Claude Chappe and the Napoleon Telegraph 

It's interesting that Pratchett (who loved bringing historical things into his Discworld) used a matrix of black/white squares for signaling via his Clacks instead of the arms-with-angles used here.

This brings to mind how difficult it would be to do the remote learning via this network as opposed to the current system.

Terry Pratchett had a visual telegraph system in his fictional "Diskworld" novels.

There is a building in Syracuse New York that has a tower on top that lights up with colors that indicate the coming weather and temperatures . It can be seen for miles around the countryside

I used to love watching the Signalmen on my ship practice both semaphore and Morse code using a signal lamp with neighboring ships. Even in today's modern era, with satellite communications encompassing the globe, ship-to-ship communication can still be made using these time and tested methods.

I think it's worth noting that semaphore communications occur at the speed of light.

I first learned of these telegraphs (or semaphores) many decades ago, from reading some of the Hornblower books by C. S. Forester. I see it was Forester's usual historical accuracy trying to educate me.

I'd imagine that Chappe would marvel at the modern internet, but not be at all that surprised.

I find it fascinating that people were making telegraphs before Samuel Morse made his electric one in 1843.

Every innovation starts somewhere. And remember, we landed men on the moon with slide rules for the most part. Thanks for the fascinating segment.

Like many things we take for granted today, it started much longer ago than most would even imagine. From humble beginnings, a device of necessity. For the safety of a country and it's people.

09:27 what an amazing map/drawing. His or her use of shading gives the walls a 3D effect.

Another excellent episode, real history rocks!!!🙏👍📖😷

From this, to smart phones, & in just a couple of centuries. Astounding.

Telegraph hill in San Francisco was I understand named for the ship to shore systems. The name “semaphore” for the nautical specific flag system wasn’t yet common and people still used both terms.

ALMIGHTY ALGORITHM, for which we watch, bless this educated educator with views, shares, and ad space.

Studies this is a media technologies class at university, all I could think of since then is how good a movie this could all make

In the 1970s as a Boy Scout I was trained in flag semaphore. I always thought that it was a very old, even ancient technology, so I am a bit surprised to find out it is not that old.

I had just read a book on Mr chappe. Very interesting and so sad an ending to a bright man. Napoleon was wise to see the value in this method and used it well.

I love that you mentioned the Count of Monte Cristo! That's the first thought that popped into my head when I saw what this episode was about.

Good show as always thank you

I’m glad you covered the “wire fraud” story as I’ve heard that part of the story before as an early case of hackers.

Thank you. I remember as a Boy Scout making a semaphore flag and practicing with other Scouts. We also learned Morse code. Fun times. I still use Morse code for Amateur Radio.

Birmingham Alabama has a large statue on top of a mountain that is " Vulcan, the God of Iron and Steal " . Vulcan holds in his hand, high above his head, a light that is visible from almost everywhere in Birmingham. The light is used to send a message to all of those who can see it. The light remains green if nobody has been killed in a vehicle accident in Birmingham, and if someone has been killed that day in a vehicle accident, the light turns red. I was always fascinated by this message that was being transmitted to so many people, in an attempt to make people more aware of the dangers of driving wrecklessly, or by becoming distracted. Even in this day of mass communication, The statue of Vulcan is sending a message 24 hours a day, every day of the year, reminding people to slow down and be careful, and try to keep the light green. Or if is red, to remember that traffic had already claimed at least one life on this day. Such a simple signal, designed to curve everyone's behavior and awareness of all those who can see it.

Alexander Bain and the first fax machine would also be a good topic for a video!

Several buildings survive of the Holyhead to Liverpool Telegraph system in the UK. To synchronise the clocks in the repeater station a signal was sent from end to end then back again at the same time each day, covering a total of 144 miles which was normally done in less than a minute.

Very interesting

It was the best of times, it was the worst of times.....but hey, they could tell you about it

Thanks! I enjoyed this one! Patric O’Brian in his Aubrey/Maturin books (Master & Commander Movie) described the French Telegraph and set up an interesting scenario of a chase between the information transmission and people on the ground and on sea. It’s a pretty brilliant tool for a country to put into place!

Perhaps, you would do a video on the history of the heliograph at some point!

Great subject!

I was introduced to the Chappe Telegraph at the age of 12 through C.S. Forrester's Horatio Hornblower books.

Brings back memories of working on the Signaling Merit Badge when in the Boy Scouts. I remember much of the Morse code but very little semaphore signaling. Never saw or used carrier pigeons but they were used during WW2 by all manner of combatants.

There is not much I have not learned. This video is new information. Thanks history guy

What Hath God Wrought?! Another History Guy Episode Thankfully!

I’ve always been fascinated by semaphore and signal flags. I knew of the Napoleon Telegraph, but this is the best account of it’s history I’ve heard. Thanks for the lesson!

St.Peters church Broadstairs was a Royal Navy telegraph station. To this day the Royal Navy ensign is flown from the church tower on Remberance Sunday.

What a great invention. This was a very interesting video.

Back in the Saddle Again. Giddy Up !

The crime of the Blanc brothers wasn’t so much wire fraud as misuse of government property. They weren’t attempting to defraud anyone, except perhaps the time of the people running the system. Rather, they used the system to transmit movements of the stock exchanges faster than that information could otherwise move, allowing them to take advantage of the arbitrage. In a sense, it was the ancient version of trading companies building their own faster internet links

I found the illustration with the bird sitting on the cross member very funny, but I'll bet that bird didn't enjoy the perch for long! 🐦🌞

I'm blown away. Not by the Chappe System, but by the fact there's a Railroad Telegraphy magazine in existence. My father, who fought in WWII, was a drill sergeant first and then, as volunteers dried up they sent him over. As a sharpshooter and telegrapher. Once he got liberated from a German POW camp, he came home to work as a telegrapher for the Union Pacific. He's been gone since 1999, but I'd love to get a hold of some of those editions.

Pretty cool video. They weren’t kidding when they said There’s nothing new under the sun!

Great episode! Previous to watching this, I was unaware of the "Napoleon telegraph". It is great to know: thank you.

Fantastic! I’ve always wondered about semaphore & I had no idea about Napoleons involvement & it’s use in his tactics. Amazing!👍

I have the bell turned on for your channel. I didn't get a notification you'd posted.

Wow so interesting I always enjoy learning something new with you Thank you🤗👍

Well done fellows!!

Well done, old Chappe!

Good one, as usual THG, however it leaves me slightly puzzled. I am fairly certain the Royal Navy had a chain of signal towers between central London, down what is now the A3 to Portsmouth Dockyard. (I know you know the route and the dockyard) Messages could be passed from the Admiralty to the Royal Dockyard in (I think) minutes and certainly an hour or so. I think it was a semaphore based system, since the RN were adept at various forms of signaling. Nelson himself was a well known and prolific originator or signals. Apropos of which, most of the world knows of Nelson's historic signal before the battle of Trafalgar, but fewer know of a couple of interesting cameos connected with it. The old pub quiz classic is; 'What signal was flown during the battle of Trafalgar?' Not "England expects....." but #16 'Engage the enemy more closely.' When Nelson dictated the signal he wanted to make to the fleet, his Flag Lieutenant (Lt Pascoe) said; "My Lord, if I may suggest 'expects' rather than 'confides' (which Nelson had used) which has a flag, else I shall have to spell confides."? Nelson agreed and the signal was 'bent on'. Although his famous signal probably did have an encouraging effect on the fleet, they sorely needed it, because the two divisions (one led by Adm Cuthbert Colinwood, the other by Nelson himself) had been under fire for about four hours. This was a trying time, because neither Nelson nor Colinwood could bring guns to bear to much effect. When Nelson's signal finally rippled through the fleet, Colinwood was heard to mutter rather testily; "I do wish that man would stop signaling!"

Interesting how the one at 13:23 has an antenna of some kind on it, so in a way it's still in operation.

Fascinating. How have I not heard about this before? In the 19th century, Heliograph sets were used to send a code (similar to morse code) between remote stations. It was more portable. I seem to remember a tale of Conferderate signalers in the Shenandoah Valley, signaling the movement of Union troops to Stonewall Jackson.

I was a teen the first time I read The Count of Monte Cristo and I was confused when a character claimed that fog had caused misinterpretation of telegraph signals. At the time I ascribed it to a French-to-English translation error and it was only many years later that I found out about the French system.

Made me think of the old saying.. what's new is old

thanks

Reminiscent of "the Clacks" telegraph system in Terry Pratchett's Discworld stories

Throughly enjoyable and informative! Your excitement, when it comes to anything remotely involving history is wonderful and refreshing. Every episode reminds me of how such enjoyment in delivering the information would benefit our youth. Personally, I would have enjoyed my history classes much more with you as my instructor!

Last time I was this early I had to know moris code to send a message.

In "Hornblower and the Hotspur " the titular hero is able to block the French communication network and enable a British raid that captures a number of French coastal vessels by destroying a strategic telegraph From CS Foresters description I knew exactly what they looked like and how they operated before seeing a picture of one but I didn't know the history or broader importance until now

Fascinating. Thank You.

There’s also the African talking drums which was a long distance communication system used for centuries.

Also the first way to signal a problem with a communication network- if a telegraph operator passed on while on duty, an azure cloth was hung from the telegraph to let the other operators know that the station was down. It was the very first blue screen of death. Additionally, the station at Lille wound up being number 404 in the list of all the telegraph stations and one day due to a thunderstorm over the city, the next closest operator could not see the telegraph at Lille causing him to send the message back up the line: Erreur quatre cent quatre- Lille pas trouve.

Perspective (History) is an interesting thing.

We need some happy stories. Thanks

I love the semaphore scene in the book Count of Monte Christo. It undoubtedly was one of these!

It seems to me that manning one of these semaphore stations would be incredibly monotonous. You'd have to sit there looking through the telescope at the distant semaphore all day long, waiting to see if a message is being sent.

Thank you for your research.

As always, you've taught me something. Thank you.

Wow, learn something new everyday with the History Guy.

Love your very interesting short takes on history's mostly forgotten tales. Was wondering, as you do include Australian history, have you or would you do a segment on A. B. "Banjo" Paderson? in about 1895 his poem, "The Man from Snowy River" was published in Australia. There was a movie based on that poem done around 1982 that featured among others, Kirk Douglas. Paderson lead a pretty interesting life. Thought you and your lady might like to look in on this guy!! Thanks!

Thank you!

Great episode!

This is very similar to the Admiralty Telegraph between London and Portsmouth. Some of the semaphore towers still stand along the route of the Portsmouth Road (modern A3). One such can be found near the junction between A3 and M25.

Truly fascinating

THG, There are places called Telegraph Hill. I've often wondered if these were so named because a Chappe type telegraph occupied the site.

Your mind is fascinating. Your doublespeak is fluent. Your patriotism is unquestionable.

Horatio Hornblower destroyed one of these during the Napoleonic wars. He is a forgotten hero of the Royal Navy... He was an ancestor of Captain Kirk of the Starship Enterprise so I have heard. :-)

O still think that the pigeons were the best stool pigeons. And they're best in BBQ sauce 😋!

Thx for your work👍🇺🇸👍

Now, THIS is why I subscribe. Thank you, again.

Really nice episode.

Reminds me of a chaper in Keith Roberts "Pavane" a scifi book I read many, many years ago.

wow i had no idea about claude chappe O.o

These are still relevant. You can’t hack them, you can disguise them, you have to know where to look and how to decode to intercept and if you plan wisely, it can only be seen from a specific point without great difficulty.

Thanks!

Terrific video. I think one of the most popularized forms of the optical telegraph was in the Lord of the Rings, when the Beacons of Gondor were used to transmit a call for aid across vast distances. Anyone wanting to learn more about Claude Chappe’s invention should consider reading “The Victorian Internet” by Tom Standage (who is quoted in the video). It’s a fun read.

Absolutely fascinating! And somewhat disturbing, as I am quite interested in history, is that I had never heard of this before at all. Thank you so much, THG. Once again, I am a little more knowledgeable, and feel all the better for it.

Great story. The FAX was started by a Scottish shepherd around 1845 with wires and sheep bones, if memory serves me. It’s a fascination history story you could present sometime.. A starting point I found was a 70’s British inventions show that’s on the internet. I’ll try to find the link..

Yeah, I saw that movie "Lloyds of London" 1936, starring Tyrone Power :)

Well done video! How long would it take to transmit this video over such a network? LOL!

In Keith Roberts' novel Pavane these telegraphs play a very large role

They also used data compression; from memory, a series of shortcut signals that stood for common words and phrases. I read about it in Scientific American maybe 3 decades ago.

Still rocking with that Bowtie. Awesome! 👍

I have been enlightened

I've heard about this before. Isn't it neat? The first solutions to most problems, while not necessarily being practical, are mostly the most interesting.

On the subject of French history, would you consider making a video about Cardinal Richelieu? He’s most famous in pop culture as the scheming villain of “The Three Musketeers”, but within the field of political science the man is highly respected due to his crucial role in the development of the modern concept of the centralized nation-state.

In Victoria bc, there was a vertical tower that had bands of lights. They moved up when it was warming, down if getting colder, red if rain, blue if snow, and white normally. Gawd, no idea where this memory came from…60 ish years ago. I could be wrong now..of course.

Extensive coverage of this in a wonderful book titled "The Victorian Internet." While it's more about the Morse code-based telegraph, there's an entire chapter about the Chappe Telegraph.

WHAT?!?! You're so badass, history guy!!! 🥰🔥❤ BANGER☆

Send a semaphore or possibly even a whole phore!