electrowriter model 25 receiver
Date1971-1973
Inventory Number2004-1-0222
ClassificationCommunications Device
Subject
Maker
Victor Comptometer Corporation
1918 - 1977
User
Polaroid Corporation
1937-present
Owner
Edwin H. Land
1909 - 1991
Cultural Region
Place of Origin
Dimensions14 × 24.3 × 37 cm (5 1/2 × 9 9/16 × 14 9/16 in.)
box: 17.8 × 39.7 × 30.5 cm (7 × 15 5/8 × 12 in.)
box: 17.8 × 39.7 × 30.5 cm (7 × 15 5/8 × 12 in.)
Material
Accessoriescircuitry schematic (in instrument file)
DescriptionThis electrowriter is marked "446". It is essentially a printer, equipped with an automatic armpen that reproduces what an electrowriter transmitter draws (see 2004-1-0223). A roll of paper is still in the machine. The plastic hood can be removed to see the interior mechanism. A data and a three-pronged electric cords are provided.
In Collection(s)
Signedon sticker, front: Polaroid Corporation
under paper roll: VICTOR COMPTOMETER CORPORATION
Inscribedon sticker, front: INTERACTIVE LECTURE SYSTEM
Curatorial RemarksThe senior scientist who worked on this project at Polaroid between 1971 and 1976 was Stewart W. Wilson. His resume posted on the web (see <a href="http://www.eskimo.com/~wilson/resume.pdf" target="_blank">here</a>) mentions that he
"Invented, developed, produced, and marketed the Interactive Lecture System (ILS), an individual learning system which approximates a personal, branching interaction with an articulate scientist or teacher on a topic of mutual
interest, including answers by the speaker to questions as they arise.
Contracted with and directed the making of Interactive Lecture recordings by scientists such as Carl Sagan and Philip Morrison. Tested system with students from M.I.T., Harvard, and Boston University.
For the ILS’s graphic channel, which allows formulas and sketches in the teacher’s own hand to play back from the second track of the tape, invented and implemented a compensator unit which totally eliminates tape flutter effects from the writing.
Directed manufacture of the ILS, introduced as a Polaroid product at shows such as the American Physical Society’s annual meeting, and marketed it nationally to schools and colleges."
FunctionEvidently part of an early distance learning system, and used in tandem with a transmitter device. The latter allows its user to draw small figures or spell technical terms, which are then plotted by this receiver, providing a sort of virtual blackboard to accompany a spoken lecture.
This electrowriter receiver was part of at least two patents granted to the Polaroid Corporation: patent number 3,942,268 and number 3,971,141. The first was filed on 2 October 1972 and granted on 9 March 1976; the second one was filed on 15 April 1974 and granted on 27 July 1976. The title of the first one is: "Methods and apparatus for interactive communications"; the title of the second one is: "Method for interactive communications."
The abstract of both patents are almost identical. The first one reads thus: "A method of communication, and apparatus for communication, in which a user is provided with a set of recordings, a device for reproducing the recordings, and a map comprising indicia correlating the recordings so that the recordings from the set may be reproduced in a sequence determined by the user."
In the description of both patents, one can read regarding this instrument: "Preferably, in the process of recording both questions and answers, the lecturer is given the facility of accompanying his remarks with graphic illustrations such as sketches, a topic outline of points that he is covering, graphs, or the like, much as a professor would use a blackboard in the classroom. For this purpose, various visual aids may be employed, such as photographs, video recordings and the like, but I prefer to make use of a graphic recorder, such as the Electrowriter made and sold by the Victor Comptometer Corporation of Chicago, Illinois, as an adjunct to the lecturer's voice."
And also: "A tape recorder and a graphic recorder, such as an Electrowriter receiver, are provided to the student. Typically, he will then place the first lecture tape on the recorder, and begin to listen to it. He may continue to listen until he has gone through the entire lecture, but, due to the interaction permitted by the recordings, experience has shown it to be very unlikely he will do this."
This electrowriter receiver was part of at least two patents granted to the Polaroid Corporation: patent number 3,942,268 and number 3,971,141. The first was filed on 2 October 1972 and granted on 9 March 1976; the second one was filed on 15 April 1974 and granted on 27 July 1976. The title of the first one is: "Methods and apparatus for interactive communications"; the title of the second one is: "Method for interactive communications."
The abstract of both patents are almost identical. The first one reads thus: "A method of communication, and apparatus for communication, in which a user is provided with a set of recordings, a device for reproducing the recordings, and a map comprising indicia correlating the recordings so that the recordings from the set may be reproduced in a sequence determined by the user."
In the description of both patents, one can read regarding this instrument: "Preferably, in the process of recording both questions and answers, the lecturer is given the facility of accompanying his remarks with graphic illustrations such as sketches, a topic outline of points that he is covering, graphs, or the like, much as a professor would use a blackboard in the classroom. For this purpose, various visual aids may be employed, such as photographs, video recordings and the like, but I prefer to make use of a graphic recorder, such as the Electrowriter made and sold by the Victor Comptometer Corporation of Chicago, Illinois, as an adjunct to the lecturer's voice."
And also: "A tape recorder and a graphic recorder, such as an Electrowriter receiver, are provided to the student. Typically, he will then place the first lecture tape on the recorder, and begin to listen to it. He may continue to listen until he has gone through the entire lecture, but, due to the interaction permitted by the recordings, experience has shown it to be very unlikely he will do this."
ProvenanceThis object belonged to Edwin H. Land and came from the Rowland Institute, Harvard University. Gift of the Edwin H. Land Family.
Victor Comptometer Corporation
Date: 1971-1973
Object number: 2004-1-0223
3M Company
Date: 1971-1972
Accessories: "VOICE/WRITER DECK - COMPENSATOR SWITCHING DIAGRAM" in instrument file.
Object number: 2004-1-0224
L. E. Knott Apparatus Company
Date: late 19th-early 20th Century
Object number: 1998-1-0458
Western Electric Company
Object number: RS0149
Victor Comptometer Corporation
Date: circa 1970
Accessories: vinyl cover
Object number: 1996-1-0381
Victor Comptometer Corporation
Date: circa 1965
Accessories: plastic cover
Object number: 1996-1-0380a
Victor Comptometer Corporation
Date: circa 1965
Accessories: plastic cover
Object number: 1996-1-0380b
Teletype Corporation
Date: circa 1972
Accessories: 1 spare copyholder; 1 roll of large paper; 4 rolls of narrow paper; 10 items: manuals, schematics, documents moved to library C2-H1 & C6-F1
Object number: 1997-1-0296
Panelvision Corporation
Date: 1984
Accessories: single-board display controller
cable for display (1997-1-0686c)
shipping ticket/ hand carry pass dated June 11, 1997 (in instrument file)
letter to Dr. Richard V. Kollarits from William Andrewes dated June 16, 1997 regarding donation of MiniGraphic display and letter to William Andrewes from Dr. Richard V. Kollarits that accompanied the object upon donation on June 11, 1997 (in instrument file)
four sample color prints made with this display on micro-encapsulated photographic paper. 1. man in business suit, 2. woman crouching next to lawn ornament, 3. two clowns painting a third's face, 4. woman in winter hat and scarf (in instrument file)
copies of two articles by AT&T Bell Laboratories staff (Richard V. Kollarits, William, H. Ninke, David C. Gibbon) on color imaging and printing (in instrument file)
Panelvision pamphlet introducing the MiniGraphic multipurpose flat panel display, including instrument specifications, consumer prices, functioning and features (in instrument file)
1984 article by Panelvision employees (Peter Brody Fang-Chen Luo, Paul Malmberg) on active matrix technology (in instrument file)
Panelvision Corporation Fact Sheet, including details of company history and recent developments (in instrument file)
article about commercial debut of active matrix technology from Design Engineering newspaper, June 18, 1984 (in instrument file)
full circuit diagram and schematic for MiniGraphic Display Controller (in instrument file)
instruction manual and description of MiniGraphic Display Controller (two copies, in instrument file)
circuit diagrams and instruction manuals for the MiniGraphic Display (two booklets, in instrument file)
Object number: 1997-1-0686a
American
Date: 1960-1980
Accessories: commodore video monitor (2003-1-0239b); magnetic temperature monitor (2003-1-0239c); pulse timer (2003-1-0239d); Commodore computer, keyboard (2003-1-0239e); Panasonic dot-matrix printer (2003-1-0239f); two cyclotron lead bricks (2003-1-0239g, h); cardboard box with printer paper (2003-1-0239i)
Object number: 2003-1-0293a
See also/See also
