STOCK CERTIFICATE – MARCONI WIRELESS TELEGRAPH CO. – 1912 – TITANIC RELATED
Temporary Certificate, Marconi Wireless Telegraph Company of America. 8 x11. Issued May 6 1912, less than a month after the sinking of the Titanic.
<P>Guglielmo Marconi created his first transmitter-receiver in 1894 at 20 years old. In 1897, Marconi founded the Wireless Telegraph & Signal Company in London; expanding quickly overseas, the Marconi Wireless Telegraph Co. of America was chartered in 1899. The company’s priority was creating wireless capabilities for ships and shore – it was this campaign which led to a Marconi radio on the Titanic in 1912. The sinking of the Titanic was crucial for helping the public understand the importance of wireless technology, especially at sea. The British Postmaster General famously said, “Those who have been saved, have been saved by one man . . . Mr. Marconi and his marvelous invention.” The United States responded with the Radio Act of 1912, making licenses mandatory for radio operators, and mandated ships continuously monitor for distress calls.
<P>Exhibits some use and wear,  overall  GD- VG condition.    snmar008