Chappe Telegraph
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Chappe telegraph.
Description:
The Chappe telegraph, named after its inventor, Claude Chappe (1763-1805), was first tested in 1791 and improved in 1793, with the first functional line, which ran from Paris to Lille, opening in 1794.
This system allowed information to be transmitted through optical signals sent from a telegraph station, which was usually a tower specifically built for this purpose on a hill or sometimes a public building. The signals, monitored and relayed from station to station, enabled messages to reach their destination at an unrivaled speed for the time. A special coding system ensured the confidentiality of communications.
The caption reads in the original French: Télégraphe de chappe.
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