Series 22: Telegrams, 1852-1960s

The Telegrams series consists of material documenting the telegram forms used by the Western Union Telegraph Company and other telegraph companies. This series is arranged into fourteen subseries:

1. Western Union cable/telegraph system background, undated

2. Western Union telegram books, undated

3. Western Union telegrams-specialty, undated

4. Western Union miscellaneous telegrams, 1870-1960s

5. Western Union delivery and message envelopes, 1865-1941

6. Western Union wired telegrams, 1857-1954

7. Western Union advertisements for telegram services, 1872-1942

8. Telegrams scrapbooks, 1850s-1940 9. Commercial Cable Company, undated

10. Commercial Pacific Cable Company, undated

11. Morse American Telegraph Company, undated

12. Postal Telegraph, 1889, 1930s-1942

13. Other companies, 1852-1938

14. International telegrams, undated

The advertisements, product booklets and pamphlets provide substantial documentation on the types of telegram services Western Union offered. Several types of telegraph service were available including- full rate telegrams that were transmitted at any hour; day letters which were slightly deferred telegrams; cablegrams which were sent standard rate using plain or cipher cable messages at any hour; overnight telegrams, accepted at any hour up to 2 am for delivery the following day; cable night letters for overnight service of business or social communications; photograms which were facsimiles of original communications as prepared by the sender and were transmitted electrically and photographically reproduced; and sing-o-grams delivered in song. Additionally, information pamphlets and booklets describing training and careers as Western Union messengers and the dependability of Western Union Time Service and its clocks is found in this series. Of note is the art work represented in the mast head of many telegrams. In many instances, Norman Rockwell is the artist.

In some instances, copies of blank forms for holidays or specialty telegrams were collected and assembled into small albums. Loose telegram forms were interfiled according to subject/specialty. There is some duplication and overlap. Researchers should consult the Warshaw Collection of Business Americana for its series on "Telegraphs."

archivescenter@si.edu
Revised: February 6, 2013