Born in "The Lodge" in Helensburgh, near Glasgow. Inventor of mechanical television. demonstrating a prototype at Selfridges, 1925. Died in Bexhill-on-Sea, Sussex.
The 6 plaques spread over 4 Central London addresses testify to the story of Baird inventing television not being a simple one. have clarified it. In summary:
Frith Street, 1924-6: Baird used the first floor of number 22 as a workshop.
Frith Street, 26 January 1926: Baird first demonstrated the transmission of moving images to members of the Royal Institution and a reporter from The Times. This was a very short-range transmission, captured and viewed in the same set of rooms.
West Street, 1926-8: Following that demonstration, Baird established his company, Television Limited at 2-6 West Street, formerly Motograph House. Here, with some help from a BBC transmitter (radio already existed, remember) he made test transmissions, this time reaching beyond the building, to his own receiver in NW9. This is considered a ‘transmission’ rather than a ‘broadcast’ because there was only one receiver.
Long Acre, 30 September 1929: The first true broadcast. The content (as we’d call it now) was captured at Baird’s offices above 132-3 Long Acre, passed by landline to a BBC 2LO radio transmitter in Oxford Street, and then broadcast over the airwaves. Receiving sets were owned by very few people (Baird and his friends) and transmission was limited to either sound or vision, so they were alternated. He achieved simultaneous transmission on 30 March 1930, and he continued broadcasting regularly via the BBC until 1932.
Broadcasting House, 22 August 1932: the BBC began its own regular television programming from the basement of Broadcasting House, broadcasting using Baird’s system.
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