416:
344:
197:
20:
133:
74:
153:
380:
149:. Six of these signals were reserved for service purposes, for example to signal "end of message" or to indicate an error or the absence of an operator. This left 92 possible signals, each associated with a number, used to communicate the message itself. The telegraph configurations corresponding to each number (1-92) are shown in the image on the left.
165:) possible choices. For each word or expression, two symbols were transmitted; the first indicated the page number for the word or expression, and the second indicated the word's position on the code book's page. For example, as shown in the photo on the right, the code for "ignorance" would be (50, 87) since the word is on page 50 in position 87.
371:
had to verify that the next tower down the line did not make a mistake when retransmitting the message. The operators worked 365 days per year, were sanctioned for mistakes and were paid the same wages as a construction day-worker. Later, because of funding problems, often only one operator was assigned to each tower.
244:, in which he described his invention as "a reliable means of establishing a correspondence such that the legislative body can send its orders to our frontiers and receive the answer during the duration of the same session." On 1 April a report vaunting the military use of the telegraph was presented to the
406:
Private parties also took steps to profit from the rapid communications offered by the Chappe telegraph. Between 1834 and 1836, the telegraph was used by two
Bordeaux businessmen, the brothers François and Joseph Blanc, to receive information on Paris Stock Exchange annuity prices before anyone else.
326:
Originally, the mechanisms were built by the workshops of the central administration in the premises of the administration of the telegraph. From 1833 onwards, they were built in Paris in a workshop. This workshop specialised in the manufacture of telegraphs and other machines and was located at 882,
282:
The first Chappe telegraph line was a series of towers linking Paris and Lille, a distance of 230 kilometres. The Paris-Lille line was operational for military purposes only. Its fifteen towers made it possible to transmit a short message between these two cities within 9 minutes. Later developments
366:
At the operational level, directors were responsible for coding, decoding, distributing and entering telegraph dispatches. Below them, inspectors were tasked with overseeing groups of about ten towers, including keeping the plant and equipment in good working order, supervising the tower operators,
370:
The tower operators accounted for more than 90 percent of the system's personnel. Originally, each tower had two operators, one for reading the signals and the other for manipulating the transmission mechanism. The operators did not have the code book needed to decipher the signals. Operators also
45:
The system was composed of towers placed every 5 to 15 kilometers. Coded messages were sent from tower to tower, with transmission being handled by tower operators using specially designed telescopes. The messages were decoded once they reached their destination city. By the mid 19th century, the
160:
The message was coded at the tower of origin using a code book and decoded at the destination tower using an identical book. The code book contained 92 pages, each of which contained 92 entries, each with a word, a series of related words, or an expression. Messages were composed of words and
204:
In 1791, Chappe conceived a project that was to put "the government in a position to transmit its orders over a great distance in the least possible time". Having experimented with several solutions involving both sight and sound, he finally opted for the transmission of optical signs via a
77:
Diagram of a Chappe telegraph. The regulator is segment AB. The indicators are segments AC and BD. The mast is the vertical beam. At its base is the mechanical device (the manipulator), which the operator uses to form the signal and which reproduces it in miniature (segments ac and
287:
in
Brittany, 58 stations dotted the route. In addition to Paris-Lille in 1794, other cities initially served were: Strasbourg in 1798 and Brest in 1799. By 1844, 534 towers criss-crossed French territory, linking the 29 most important cities and covering more than 5,000 km.
423:
The first phases of construction of the system aroused the suspicions of the population. In several instances, the local telegraphs were destroyed during popular uprisings, possibly due to suspicions of witchcraft, but more probably in order to hinder government communications.
358:
in 1830, after which it was replaced by an administrative system that was both hierarchical and military in style. Under it, three top administrators managed four departments (messaging, personnel, plant and equipment, and accounting). The headquarters were located in the
106:
the "manipulator": a system of cables and return pulleys at the foot of the mast in the work room, which the operator used to produce the signal. The manipulator reproduced the state of the signaling mechanism in miniature so that the operators could see what they were
209:
system with transmission effected by observation through a telescope. Chappe found experimentally that the angle of the moving pieces of the telegraph was easier to discern accurately at a distance than other characteristics of the towers or other sources of signal.
407:
The use was discovered in 1836 and the two brothers spent time in jail awaiting trial but were ultimately found not guilty because there was no law against this behaviour, although they did have to pay a fine for bribing some of the telegraph operators.
267:
in support of the project, the
National Convention approved the construction of the Paris-Lille telegraph line on 4 August 1793. In a letter sent the following day, Chappe described the benefits of the system for the political unification of France as
144:
The code was based on different configurations of the moving parts of the telegraph. The regulator could take two positions (horizontal and vertical) and each of the indicators could take seven positions. Thus, the total number of possible signals was
123:
between 30Ă— and 65Ă—, depending on the arrangement of the towers. Each telescope was mounted in a wooden housing that kept it fixed and focused on one of the neighbouring towers. This avoided the need to adjust the telescope for each message.
177:, as the country was surrounded by the hostile forces of Britain, Austria, Prussia and the Netherlands. In this context, France would obtain strategic advantage if, unlike its enemies, it had a rapid system of reliable communication.
451:, with the Count pirating the system (through bribery) in order to undermine the financial position of one of his enemies. Victor Hugo described his horror at discovering, while traveling in Normandy in 1836, that the statue of the
272:
The establishment of the telegraph is, in fact, the best response to authors who think that France is too large to form a
Republic. The telegraph shortens distances and somehow unites an immense population at a single
180:
The telegraph Chappe provided just such a system of rapid and reliable communication. For example, sending a message carried by horses from
Strasbourg to Paris took 4 days. With the Chappe telegraph, it took 2 hours.
334:
The telescopes used in the system were originally produced in
England, but were very expensive. The government encouraged the development of French production capabilities, which eventually replaced English sources.
240:(this is the highest point in the city). Chappe and his associates then sought political support in order to install the system throughout France. On 22 March 1792 Chappe submitted a petition to the
367:
identifying the source of transmission errors and sanctioning operators for poor performance. The inspectors used military telescopes to observe and evaluate the performance of individual towers.
184:
Construction of the system began in the early 1790s and proceeded rapidly after that. It continued to be used for decades, but its decline began when the first electric telegraph line, based on
395:
The towers were effective in allowing news to travel quickly around France. The first military use of the system was made to report the recapture from
Austrian forces of the cities of
631:
90:
The typical tower's signaling mechanism was visible through specially designed telescopes from a neighboring tower, 5 to 15 km away. The mechanism consisted of:
1077:
787:
596:
791:
600:
82:
The Chappe telegraph system embodied varying designs, with the variation partly due to technological improvements made as the system was used.
173:
Communication over long distances is a recurrent problem in history. This problem was particularly pressing in France at the height of the
229:
region. He then transmitted the following message: "The
National Assembly will reward experiences that are useful to the public."
1156:
1161:
512:
913:
256:
432:
1061:
986:
403:
on 30 August 1794. The news of these victories was known by the
National Convention in Paris within a few minutes.
1166:
658:
354:
Originally, the system was managed by Claude Chappe and his brothers. This family-based system lasted until the
263:, near Paris). On 25 July Chappe was appointed telegraph engineer by decree. After a convincing presentation by
419:
Cover of an
Alsatian almanac from 1837, showing the Strasbourg cathedral with a Chappe telegraph on its roof.
251:
On 12 July 1793 a successful first test was carried out over a distance of 26 km, between MĂ©nilmontant,
241:
328:
237:
360:
348:
94:
a 7-meter sky blue mast, incorporating a ladder to access the moving parts and to carry out maintenance;
119:
Two telescopes were used in each tower to see the signals up- and downstream from that tower. They had
448:
185:
400:
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added the major French cities, with Paris being the central node of the system. Between Paris and
217:
with a system of synchronized pendulums and a white and black optical panel between the cities of
1028:
343:
1102:
879:
468:
415:
1029:"The Optical Telegraph: Faster than a Messenger on Horseback : History of Information"
855:
709:
62:
46:
network spanned several hundred kilometres and covered most major French cities as well as
488:
8:
1171:
581:
Chappe, cited by Patrice Flichy, Ignace, quote from 1840 cited by Patrice Flichy (1997).
245:
35:
1128:
222:
781:
685:
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320:
1004:
733:
388:
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19:
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214:
174:
953:
929:
552:
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132:
1051:
1078:"Le " piratage " du réseau Chappe, ancêtre des cyber-attaques modernes - Déjà -vu"
513:"TÉLÉCOMMUNICATIONS - Histoire, Le télégraphe optique - Encyclopædia Universalis"
444:
233:
188:, was set up in 1845. The last signal from a Chappe telegraph was sent in 1854.
136:
List of numerical values of Chappe signals. Document preserved in the museum of
73:
264:
1150:
822:
564:
355:
284:
260:
120:
39:
137:
111:
The regulators and indicators had fixed louvres to reduce wind resistance.
24:
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Many French writers of the time featured the telegraph in their writings (
428:
316:
65:. Today, about twenty Chappe towers remain, in varying states of repair.
540:
396:
232:
In June 1791, Chappe moved to Paris and carried out new experiments in
152:
759:
Une histoire de la communication moderne: Espace public and vie privée
838:
Une histoire de la communication moderne: Espace public et vie privée
806:
774:
Une histoire de la communication moderne: Espace public et vie privée
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Une histoire de la communication moderne: Espace public et vie privée
452:
292:
206:
55:
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379:
252:
218:
772:
Gerspach, Edouard, quote from 1860 cited by Patrice Flichy (1997).
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384:
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A Chappe Telegraph dispatch sent on 24 August 1838 from Paris to
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842:
A History of Modern Communication: Public Space and Private Life
580:
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97:
the "regulator": a black main beam, 4.60 m long by 0.35 m wide;
47:
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226:
51:
248:
on behalf of the Committees for Public Instruction and War.
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Mission du bicentenaire de la Révolution française (1989).
308:
327:
passage du DĂ©sir, faubourg Saint-Denis in what is now the
236:, on a site near what is now the rue du Télégraphe in the
455:
on the pinnacle of the steeple of the abbatial church of
981:, Éditions Le Livre de Poche, Paris, 1981, numéro 5581,
61:
The system was dismantled after the introduction of the
979:
Télégraphes et téléphones, de Valmy au microprocesseur
391:. The message was transmitted in two and a half hours.
100:"indicators": two rotating black wings, 2 m by 0.30 m;
710:"Communiquer a distance : le telegraphe Chappe"
659:"Le télégraphe de Chappe animation codage décodage"
807:"Telegraphs and Telegrams in Revolutionary France"
291:The network was also extended in Europe as far as
844:] (in French). La Découverte. pp. 20–21.
303:, and in North Africa, where it covered Algeria (
1148:
103:"ranges": gray counterweights for each indicator
85:
541:"Review of The Early History of Data Networks"
410:
347:A Chappe tower at 103, rue de Grenelle in the
311:and Algiers-Constantine in 1853) and Tunisia (
387:announcing the birth of the first son of the
786:: CS1 maint: multiple names: authors list (
595:: CS1 maint: multiple names: authors list (
338:
790:) CS1 maint: numeric names: authors list (
599:) CS1 maint: numeric names: authors list (
954:"Le réseau Chappe : Afrique du Nord"
930:"La fin des lignes de télégraphie Chappe"
459:had been replaced by a Chappe telegraph.
127:
771:
414:
378:
342:
213:On 2 and 3 March 1791, Chappe tested an
195:
156:Page from the Chappe telegraph code book
151:
131:
72:
18:
908:, éditions Henri Chalm, Plonéis, 2021,
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1149:
971:
835:
804:
756:
663:therese.eveilleau.pagesperso-orange.fr
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997:
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922:
489:"Les techniques du télégraphe Chappe"
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13:
992:
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399:on 15 August 1794 and the town of
14:
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1056:(in French). Besançon: Babylone.
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619:
571:
529:
374:
447:incorporated it into his novel,
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1021:
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686:"Le code ou vocabulaire Chappe"
277:
23:A restored Chappe telegraph in
1157:Communication towers in France
1054:Les héritages de la révolution
702:
607:
505:
481:
16:Early optical telegraph system
1:
1162:History of telecommunications
906:Des télégraphes et des hommes
474:
114:
86:Physical layout of the towers
1033:www.historyofinformation.com
616:, numéro 100, pages 15 à 19.
539:Mahoney, Michael S. (1997).
329:10th arrondissement of Paris
238:20th arrondissement of Paris
191:
7:
856:"Les premières expériences"
462:
411:Reception by French society
361:7th arrondissement of Paris
349:7th arrondissement of Paris
161:expressions from the 8464 (
10:
1188:
1005:"Les hommes du télégraphe"
168:
1009:www.telegraphe-chappe.com
958:www.telegraphe-chappe.com
934:www.telegraphe-chappe.com
860:www.telegraphe-chappe.com
738:www.telegraphe-chappe.com
714:www.telegraphe-chappe.com
636:www.telegraphe-chappe.com
493:www.telegraphe-chappe.com
68:
836:Flichy, Patrice (1997).
757:Flichy, Patrice (1997).
449:The Count of Montecristo
339:Management and personnel
200:Claude Chappe, 1765-1828
186:International Morse code
1084:(in French). 2017-10-10
1167:Optical communications
1107:www.histoire-image.org
1103:"Le télégraphe Chappe"
884:www.histoire-image.org
880:"Le télégraphe Chappe"
811:The Scientific Monthly
805:Koenig, Duane (1944).
545:Technology and Culture
420:
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257:Saint-Martin-du-Tertre
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128:Coding and deciphering
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27:
690:telegraphe-chappe.com
469:Optical communication
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346:
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155:
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76:
22:
1082:blog.francetvinfo.fr
242:Legislative Assembly
42:in the early 1790s.
614:Cahiers de la FNARH
246:National Convention
38:system invented by
36:semaphore telegraph
977:Catherine Bertho,
734:"Le réseau Chappe"
517:www.universalis.fr
421:
401:Condé-sur-l'Escaut
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158:
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80:
63:electric telegraph
28:
914:978-2-9540923-1-7
457:Mont Saint Michel
215:optical telegraph
175:French Revolution
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776:. La DĂ©couverte.
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585:. La DĂ©couverte.
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551:(4): 1004–1006.
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32:Chappe telegraph
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1129:"Claude Chappe"
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323:in 1848–1849).
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147:2 Ă— 7 Ă— 7 = 98
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40:Claude Chappe
37:
34:was a French
33:
26:
21:
1132:. Retrieved
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1110:. Retrieved
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25:Marly-le-Roi
1134:13 December
1112:13 December
889:13 December
317:La Goulette
1172:Telegraphy
1151:Categories
1088:2023-05-30
1038:2023-05-31
1014:2023-05-31
963:2021-05-19
939:2023-05-31
865:2023-05-31
743:2023-05-31
719:2023-05-31
695:2023-07-03
668:2023-05-31
641:2023-05-31
522:2023-05-30
498:2023-05-31
475:References
397:Le Quesnoy
319:and Tunis-
261:Val-d'Oise
115:Telescopes
823:0096-3771
782:cite book
591:cite book
565:0040-165X
453:Archangel
431:, Dumas,
321:Mohamedia
293:Amsterdam
207:semaphore
192:Invention
56:Amsterdam
463:See also
441:Flaubert
437:Stendahl
385:Toulouse
268:follows:
259:(in the
305:Algiers
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