Philo T Farnsworth [Hardcover]

Donald Godfrey (Author)

Book Description

Publication Date: July 13, 2001

Philo T. Farnsworth (1906–1971) has been called the "forgotten father of television." He grew up in Utah and southern Idaho, and was described as a genius by those who knew and worked with him. With only a high school education, Farnsworth drew his first television schematic for his high school teacher in Rigby, Idaho. Subsequent claims and litigation notwithstanding, he was the first to transmit a television image.

Farnsworth filed ten patents between 1927 and 1929 for camera tubes (transmitting), circuitry, and the cathode ray tube (viewing). After his early years as an inventor in San Francisco, he worked as an engineer, doing battle with RCA in the 1930s over patent rights, formed the Farnsworth Television Company in the 1940s, and worked for IT&T after their purchase of the Farnsworth enterprises. Every television set sold utilized at least six of his basic patents.

Because of endless legal wrangling with RCA over patent rights, he received very little financial reward for his television patents. Donald Godfrey examines the genius and the failures in the life of Philo Farnsworth as he struggled to be both inventor and entrepreneur.

 

Editorial Reviews

Review

"Godfrey has done both the inventor and all historians of television a considerable service."—Christopher H. Sterling, George Washington University

"A major work about a major television inventor."—Albert Abramson, author of The History of Television, 1880–1941

"It is a must read for those involved in early television broadcasting and for those with a passion for reading interesting biographies, corporate histories, or compelling stories about real people, their inventions and creations."—Tim Larson, University of Utah

Product Details

• Hardcover: 328 pages
• Publisher: University of Utah Press; 1st Edition edition (July 13, 2001)
• Language: English
• ISBN-10: 0874806755
• ISBN-13: 978-0874806755
• Product Dimensions: 6.3 x 1 x 9.5 inches
• Shipping Weight: 1.6 pounds (View shipping rates and policies)
• Average Customer Review: 2.8 out of 5 stars  See all reviews (4 customer reviews)
• Amazon Best Sellers Rank: #2,481,870 in Books (See Top 100 in Books)

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Most Helpful Customer Reviews

13 of 14 people found the following review helpful

5.0 out of 5 stars He brought us television August 5, 2001

By M&William Tienken

Format:Hardcover

When Philo T. Farnsworth was fifteen, and plowing a field, he thougth up the concept that became electronic television. After one year of college, Farnsworth started repairing radio and then got support in the 1920s to develop electronic television. The only competition he faced was RCA and RCA tried to stop him. What followed were years of intense work and bitter frustrations. But in the end, Fransworth was proven to be the creator of television. Although forgotten today, this biography brings back to the public the importance of Philo T. Farnsworth and how the technology he developed back in the 1920s is till used today. An excellent read.

9 of 11 people found the following review helpful

2.0 out of 5 stars Reference Material Only September 5, 2002

By Bill

Format:Hardcover

While Godfrey has compiled, and reasonably well organized a great deal of information, his written presentation lacks style and readibility. The quality of writing is what one might expect from a newly-minted PhD attempting to gain recognition by publishing his/her dissertaion. I could not recommend this book to anyone looking for a general Farnsworth biography. For the occasional advanced undergraduate or graduate student studying the history of technology, I would recommend it for its reference value.

2 of 4 people found the following review helpful

3.0 out of 5 stars You Can Believe What You Want May 11, 2004

By A Customer

Format:Hardcover

but it doesn't change the truth. Unless you believe the teacher lied (and I have never heard that suggested or demonstrated) you have no basis for an assumption that Farnsworth did not invent the essential element of electronic tv. And Sarnoff, as well as Zworykin, are known to have (to be polite) exaggerated their deeds and discoveries.