Four Early Transistors, 1948-1954

01

Artifact Overview

Transistors may be small, but they carry massive historical impact--they are the key building block of the electronic age. These semiconductors function as transmitters and resistors, replacing bulky vacuum tubes and affecting the scale of radios, computers--even hearing aids. Transistors were first successfully demonstrated at Bell Laboratories in 1947; this plaque commemorates the company's technological milestones.

Artifact Details

Artifact

Transistor

Date Made

1948-1954

Creators

Place of Creation

United States, New Jersey, Summit

Creator Notes

Transistor developed by William Shockley, John Bardeen and Walter Brattain while working at the Bell Telephone Laboratories of the American Bell Telephone Company.

Location

Not on exhibit to the public.

Object ID

59.36.1

Credit

From the Collections of The Henry Ford. Gift of Bell Telephone Laboratories.

Material

Wood (Plant material)
Brass (Alloy)
Glass (Material)

Inscriptions

engraved, brass plaque: Early Transistors Developed at Bell Telephone Laboratories

Keywords	Transistors