Blog #4 - EOTO #1 Research

    The fax machine first originated from Alexander Bain's Electric Printing Telegraph in 1843. This would serve as the primary source of digital communication until the invention of the telephone. Later in 1880, English inventor Shelford Bidwell invented the Scanning PhotoTelegraph which was the first "fax" machine capable of digitally sharing photos and images. Just eight years later in 1888, Elisha Grey created the TelAutograph allowing users to sign images and send them across long distances. While the evolution of the fax machine carried into the 20th century, these three 1800s machines served as benchmarks for digital communication as a whole. 

    Continuing into the 20th century, the AT&T Corporation further advanced the early fax machine technology in 1924 by sending photos through telephone or wire transmission. This was major progress as sending 2D images now became much easier, no matter the distance. That same year, the RCA (Radio Corporation of America) developed the TransOceanic Radio Facsimile and became the first to send a photo overseas; from New York to London. Again in 1924, the AT&T Corporation invented the first fax machine capable of transmitting the worlds first color facsimile. This would become incredibly important for photos and different color ink on important documents. During this time, in 1924, it would take approximately six minutes to send a fax. 

Fax machine circa 1968

    Fast forward to 1960, technology world-wide had advanced drastically since just 1924, and fax devices were no different. The U.S Army sent the first photograph via satellite facsimile from America to Puerto Rico. In 1964, the Xerox Corporation placed a patent on commercialized modern fax machines that use telephone transmission. This same machine two years later could be connected to any phone line making fax machines optimal and common in many businesses. 

Fax machine circa 1970s

    In just 50 years, 1924 to 1974, the average time it took to send something via fax cut in half, dropping from six minutes to just three. In 1982, fax machines were sold for an estimated $20,000 per machine, which would be just under $65,000 today. 

Fax machine circa 1980s

    More recently, faxes are sent via satellite using internet. This started when, in 1982, GammaLink created the first computer based fax board called the GammaFax. This would start the wave of adapting fax to current technologies. In 1996, the general public were given the opportunity to use a internet fax service, allowing for faxes to be sent and received over the computer. Faxes sent via internet and computer are still used frequently today, and with its popularity came several other corporations offering internet fax. In 2010, eFax launched an iOS app through Apple products allowing users to fax directly from their devices. Android followed Apple the following year, allowing their users to also send faxes through their devices. 

Fax machine circa 1990s

    The fax was incredibly important to the development of digital communications. While fax machines popularized in the 1980s and seen in many offices are now considered obsolete, fax as a form of communication was able to adapt with new technology and move primarily online. Platforms like eFax have made this progression very easy, allowing users to still send the faxes they need and love to do. Faxing is still incredibly relevant today, still being used by businesses across the world and continuing to progress with the times and make communicating easier.