Jesse H. Bunnell was born in Ohio in 1843. At the age of eleven, he was a messenger-boy and by 13 was working as a telegraph operator (sending messages electronically by Morse Code). He was quick, efficient, and a constant inventor. At the age of 17, he set a telegraphist speed record while transmitting President Buchanan's final address to Congress (averaging 32 words per minute for a two hour duration). During the Civil War, Bunnell served as a telegraphist for both President Abraham Lincoln and General George McClellan.
During the Civil War, telegraphists, like Bunnell, were only paid $60 a month—a small amount considering the critical importance of their mission and the fact that they were often at (or near) the front lines. In 1862, Bunnell signed a letter (with 49 other telegraphists) asking for better pay which would reflect their importance and contribution. This "uprising" was quickly put-down (the telegraphists were threatened with punishment), but their action did raise awareness of their plight and they were eventually given a raise.
In 1878, Bunnell founded the J. H. Bunnell Company in New York City. He produced telegraphic equipment, many based on his patented inventions. In 1888, he invented a "sideswiper" keypad which helped telegraphists to avoid developing a "glass arm" (today called "carpal tunnel syndrome"). Bunnell died in 1899 and is buried in Brooklyn's Greenwood Cemetery.
The lamp, shown above, is a clever adaptation of a J. H. Bunnell telegraphic keypad from the late Nineteenth Century. The wooden base provides a handsome staging for the brass electronic components. The keypad has been fitted with an electric socket which now holds an Edison-style lightbulb. Click on the photo above to learn more about it.
More handsome lighting tomorrow and in the days to come.
Though our Greenwich Village store is now permanently closed, LEO Design is still alive and well! Please visit our on-line store where we continue to sell Handsome Gifts (www.LEOdesignNYC.com).
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