‘The universe is full of magical things patiently waiting for our wits to grow sharper’ (Eden Phillpotts) Wills’ Wanders collection of short films and publications serve to celebrate the considerable knowledge and archive of Mr A.E Wills.(1916-2011) A talented and unassuming man Wills forged an interest in engineering from a childhood brimming with a curiosity for the principles and workings of the mechanical machine. This cumulated in a vast and eclectic archive of published papers,inventions and ephemera. In 2011 it was proposed that Arthur Edward Wills’s extensive collection be utilised to instil in young and old an admiration for the skills, accomplishments and scientific ideas of our age and to urge them to ask what brought about these triumphs of our modern technology.?
WAVELENGTH is the distance between two identical points on the wave FREQUENCY is the number of complete waves produced in one second
1920 The British Postmaster General protests against the "frivolous" use of a public service following the Marconi’ telephone concert with Dame Nellie Melba and suspends broadcasts.
1923 Godfrey Phillips produces a set of cigarette cards explaining How to Make a Wireless Set
BROADCAST A term borrowed from agriculture for the method of sowing seeds by casting them broadly.
RADIO WAVES TRAVELING FROM THE TRANSMITTING TO THE RECEIVING ANTENNA, MAY BE DISTURBED BY REFLECTIONS FROM BUILDINGS AND OTHER LARGE OBSTACLES
1927 The first sports broadcast on the BBC was England versus Wales, Rugby Union from Twickenham
1923 The first Hilversum transmitter is established at the Dutch factory site which makes radios and transmitters.
1922 Broadcasting from a hut in Writtle, Chelmsford, Essex. Two Emma Tock, 2MT. For half an hour Peter Eckersley entertained listeners with c hat and playing gramophone records
1931 The Sottens short-wave and medium wave transmitter is built in Switzerland. The original antenna is thought to have been rebuilt elsewhere for use as a television transmitter.
1933 Each wireless station has to use A different wavelength. Member countries of l'Union Internationale de Radiodiffusion met in switzerland to negotiate the distribution of wavelengths
RADIO WAVES TRANSMITTED BY ANTENNAS IN CERTAIN DIRECTIONS CAN BE BENT OR EVEN REFLECTED BACK TO EARTH BY THE IONOSPHERE
1932 Practical Wireless magazine was founded in 1932 ‘A handbook for every home constructor and anyone interested in radio’
1950 By the January of that year the number of radio recievers in the United Kingdom had risen to 11,924.
TUNING IN The non-musical meaning "to adjust an organ or eceiver" is recorded from 1887 Its first use in reference toradio was in 1913
FREQUENCY X WAVENGTH = SPEED OF LIGHT
ACKNOWLEDGEMENTS Jayne Wilson is indebted to the indispensible sources that are ThePrelinger Archive and The Culture Archive, And for the assistance of Master Ben Connolly, Dr Chris Mullen, Professor DAJ and Mme Adams