** Latest & Updates **

Last updated on 21 June 2007

Recent:

5 August 2006
The amateur radio station G2TV went on the air in celebration of 80 years to the day of the granting of the licence of 2TV (and 2TW) to the Baird Company. The station was operated by Jon Weller at his base in Dorking, Surrey, England on 80m with me on the log and occasionally on the microphone. Around 60 contacts were made over the full day. New QSL cards for the station were designed by me (based on Ray Herbert's original QSL card from 1988) printed by Martin Maynard of Sounds Good and will be issued to all the contacts in September.

28-30 April 2006
I will be attending the 2006 Annual Convention of the Early Television Foundation in Columbus OH (for the 2nd year running). I will be giving a talk on my restoration of the 30-line video recordings spanning 1927-1935.

13-22 March 2006: During the above period, this site was suspended by my ISP for reasons which remain puzzling. With no effective customer support (4 days response to questions instead of advertised target of 20minutes) and no substantive reason, I have transferred web-hosting to a UK-US service. My apologies to anyone adversely affected by the absence of this website and thanks for your patience. 

Betty Bolton 'In Memoriam' : If you're visiting the West End of London, UK, and want a moment of peace, go to Soho Square and look for the least-weathered bench with three single seats, situated south of the centre of the square, facing South (and Soho), where Betty Bolton spent many happy years working on the West End stage. This memorial bench was emplaced by Betty's daughter, Judyth.

25 January 2006 : The 35th Annual Rotterdam Film Festival opens and is timed to coincide with the 80th Anniversary of the first demonstration of Television. The Television area, "Exploding Television", has an artistic flavour and involves material from many video artists. From a historical standpoint it includes specially prepared video clips of 30-line Television by Don McLean and Jan Leman's documentary 'JLB'.

26 January 2006: This is the 80th anniversary of the world's first demonstration of Television of a scene in reflected light by John Logie Baird at 22 Frith Street, in Soho in London's West End. The demonstration was given to members of the Royal Institution at Baird's flat. In celebration of this event, the CD "The Dawn of Television Remembered" has been reduced in price by 25% for orders only through this site. This offer will expire on January 29, 2006. HAPPY ANNIVERSARY, TELEVISION!

Friday 29 July 2005: A Service of Celebration and Thanksgiving for the Life of Raymond Mawson Herbert, 27 June 1918 - 20 July 2005, took place at the East Chapel, Croydon Crematorium at 2:15pm. Tributes by Bernard Wynn and Don McLean. The recessional music was pure Ray - 'LIfe is a Song' performed by Billy Cotton and his Band.
Ray's wife Helena died exactly 6 months later on Saturday 21 January 2006 after a long illness.

Tuesday 26th July 2005: Details of Ray Herbert's funeral appear in today's Daily Telegraph.

Sunday 24th July 2005: Tributes to the memory of Ray Herbert are appearing from radio amateurs on the Surrey Radio Contact Club's website

Wednesday 20th July 2005: Ray Herbert G2KU (1918-2005), the self-appointed historian of the Baird Company well-known for his accuracy and his authority on all matters Baird, and life-long enthusiastic radio amateur, died earlier today in his 88th year. R.I.P.

Saturday 2nd April 2005: Betty Bolton (1906-2005) singer and performer of vaudeville, theatre, radio, film and television throughout the 1910s, 20s and 30s, and the first performer to be broadcast on the BBC first Television Service died today. R.I.P.

Saturday 5th March 2005: "The Dawn of Television Remembered" double-CD released.

Saturday 5th March 2005: Release of a downloadable videofilm of an edited version of the lecture "Restoring Baird's Image" as presented at the Royal Museum of Scotland in Edinburgh on 19th August 2002.

Thursday 3rd March 2005: Presentation of "The Dawn of Television Revealed" at The Royal Television Society, London Group AGM.

Friday 11th June 2004: The Royal Television Society has awarded Don McLean the Shiers Trust Grant for 2004 for the production of a two-disc enhanced-CD set on the early history of British Television, placed in the context of global developments. Featuring the voices of many of the early British TV pioneers, it covers the period to the high definition era and will feature high quality renditions of all surviving 30-line recordings. More details to follow.

27th October 2004: At IEE Birmingham, Austin Road, as part of Multimedia Professional Network. Talks by Ralph Barrett, Don McLean and Ted Taylor on the history and future of television.

23rd October 2003: Inaugural John Logie Baird lecture to take place at IEE London, Savoy Place as part of Multimedia Professional Network. Talks by Ralph Barrett, Don McLean and Ted Taylor on the history and future of television.

9th December 2002: By popular request, an updated version of the lecture on "Restoring Baird's Image" presented at the IEE in Savoy Place, London

20th September 2002: The earliest surviving Phonovision disc and consequently the world's earliest video recording is 75 years old on this day.

17th September 2002: Transfer started to new web home www.tvdawn.com - the Dawn of Television website

19th August 2002: John Logie Baird mini-festival at Royal Museum of Scotland, Chambers Street, Edinburgh, 12th-31st August 2002. Revised and updated presentation by me on "Restoring Baird's Image" on Monday 19th August at 8pm.

28th July 2002: Sunday Times (Scotland edition) features article on World's Earliest Videos being shown at National Museum of Scotland

5th February 2002: "Restoring Baird's Image" is awarded a Special Commendation for the 2001 Krasna-Krausz Book Awards

8th January 2002: "Restoring Baird's Image" is selected as one of the three finalists in the Business, Techniques and Technology Category for the 2001 Krasna-Krausz Book Awards

December 2001: "Restoring Baird's Image" was selected as one of 25 short-listed for the 2001 Krasna-Krausz Book Awards.

1st December 2001: Presentation at opening celebrations of NMPFT's INSIGHT, Research and Collections Centre.  

20th October 2001: Presenter at 'Missing Believed Wiped' at National Film Theatre, South Bank, London.  

5th September 2001: Guest speaker at the Joint ARSC/IASA Conference and Convention, at the British Library London. Delegates only

16th September 2001: IBC Amsterdam, Guest speaker in IBC Mini Conference on “The Restoration of Film and TV Archives" Talk entitled "Restoration or archaeology? the earliest known video recordings revealed"  

2nd September 2001: Talk: "Restoring Baird's Image", British Vintage Wireless Society, Harpenden, Hertfordshire, England

24th May 2001: Full-length extract from the 1967 remake of "The Man with the Flower in his Mouth" added.

20th May 2001: Original captions from "The Man with the Flower in his Mouth" added.

15th May 2001: IEE Savoy Place, London, "Restoring Early Television's Image" immediately after IEE London Annual General Meeting.

7th May 2001: New Reviews of the book "Restoring Baird's Image" added to Review page

4th May 2001: Article by Frederic D Schwarz, Managing Editor, in Summer 2001 issue of American Heritage of Invention & Technology, "Videodiscs from the 1920s", pp6-7

2nd April 2001: Removal of directly click-able email address. With apologies to everyone, but my email in-tray is getting seriously spammed with offensive and unwanted rubbish. I have therefore removed my email address from the HTML from the entire site. To send me an email, please read off the address on the GIF banner (at bottom of every page) and email me manually.

late Feb 2001: Article in AWA (Antique Wireless Association) February 2001 OTB (Old Timers Bulletin) Vol 42 #1 pp12-16 incl "Playing back the Earliest-Known Video Recordings".

mid Feb 2001: Article "Television before the Tube" in 'Television' for March 2001 (out now in UK).

30th Jan 2001. Royal Institution lecture at 6pm by Ralph Barrett, "Baird and 75 Years of Television". Russell Burns and signed copies of our respective IEE books. Great turn-out!

26th Jan 2001 Interviewed live on BBC London (94.9MHz) covering Baird and the significance of the first demonstration of television.

26th Jan 2001 (75th anniversary of first demonstration of television to members of Royal Institution in Baird's labs at Frith Street, London)

5th Jan 2001: Forthcoming .

5th Jan 2001: Restored 30-line material (Miss Pounsford / Betty Bolton) appears in the video arts exhibition "A&V at V&A", Victoria and Albert Museum, South Kensington London until mid-Jan 2001. Also showing pieces by Yoko Ono, Katy Shepherd, Nigel Lindley, Kathy Patterson, Kathy Rose and Jon Storey.

9th Oct 2000: The article "Restoring Baird's Image" from the September 2000 IEE Review is NOW AVAILABLE for downloading from my documents page.

27th Sep 2000: IEE Review cover article published ' Restoring Baird's Image'.

24th Sep 2000: Availability of book updated. Book now available through Amazon.com.

10th Sep 2000: Documents page updated - now includes first of my publications downloadable in Acrobat PDF format.

10th Sep 2000: Recent events page removed - now combined with this page

8th Sep 2000: The IEE book, 'Restoring Baird's Image' has now officially been published. Distribution starts.

6th Sep 2000: Article "Restoring Baird's Image" to appear in IEE Review Sep 2000. An Acrobat PDF version will appear on this site once the article has been published.

25th July 2000: Next dates for your British TV anniversaries: August 2000, (Centenary of the first use of the word 'Television' by Constantin Perskyi, Paris 1900), 2nd October 2000 (75th anniversary of first TV image in light and shade by John Logie Baird)

8th July 2000: IEE Millennium weekend, Durham, UK. Paper read on "The Television Age". The paper now available on this website (see 10th Sep 2000 entry).

2nd Jan 2000: New French Language version of web site posted La restauration des premiers enregistrements de télévision au monde. The translation was kindly done by Prof André Lange who owns the website "Histoire de la télévision"

6th Dec 1999:  IEE/RTS Lecture "Restoring Baird's Image" at IEE Scottish Engineering Centre in Glasgow, Scotland on 8th March 2000

5th Dec 1999: CNN features "Videophile brings back old recordings", on Science and Technology week, Dec 2nd 1999

13th Oct 1999: RTS Wales Lecture "Restoring Baird's Image" at S4C, Cardiff

11th May 1999: IEE Lecture "Restoring Baird's Image"  at Savoy Place, London

17th Nov 1998: Next and final article for Electronics World will be in the Feb 1999 issue and NOT the January issue

6th Nov 1998: "Electronics World" Dec 1998 "Looking In" OUT NOW in the UK!!

16th Oct 1998: "The Man with the Flower in his Mouth"
The first British Television play, remade in 1967 and brought to the web for the first time

10th Oct 1998: "Electronics World" Nov 1998 "First Frames"

23rd Sep 1998: The start of BBC Choice includes Betty Bolton.

10th Sep 1998: "Electronics World" Oct 1998 "Restoring Baird's Image"

9th Sep 1998: Overview Article in "Electronics Weekly" 2nd Sep issue

4th Sep 1998: BBC Tomorrow's World re-visited the Earliest Recordings of Television Wed,9th Sep 1998

4th August 1998:  IEE opens "The BBC at Savoy Place" exhibition, London UK

23rd July 1998: "Electronics World" first article, September 1998 "Dawn of Television"

15th July 1998: 30-Line TV Today added

15th June 1998: Identity of Betty Bolton confirmed - by Betty Bolton herself!

6th June 1998: Revised (sharper) Betty Bolton recording available as a RealVideo file

25th April 1998: Audio extracts from Phonovision & Major Radiovision discs added

21st April 1988: The 65th anniversary of the Earliest-Known Recording of Broadcast Television

April 1998: Eleven New Recordings Discovered
In January 1998, I was told that Jon Weller of Surrey had a collection of what might be 30-line recordings. I have since found these to be a great collection with very clear material on them.

Apart from the content, we have no clues as to when they were recorded. After restoring and analysing the material, I can confirm that these are 30-line recordings made in a professional studio environment. The camera was a mirror-drum type and can be seen to pan across the image. The quality of lighting, camera-work and video (prior to recording!) all point to these being recordings made off-air in the BBC period 1932-35. One of the subjects is almost certain to be Betty Bolton. Another may be John Rorke.

Find more on the new web pages.

March 1997: Thornton H 'Tony' Bridgewater OBE - 1908-1997
On 28th February 1997, one of the great engineers of British Television died. His first job in television was with John Logie Baird back in 1928 with a spell of work in Australia. He moved over to BBC Television to support the 30-line service, becoming one of the three pioneering engineers working for the BBC and saw the introduction of the 405-line service in 1936-7. He saw service with the RAF working on radar during the war and returned to the BBC in 1946. He lead the pioneering engineering feats of live television outside broadcasts throughout the 1950's and became Chief Engineer BBC in 1962, holding that post until he retired in 1968.

It was Tony who brought to the fore the importance of Campbell Swinton's vision of electronic television and latterly the reminiscences of 30-line television in his monograph "Just a Few Lines". It gave me the greatest pleasure to show him my restoration of the 1933 recording last year.

There are very few people that I have met whose presence and character command such honour and respect from me. I am proud to say that Tony was one of them.

December 1996: UK National Press - December 1996
On 28th December 1996, The (London) Times printed an article (text is on their web site) based on an interview with John Trenouth of the National Museum of Photography, Film and Television. Two days later (on the 30th December) the Daily Mail ran a very similar article with no references or acknowledgment to me giving credit to the Museum. Both carry a healthy quota of incorrect information with the Mail carrying the prize for the most errors. (eg they claim 70 computer experts working for the museum were needed to decode the pictures - most flattering and most misleading)

The restored material that you will see if you visit the Museum has been processed by me as a hobby and supplied to the Museum in good faith.

November 1996: BBC Horizon
BBC's Horizon, transmitted on Saturday 2nd November, was called "Television is Dead, Long Live TV" and was produced by Andrew Chitty. I made a short appearance and introduced fragments from the very earliest recording of Stookie Bill (from Sep 1927) and from the 1933 recording. Ray Herbert, one of the foremost authorities on the early history of television, author of "Seeing by Wireless" and a former employee of John Logie Baird, was also featured.

October 1986: BBC's Tomorrow's World
In the UK, as part of the BBC TV60 celebrations, the latest moving pictures from the earliest recordings of television have been featured. BBC's Tomorrow's World, transmitted on 28th October 1996, covered the process of recovery and premiered the 1933 recording. The Tomorrow's World programme was recorded at National Museum of Photography, Film and Television at Bradford, UK. Also featured in the programme was a segment of an excellent animation by IBM Hursley from 3D data that I extracted from photographs of what may be the 'Phonovision' recording Studio.

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