CMS:Teletype Collection

The museum's Teletype collection

The Teletype Collection consists of several teleprinters from the 1920s to the 1980s. Many of them were manufactured by the Teletype Corporation, a subsidiary of AT&T. Two models on display are from Europe. One was manufactured by Siemens & Halske, and the other by C. Lorenz AG

History

AT&T began offering teleprinter service in the 1920s, which expanded on the existing use of their network for sending telegraph messages. By 1930, AT&T had purchased the Teletype Corporation and began selling or leasing the machines to customers.

Teletype usage continued throughout the early and mid 20th Century for business, military, and journalism applications. In the 1960's and 1970's, ASCII teletypes were used to communicate with mainframe and minicomputers. Notably, the Model 33ASR was a favorite of early programmers before more modern glass teletypes became common.

Museum Life

When the museum was in its formative stages in the 1980s, a wide range of Teletypes were acquired, and an exhibit was created by Dick "Bennie" Bendickson. The machines, ranging from the 1920s to the 1980s surround a central wall, and their data lines appear at a 9A Toll Board on the far wall. From that board, they can be patched to one of several loops to communicate with each other, or receive an automated feed of news and weather.

List of Machines

• Front wall
  • ?
  • ?
  • Teletype Model 12
  • Teletype Model 15 RO from the Associated Press
  • Teletype Model 26 (a light-duty machine)
  • Teletype Model 28 KSR with modem attachment
  • Teletype Model 33 ASR
  • Teletype Model 37 ASR (the last of the printing teletypes)
  • ?
• Back wall
  • Teletype Model 14 Typing Reperferator
  • Teletype FRXD Reperforator Transmitter
  • Teletype Model 14 ROTR
  • Teletype Model 19
  • Teletype Model 28 ASR
  • Teletype Model 35 ASR
  • Lorenz German copy of a US Model 15
  • Siemens STG-100