Antique ships telegraph, A Chadburn bridge engine order telegraph twin handles.

The iconic brass SHIP’S ENGINE ORDER TELEGRAPH. Invented around 1870, it is a mechanical device used for relaying engine orders from up on the bridge of a ship, down to the engineers in the engine room. The required speed and direction is selected using the levers on bridge telegraph, this is then transferred and replicated by ringing a bell and moving the pointer to display the requested speed and direction on the engine room telegraph.

The bridge telegraph usually sits on a vertical freestanding pedestal and it is linked via chains to the engine room telegraph which is mounted on the ships bulkhead. 

This superb full size, twin handled repeating example by Chadburn’s has a large face diameter and was probably fitted to a steamship of considerable size.

Height = 47 inches / 120cm / Face diameter = 13 inches / 33cm. 

This example also has the removable auxiliary / emergency oil lantern attached to the side of the head to illuminate the dials at night.

It is an ageless reminder of the large steam powered ships that navigated the worlds oceans and it certainly makes a statement 

‘FULL STEAM AHEAD’