The Optical Telegraph

The Optical Telegraph was invented by Claude
Chappe in 1793. The goal was to send messages
over long distances. After abandoning the notion
of a telegraph that used electricity Chappe invented
a telegraph that simply used sight. Of course this
telegraph would not be useful at night, or during a
fog, or over large hills and mountains; but it was a
success regardless. The optical telegraph craze
spread all over Chappe's native France, and soon
adaptations of the same idea could be found all over
Europe.

This picture was taken from:
http://www.telemuseum.se/historia/optel/OTSymp/
Frankrike.html

How the Optical Telegraph works
Links and References

Thanks for your visit!
Kirsten Koehler
College of St. Catherine
St. Paul, Minnesota