Although it seems like it’s an invention that has been with us forever, we are only just now approaching the 100th anniversary of TV. The exact origins of the technology are wrapped in debate and discussion, but there is no doubt that its Scottish inventor – John Logie Baird – was fundamental to the way our lives are now.
What Baird Created
While the first recognisable television came a few years later, the BBC’s own records indicate Baird created a prototype in 1925 and was the first to demonstrate a working concept in London in 1926. This led to the first long-distance broadcast in 1927 and the first regular BBC broadcast in 1929. His base in the UK led to the dominance of the BBC for many years, broadcasting everything from dramas to game shows across Europe.
The impact of Baird and the BBC can’t be overstated. With a century of television originating there, every part of culture has been impacted, even as far as casinos. You can even find live casino games inspired by TV shows that draw on many aspects of early television, from the hosts to the intriguing game settings involved.
Other Claims to Invention
There are understandably many claimants to the title of ‘inventor of television’ and while Baird is most often recognised for the achievement around the world, Americans often tend to disagree. Most academics in the United States give Philo Farnsworth the honour, as he was the first to create a fully electronic modern television. He can also claim the first live human broadcast in the world, appropriately of his wife Pem.
It’s important to note that, until quite recently, Farnsworth’s achievements were relatively overlooked as his work was quickly bought and absorbed into various companies. He failed to see any long-term profits from his work, and was obscure for many years, unlike Baird who continued making patents and receiving honours until he died in 1946.
Even More Debates
To add even more confusion to the origins of television, Baird’s work wasn’t created in a vacuum and was built upon many decades of prior work. Going back 80 years previously was Alexander Bain’s invention of telegraphed images, but more directly was the work of Paul Gottlieb Nipkow, who created the foundation of television back in the 1880s.
Nipkow created something now known as the Nipkow disk, although he only designed the idea and never built a prototype of his own. Nipkow is now credited by many, including Baird himself, as the ‘spiritual inventor’ of television, as the Nipkow disk formed the basis of the work of both Baird and Farnsworth. In his native Germany, he even had the first regular television service in the world named in his honour.
It’s always important to remember that although we often give credit to one person like Baird, or perhaps Farnsworth, it takes generations to build up to something. Even now, there are hundreds of pioneers out there working on the next generation of TV, and giving any one of them more credit than the others would be unfair.