telautograph

English

Etymology

tele- +‎ autograph

Noun

telautograph (plural telautographs)

1. (historical) An analogue precursor to the fax machine, transmitting electrical impulses recorded by potentiometers to servomechanisms attached to a pen at the receiving station, thus reproducing a drawing or signature made by the sender.
   • 1893 April 6, “The Telautograph”, in The Iron Age‎^[1], volume 51:

     On Tuesday, March 21, was made the first public test of the telautograph, a long distance writing machine, the invention of Professor Elisha Gray of Chicago, which practically solves the problem of autographic communication over miles of wire.

Related terms

• telautographic
• telautography

Further reading

• telautograph on Wikipedia.Wikipedia