Fultograph

The Fultograph was a simple clockwork receiver of still images, similar to an early fax machine . The image signal was received via a radio and - by means of an electrochemical process - used to blacken areas of a correspondingly sensitive paper, which was stretched on a rotating drum. The drum (or the pen in other models) was moved by means of a screw so that the image was written line by line on the paper.

The Fultograph was invented by Otho Fulton , the system was used in Germany from 1926 to around 1929 to broadcast supplementary images, for example for news programs or weather maps , via the radio during breaks. The Deutsche Reichspost broadcast Fulton pictures in the program of the Berliner Rundfunk from May 1, 1929 to December 20, 1929. However, due to the high cost and the low utility value, the system could not prevail and the trial broadcasts were discontinued.

Web links

• The Fultograph (description with pictures and circuits; PDF file; 157 kB)
• The Fultograph (German-language text with color images)
• Functional Fultograph structure in the technikum29 museum
• The picture radio (report about the device on heise.de)