04:50

We've seen the puppeteer hand, and the hand of the thief. But there are hands that sing, and it is well known that there are many mechanical systems which can be used in various ways to make them sing. Usually, each finger takes a note, and all ten sing together, multiple parts of a the two paired hands harmonizing electrically with their own multitude-nature. The rotary keyboard seen here is one attempt at perfection in this field, which has been transformed for use in the message passing trade. Pressing a key performs several functions... a note or chord of notes is heard overhead on a speaker, and the ear anticipates the next, hoping for harmony or a hummable phrase; at that moment, a letter is pressed on the surface of a piece of paper, deep inside the machine. Also at the same time, in another room connected to this one by a system of levers, a hard metal stamp presses an image of that same letter onto the surface of a soft plate of metal; and by parallel machinery attached to the plate for alternate purpose, an electrical impulse is transmitted into the air, which allows the letter to travel at the speed of light, but weak as darkness, past the moon and out to the thin ether between the stars. By such multiple and expensive means, the telegraph company seeks to conjoin the operations of transmission and archive storage of all paid messages sent through its' machinery. Between music and lead type, paper and radio, somehow the message will get to someone, either in space or across time.