Four Early Transistors, 1948-1954
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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
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
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