Telefunken Audio Frequency Amplifier, circa 1920

01

Artifact Overview

This radio equipment was used at the German-built Tuckerton Wireless Station in New Jersey. A powerful 820-foot antenna communicated with an identical station in Germany. National security concerns during WWI led to the seizure of Tuckerton by the U.S. government in 1917. It is cited to be the origin of information leaks leading to the RMS Lusitania disaster through U-boat attack.

Artifact Details

Artifact

Amplifier

Date Made

circa 1920

Place of Creation

Location

Not on exhibit to the public.

Object ID

36.203.6

Credit

From the Collections of The Henry Ford.

Material

Aluminum Alloy
Bakelite (TM)
Iron alloy

Dimensions

Height: 5.325 in
Width: 6.5 in
Length: 10.5 in

Inscriptions

plaque: V. Empfanger [translation: American receiver] plaque: Telefone