• facebook
  • Twitter Clean
  • w-googleplus

Warning - We are always delighted to receive information from inventors and companies regarding their wonderful inventions.  However, please do not send us confidential information.  You should not disclose your ideas or inventions before either taking professional advice, or stipulating a binding and specific confidentiality agreement, or filing a patent application at the Intellectual Property Office.  Inventors who disclose the details of their invention before filing will not be able to obtain a valid patent.  This advice applies to any disclosure, no matter how select or reputable the agency.  You should not talk to the press, radio, television or any other media, nor should you enter into competitions/exhibitions, or give lectures/presentations without adequate Intellectual Property Protection.

 

Articles and information produced on this site are concerned with general principles only and should not be construed as specific advice.  Intellectual Property Rights and their commercial development are complex subjects and professional advice should always be sought at the appropriate stage.  Procedures and regulations vary from country to country.  Opinions expressed are those of the individual contributors and not necessarily those of Inventricity.com                                                                                                                                                                                                                                               Disclaimer

Share

© inventricity.com 2014,2015 - 2016

  • Inventricity Home

  • Inventor Help

  • Blog

  • Forum

  • Links

  • Articles

  • About Us

  • More

    TM

    • Wix Facebook page
    • YouTube Classic
    • Pinterest App Icon
    • Wix Twitter page
    • Wix Google+ page
    Contact Us...

    Marconi - Still Making Waves...

    It is hard to conceive of a world without radio.  In the last hundred years we have come to accept telecommunications as a part of everyday life - a technological revolution which has touched all of us and made the world a smaller and safer place.   There is one man who stands head and shoulders above the rest who must be recognised as the driving force behind radio development -

    Guglielmo Marconi.

     

    Over the years there has been much argument over who can be credited as being the inventor of radio. The existence of electromagnetic waves was first demonstrated by Heinrich Hertz in 1887-8 but this work was purely academic and it is probable that Hertz could see no practical use for his findings. The work of Hertz did however, inspire the young Marconi who dreamed of communicating over large distances using 'Hertzian Waves'.

     

    Marconi was born into a wealthy Italian family.  He was something of a reserved child - a trait that lasted all his life - who showed no real promise either socially or academically.  He did however demonstrate an aptitude for physics. After failing the qualifying examination for the Naval Academy, Marconi returned to the family home, Villa Grifone, where he had established a laboratory in an attic. Encouraged by his 

    David Wardell

    Related further reading...

    Further Reading:

    mother - Annie Jameson of the famous Irish whiskey family - he began experimenting and by the summer of 1894 had succeeded in transmitting signals over a few yards. This work was opposed by his father who saw the young Marconi as something of a dilettante.

     

    By improving his equipment and realising the value of an elevated aerial, by the end of August 1995 Marconi was able to send signals over a distance of 1.75 miles. He now tried to interest the Italian Government in his inventions - but no support was forthcoming.  To be fair, it must be remembered that he was unqualified, aged only 21 and probably perceived of as something of a wealthy eccentric.  In a move that will bring a wry smile to modern British inventors, it was decided that Britain would be the best place to look for support and so the young man set sail for England in 1896.

     

    On arrival, and with the help of his cousin, Henry Jameson Davis, the world's first patent application for a system of telegraphy using Hertzian waves was filed.  British patent No. 12039 was granted on 2 June 1896.  At the same time, Marconi had met a well-known electrical engineer, A A Campbell Swinton, who was so impressed with his work that he provided a letter of introduction to William Preece, Chief of the Engineering Department at the General Post Office.

     

    It was this introduction that marked a turning point in Marconi's fortunes.  Later he was at pains to recognise his indebtedness to Preece, who had given every encouragement and the necessary technical support.  Following demonstrations of his new techniques, the next few years were to herald a new era in communications. Transmission distances were increased dramatically as, through a process of invention and innovation, equipment was steadily improved.  On 12 December 1901, this was to culminate in the historic trans-Atlantic signals from Poldhu, Cornwall to Signal Hill, St. John's, Newfoundland.

    Throughout this period of amazing advances, Marconi had to swim against the tide.  Every time a breakthrough was made, eminent scientists and engineers accused him of derivative and obvious work.  It was proposed that long-distance communication was impossible because if a receiver was beyond the horizon then any radio wave would head, in a straight line, out into space.  Nobody was to know that signals would be reflected back from the ionosphere.  Marconi, through a combination of intuition and experimentation, was to prove all of his critics wrong.

     

    From a modern perspective it is difficult for us to comprehend just how great an impact Marconi was to have on the world.  As developments grew, he was literally a world-wide hero to millions.  The notorious murderer, Dr Crippen, was captured because of radio-telegraphy.  The survivors of the sinking of the Titanic owed their lives to radio communication.  These developments were of great comfort to Marconi as he had originally thought in terms of ship-to-shore communications.  From our point of view it is hard to remember that, before Marconi, a ship beyond the sight of shore was on its own until it reached its destination.

     

    Marconi's achievements, both as an inventor and a businessman, were so many-fold that an article of this nature cannot hope to chronicle them all.  It was on the event of his death that his incalculable benefits to mankind were recognised.  News of his demise was carried throughout the world by wireless.  As a mark of respect, and for the first time since Marconi began, the 'ether' was quiet for two minutes as all the world's wireless stations shut down.  This quietude will surely never occur again.

    25th April

     

    August

     

     

    September

     

     

    Spring

     

     

    August

     

     

    February

     

    5th March

     

    30th March

     

     

    2nd June

     

    27th July

     

     

     

    2nd September

     

     

    10-14th May

     

     

     

    10-18th July

     

     

    6th December

     

     

     

     

    3rd July

     

     

     

    3rd August

     

     

     

     

    March

     

     

     

     

     

     

     

     

     

     

     

     

     

     

     

     

     

    12th December

     

     

     

     

     

    December

     

    August

     

     

     

     

     

     

     

     

     

    April

     

     

    April

     

    July

     

     

     

     

     

     

     

     

     

    February

     

     

     

    May

     

     

     

     

     

     

     

     

     

    June

     

     

    February

     

     

    20th July

    1874

     

    1894

     

     

    1894

     

     

    1895

     

     

    1895

     

     

    1896

     

    1896

     

    1896

     

     

    1896

     

    1896

     

     

     

    1896

     

     

    1897

     

     

     

    1897

     

     

    1897

     

     

     

     

    1898

     

     

     

    1898

     

     

     

     

    1899

     

     

     

    1899

     

     

     

    1900

     

     

    1901

     

     

     

    1901

     

     

    1901

     

     

     

    1905

     

    1909

     

    1910

     

     

    1911

     

     

     

    1912

     

     

    1913

     

     

    1914

     

    1914

     

     

    1914

     

     

     

    1919

     

     

    1922

     

     

     

    1922

     

     

     

     

    1924

     

     

    1927

     

    1930

     

     

    1931

     

     

    1937

    Guglielmo Marconi born in Bologna, Italy

     

    First experiments using'Hertzian Waves'at Villa Grifone

     

    HF and VHF experiments using a sensitive coherer

     

    Experiments moved into the grounds of Villa Grifone

     

    'Marconi Antenna' system invented and transmits over a distance of 2.4km

     

    Moves to London with his mother

     

    First patent request in London

     

    A A Campbell Swinton gives Marconi letter of introduction to PO Chief Engineer, Preece

     

    Receives patent no. 12039

     

    First public demonstration from the Post Office roof at St Martin's-le-Grand to the Savings Bank in Queen Victoria Street (1km)

     

    Start of Salisbury Plain experiments over a distance of about 3km

     

    Experiments from Lavernock Point near Cardiff to Flat Holme Island in the Bristol Channel

     

    Demonstrations in the Gulf of La Spezia, Italy, over a distance of 16km

     

    First experimental Transmissions from the Royal Needles Hotel, Alum Bay on Isle of Wight, to a ship in the Solent and later to Bournemouth

     

    Start of the first public service radio telegraphy between Bournemouth and the Isle of Wight (26km)

     

    Wireless communication between Queen Victoria at Osborne House, Isle of Wight, and the Prince of Wales on board Royal Yacht in the Solent

     

    First cross-channel message transmitted from Wimereux, near Boulogne' to South Foreland

     

    World's first radio factory established at Hall Street, Chelmsford, with Marconi major shareholder

     

    Marconi's Wireless Telegraphy Company formed

     

    First experiments with mobile radio from a steam-driven wagon over a distance of 50km

     

    World's first wireless school at Frinton opens

     

    First trans-Atlantic transmission from Poldhu, Cornwall to Signal Hill, Newfoundland

     

    Marconi marries Hon. Beatrice O'Brien

     

    Shares Nobel Prize for Physics

     

    First message from aeroplane to ground, using a Marconi spark transmitter

     

    1911 - Marconi Company launches the Marconigraph, later re-named Wireless World

     

    Titanic sinks: survivors owe their lives to wireless distress calls

     

    Marconi Company publishes first Wireless World magazine

     

    Appointed Senator in Rome

     

    King George V gives Marconi honorary title of GCVO

     

    First longwave station for direct communication with USA; transmitter at Caernarfon and receiver in Tywyn

     

    Marconi buys yacht Elettra, which he fits out as floating laboratory

     

    2MT -'2 Emma Toc'- starts test broadcasts from Marconi Company's Writtle, Essex, laboratories

     

    2LO starts broadcasts from Marconi House in London and British Broadcasting Company formed by Marconi and five other companies

     

    Marconi divorced from Hon. Beatrice O'Brien

     

    Marries Maria Christina Bezzi-Scali

     

    Daughter Maria Elettra Elena Anna (now Princess Elettra) born

     

    Personally supervises installation of Vatican Radio shortwave broadcast transmitter

     

    Marconi dies in Rome

    Some Key Dates:

    Knight Grand Cross of the Royal Victorian Order (GCVO)

    King George V

    Commemorative Coin

    New Street, Chelmsford

    Marconi and Beatrice O'Brien

    Cape Cod, 1906

    Radio operator aboard Elettra

    Nobel Prize

    Queen Victoria and the Prince of Wales, Albert

    The Marconi Family

    In the Radio Room aboard Elettra

    "Elettra"

    Marconi marries Christina Bezzi-Scali

    The Marconi's with their daughter (now Princess Elettra)

    Early Marconi Equipment

    Crippen Captured - a radio first

    (Right) The Titanic Radio Room re-created for the Cameron movie and (Below) the sinking.

    Dame Nellie Melba sings for a broadcast - 1920

    Marconi with his mother, Annie Jameson

    A A Campbell-Swinton

    Hertz

    William Preece

    The young Marconi

    (Above) Post Office Engineers - 1897 and (Left) Poldhu, Cornwall

    Guglielmo Marconi

    Back to Top

    Back to: Articles