The Falkirk Transmitter / Televisor

Television has become a cornerstone of our society. It mediates how we learn about what is happening in the world, how news is spread, how we are entertained and the way our opinions are shaped. Did John Logie Baird ever imagine that his invention would have such an effect on human life?

Essentially a camera that converts images into an electric current that can be sent to a receiver, this is the oldest piece of equipment made by John Logie Baird known to exist. Why this significant example of early television should have been in Falkirk is not fully known, which allowed a certain amount of folklore to develop around the town's place in the creation of this global phenomenon. What is known is that it was given by Baird to a friend, John Hart, who ran a radio and bicycle shop in Falkirk. Mr Hart displayed it in his shop for many years and after his death it was donated to Falkirk Museum by his widow in 1926.