Marconi Calling
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Where: Galway, Ireland
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When: Unknown
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Marconi Station Clifden, Connemara
I received a lovely gift of a biography on Marconi at Christmas. The book by Marc Raboy is subtitled "The man who networked the world". What an interesting man he was, I was surprised to learn about his Irish roots and connections. He was as famous in his time as any of today's technology leaders.
Today's inputs confirmed just how historically important this relatively remote patch of bog-land was. From the Alcock and Brown transatlantic flight of 1919, to the Marconi station which opened in 1907. The video offered by beachcomberaustralia (something of a distant Marconi rellie), and the map offered by DannyM8 give us sense of the immense scale of the buildings and telegraph pole structures in the rearground of this shot. Something which is hard to fathom given the rural nature of Bill Bartlett's contemporary image from almost the same spot.....
Photographer: Robert French
Collection: Lawrence Photograph Collection
Date: Catalogue range c.1865-1914. Likely c.1907-1914 (based on station's inauguration date of Oct 1907).
NLI Ref: L_ROY_05350
You can also view this image, and many thousands of others, on the NLI’s catalogue at catalogue.nli.ie
Source: Flickr Commons
Views: 30212
I received a lovely gift of a biography on Marconi at Christmas. The book by Marc Raboy is subtitled "The man who networked the world". What an interesting man he was, I was surprised to learn about his Irish roots and connections. He was as famous in his time as any of today's technology leaders.
Today's inputs confirmed just how historically important this relatively remote patch of bog-land was. From the Alcock and Brown transatlantic flight of 1919, to the Marconi station which opened in 1907. The video offered by beachcomberaustralia (something of a distant Marconi rellie), and the map offered by DannyM8 give us sense of the immense scale of the buildings and telegraph pole structures in the rearground of this shot. Something which is hard to fathom given the rural nature of Bill Bartlett's contemporary image from almost the same spot.....
Photographer: Robert French
Collection: Lawrence Photograph Collection
Date: Catalogue range c.1865-1914. Likely c.1907-1914 (based on station's inauguration date of Oct 1907).
NLI Ref: L_ROY_05350
You can also view this image, and many thousands of others, on the NLI’s catalogue at catalogue.nli.ie
Info:
Owner: National Library of Ireland on The CommonsSource: Flickr Commons
Views: 30212
robertfrench
williamlawrence
lawrencecollection
lawrencephotographicstudio
glassnegative
nationallibraryofireland
marconi
marconistation
clifden
ireland
connaught
guglielmomarconi
radio
transmitter
receiver
power
derrigimlagh
derrygimla
bog
antenna
wireless
transatlantic
countygalway
powerstation
capacitor
condenser
lawrencephotographcollection
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ɹǝqɯoɔɥɔɐǝq
I just worked out that Marconi's first wife was my Irish maternal great-grandmother's half-sister. Tuning in with interest! en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Guglielmo_Marconi www.thepeerage.com/p48399.htm#i483987
National Library of Ireland on The Commons
https://www.flickr.com/photos/beachcomberaustralia interesting, do tell more.
ɹǝqɯoɔɥɔɐǝq
[https://www.flickr.com/photos/nlireland] Marconi's first wife Beatrice, www.thepeerage.com/p48399.htm#i483985 , was the daughter of www.thepeerage.com/p1795.htm#i17941 , whose first child by his first wife was my great-grandmother, www.thepeerage.com/p28200.htm#i281999. It's complicated - they all seem to have married several times!
sharon.corbet
This is a contemporary description of the station: The Clifden Station of the Marconi Wireless Telegraph System, from Scientific American, 23 November 1907.
National Library of Ireland on The Commons
https://www.flickr.com/photos/beachcomberaustralia Got it, you have a very interesting family tree. Marconi's Mother was also Irish!
National Library of Ireland on The Commons
https://www.flickr.com/photos/scorbet It is a shame the graphics mentioned in the article are not present.
ɹǝqɯoɔɥɔɐǝq
[https://www.flickr.com/photos/nlireland] Yes, his great-grandfather was Jameson's whiskey, in a link I found but have now lost .... Ed. Irish TImes article about Marconi's Irish connections - www.irishtimes.com/news/marconi-nurtured-his-irish-connec...
DannyM8
Here is a link to a map of the station, it is similar to the layout in our photo except for the arrangement of the antenna network. From: http://Clifden Heritage Society EDIT: The map suggests circa 1915, so I would say our photo is before that.
ɹǝqɯoɔɥɔɐǝq
Streetview / photosphere - goo.gl/maps/sMKLSEujmFH2 It really was in the middle of nowhere. Ed. - this photosphere is more accurate - goo.gl/maps/SXTuz4wUy8Q2
DannyM8
[https://www.flickr.com/photos/beachcomberaustralia] ABOUT GUGLIELMO MARCONI Guglielmo Marconi was born in Bologna on 25th April 1874. His father, Giuseppe, was a rich landowner and his mother, Annie Jameson, was one of the four daughters of Andrew Jameson of County Wexford, the well-known and wealthy distiller of Jameson’s Irish whiskey. From: http://Clifden Heritage Society
ɹǝqɯoɔɥɔɐǝq
Sometimes Flickr is amazing - in 2010 by https://www.flickr.com/photos/lessthanmeetstheeye/ https://www.flickr.com/photos/lessthanmeetstheeye/6186845828/
DannyM8
In 1919 Alcock and Brown, following their historic trans-Atlantic crossing by aeroplane, landed their Vickers Vimy plane in the bog behind the Station. www.loveconnemara.com/see-and-do/marconi-wireless-station...
O Mac
..-. .- -. - .- ... - .. -.-. / .--. .... --- - --- --. .-. .- .--. ....
National Library of Ireland on The Commons
https://www.flickr.com/photos/91549360@N03 Owen, we all agree that this is a "Fantastic Photograph" but I object strongly to going down that boggy road again, the last time it ended in a limerick - please cease and desist!
ɹǝqɯoɔɥɔɐǝq
Extremely vivid description of the operations in 1907, originally from the Daily Mail - trove.nla.gov.au/newspaper/article/145073841
ɹǝqɯoɔɥɔɐǝq
[https://www.flickr.com/photos/scorbet] [https://www.flickr.com/photos/nlireland] Here are the illustrations which accompany the 1907 Scientific American article. Lo-res but ok - trove.nla.gov.au/newspaper/article/181436914
O Mac
https://www.flickr.com/photos/nlireland Roger. I hear you loud and clear. Over.
ɹǝqɯoɔɥɔɐǝq
Worth a watch - youtu.be/X5QNhs8eMvw
National Library of Ireland on The Commons
https://www.flickr.com/photos/beachcomberaustralia excellent find.
National Library of Ireland on The Commons
https://www.flickr.com/photos/91549360@N03 and out.
John Spooner
The Marconi station at
MoldyPoldu in Cornwall in 1903. The bunting is to celebrate a royal visit.John Spooner
Moldy? Poldu.
DannyM8
Some of the Staff of the station from the 1911 Census Including 7 x Electrical Engineers Some More Even More
O Mac
[https://www.flickr.com/photos/79549245@N06] www.flickr.com/photos/99002941@N08/9598480840/in/faves-91...
National Library of Ireland on The Commons
Thanks https://www.flickr.com/photos/91549360@N03, https://www.flickr.com/photos/79549245@N06 and esp https://www.flickr.com/photos/beachcomberaustralia for the inputs today (including for the link to https://www.flickr.com/photos/lessthanmeetstheeye/'s near equivalent shot). Based on the map and StreetView updates, I've shifted our map location slightly. And have tried to capture a summary in the description. Much appreciated all!
oaktree_brian_1976
The site used in Ireland broadcast to Nova Scotia, here en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Marconi_station#Clifden.2C_Galway The site at the other end was in Newfoundland, used to catch signals from England. en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Marconi_National_Historic_Sites_of_...
National Library of Ireland on The Commons
https://www.flickr.com/photos/91549360@N03 Owen, I found that "Limerick" I mentioned above. I wonder if it is the first ever morse code Limerick? Telegraph Office limerick .- -.-. -.-. --- .-. -.. .. -. --. / - --- / .--. --- ... - -- .. ... - .-. . ... ... / .--. . --. / .-- .... --- / ... --- ..- -. -.. ... / .-.. .. -.- . / .- / .--- --- .-.. .-.. -.-- / --. --- --- -.. / . --. --. / - .... .. ... / --- ..-. ..-. .. -.-. . / --- ..-. / - . .-.. . --. .-. .- .--. .... / -....- / --. . - / ... . - / ..-. --- .-. / .- / -... . .-.. .-.. -.-- / .-.. .- ..- --. .... / -....- / .-- . / ... . . / --- -. / .. - ... / ...- . .-. -.-- / .-.. .- ... - / .-.. . --. .-.-.- https://www.flickr.com/photos/nlireland/8366240991/ https://www.flickr.com/photos/beachcomberaustralia
ɹǝqɯoɔɥɔɐǝq
[https://www.flickr.com/photos/nlireland] Funny that you should ask if it was the first Morse code limerick ... Of course not! A quick google produced this incredible story from 1903 when a Marconi demonstration was 'hacked' by someone tapping "rats" and then a limerick - “There was a young fellow of Italy, who diddled the public quite prettily,...” to show the flaws in security. See - www.newscientist.com/article/mg21228440-700-dot-dash-diss...
National Library of Ireland on The Commons
https://www.flickr.com/photos/beachcomberaustralia :)
DannyM8
https://www.flickr.com/photos/91549360@N03 Great photo.