, Carolyn (Assistant Professor of Communicat Marvin, Carolyn (Assistant Professor of Communications Marvin, Marvin Carolyn
• Publisher: Oxford University Press
• Languages: English
• Product format: Paperback / Softback
• Released: 24.05.1990
• EAN: 9780195063417
• ISBN: 978-0-19-506341-7
• No. of pages: 278
• Subjects: Humanities, art, music > History > General, dictionaries; Natural sciences, medicine, IT, technology > Natural sciences (general); Modern history to 20th century: c 1700 to c 1900, European History, HISTORY / Europe / General, HISTORY / Social History, Social & cultural history, TECHNOLOGY & ENGINEERING / Construction / Electrical, c 1800 to c 1900, 19th century, c 1800 to c 1899, 18th century, c 1700 to c 1799, British & Irish history, Social and cultural history, Electrician skills, Electrician skills and trades