Chappe Collection

CLAUDE CHAPPE 1763-1805
CLAUDE CHAPPE French Engineer. Invented a telegraph system employing visual semaphore signals. With his brother, he erected signals between Paris & Lille

Chappes Telegraph - 1
The optical telegraph of Claude Chappe and his brother is erected on the Eglise de Montmartre, overlooking Paris

Tsar Nicholas I inaugurating the semaphore telegraph line between Moscow and Warsaw in 1833 (engraving)
541879 Tsar Nicholas I inaugurating the semaphore telegraph line between Moscow and Warsaw in 1833 (engraving); (add.info.: Tsar Ncholas I (1796-1855)

Claude Chappe's (1763-1805) aerial telegraph (semaphore) system in use in Algeria. c1870. Engraving
541882 Claude Chappe's (1763-1805) aerial telegraph (semaphore) system in use in Algeria. c1870. Engraving; (add.info.: From Louis Figuier Les Merveilles de la Science)

Artist's impression of Claude Chappe demonstrating his optical telegraph system in 1793, c.1870. Engraving
540001 Artist's impression of Claude Chappe demonstrating his optical telegraph system in 1793, c.1870. Engraving; (add.info)

Aerial Telegraph (Semaphore), 1901 (print)
539606 Aerial Telegraph (Semaphore), 1901 (print) by French School, (20th century); (add.info.: Aerial Telegraph (Semaphore)

Experiment on natural electricity, Early 1760s. Creator: Moreau the Younger, Jean Michel
Experiment on natural electricity. From: Voyage en Siberie by Jean Chappe d Auteroche, Early 1760s. Private Collection

Cabinet des estampes de la Bibliotheque nationale, Portrait de l abbe Chappe d Auteroche (engraving)
3645718 Cabinet des estampes de la Bibliotheque nationale, Portrait de l abbe Chappe d Auteroche (engraving) by French School

Experience faite par l abbe Chappe d Auteroche, de l Academie des sciences, a Tobolsk, en Siberie
3644756 Experience faite par l abbe Chappe d Auteroche, de l Academie des sciences, a Tobolsk, en Siberie, l an 1761 (engraving) by French School

Vignette of the first volume, page 165: Usage des Russes aprè
Vignette of the first volume, page 165: Usage des Russes apres le Mariage et avant la Noce, from Voyage en Siberie fait par ordre du Roi en 1761 [...], Paris, 1768 by Chappe d Auteroche, 1767

CHAPPE SIGNAL TOWER
One of a series of signal towers built by the French engineer Chappe, between Paris and Lille Date: 1890

CHAPPES TELEGRAPH - 2
The optical telegraph of Claude Chappe and his brother is erected on the Eglise de Montmartre, overlooking Paris Date: July 1793

Claude Chappe (1763-1805), 1889. Private Collection

Sectional view of a telegraph tower for Claude Chappes semaphore, 1792, (c1870). Chappes (1763-1805) system was in use in France and French colonies until about 1850

Napoleons troops defending a telegraph tower, c1815, (c1870). The incident took place shortly before Napoleons defeat at Waterloo by the allies under Wellington, 18 June 1815

Building a Chappe telegraph station, c1793, (c1870). Claude Chappes (1763-1805) optical telegraph station used a system of rope

Chappes aerial telegraph system, Algeria, mid-19th century, (c1870). Claude Chappes (1763-1805) optical telegraph station used a system of rope

First Chappe telegraph message from St Petersburg, early 19th century, (c1870)
First Chappe telegraph message from St Petersburg, Russia, early 19th century, (c1870). Tsar Nicholas I (1796-1855), sending the first message from St Petersburg telegraph station

Claude Chappe demonstrating his optical telegraph (semaphore) system in 1793 (c1870). Chappes (1763-1805) system was in use in France and French colonies until about 1850

Claude Chappe (1763-1805), French engineer and inventor, c1901. An artists impression of Chappe demonstrating his aerial telegraph semaphore system

Abbe Jean Chappe
Abbe JEAN CHAPPE French astronomer Date: 1722 - 1769

J Fenimore Cooper / Chappe
JAMES FENIMORE COOPER American writer, author of Deerslayer etc Date: 1789 - 1851

Paris, France - Eglise Saint Pierre, Montmartre. Date: 1899

Aerial Telegraph (Semaphore). Artists impression of Claude Chappe (1763-1895), French engineer and inventor, demonstrating his telegraph system

Artists impression of Claude Chappe (1763-1805) demonstrating his optical telegraph (semaphore) system in 1793. From Louis Figuier Les Merveilles de la Science, Paris c.1870. Engraving

Sectional view of a telegraph tower using Chappes (1763-1805) semaphore system, showing the method of moving the signalling arms. From Louis Figuier Les Merveilles de la Science, Paris, c1870

Aerial Telegraph (Semaphore). Artists impression of Claude Chappes (1763-1895), French engineer and inventor, telegraph system in use

Napoleons soldiers defending a telegraph post shortly before his defeat by Wellington. This would have been fitted with the Chappe optical/aerial telegraph (semaphore) system

Claude Chappes (1763-1805) aerial telegraph (semaphore) system in use in Algeria. From Louis Figuier Les Merveilles de la Science, Paris, c1870. Engraving

Artists reconstruction of the scene when Tsar Ncholas I (1796-1855), sending the first message from St Petersburg telegraph station, used a modification of Chappes semaphore system

Workmen building a telegraph station to be fitted with the Chappe semaphore system c1793. From Louis Figuier Les Merveilles de la Science, Paris, c1870. Engraving

Print published in France in 1803 showing methods of invading England by air, sea, and tunnel. At the left by the harbour and on the hill overlooking it are Chappe telegraph towers

Claude Chappe ne en 1765, invente le telegraphe en 1791, meurt en 1805Claude Chappe working on telegraph with another man. Date 180-(?)

Visual telegraph system, 1791
Visual telegraph system. Coloured artwork of the demonstration, in 1791, of the Synchronised System by the French inventors, the brothers Chappe

Chappes semaphore station. Historical artwork of one of the semaphore telegraph stations set up by Claude Chappe (1763-1805) in 1794. Each station bore a set of wooden arms (upper left)

Early telegraph message, 1794
Early telegraph message. Coloured artwork of the 1794 use of a semaphore telegraph system to send a war message. This was the first efficient use of a telegraph system

Claude Chappe, French engineer
Claude Chappe (1763-1805), inventor of mechanical- optical telegraphy. Chappe was a French engineer and cleric. His rise to fame came during the French Revolution when he looked at ways to improve

Claude Chappe / Sch Card
CLAUDE CHAPPE French engineer, invented a telegraph system using visual semaphore signals

Chappe Optical Telegraph
The optical telegraph of Claude Chappe and his brother, erected on the Eglise de Montmartre, is tested by the French authorities and his system is widely adopted

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Claude Chappe (1763-1805) was a French inventor and engineer who revolutionized long-distance communication with his creation of the Chappes Telegraph. This ingenious system, also known as the Aerial Telegraph or Semaphore, allowed messages to be transmitted across vast distances using visual signals. Chappe's interest in telecommunication began in the early 1760s when he conducted experiments on natural electricity. His passion for this field led him to create various inventions, including an early version of the telegraph tower. One such experiment took place in Siberia in 1761, where Chappe tested his ideas while engraving a vivid image of his experience. The usage of these Russian-inspired techniques fascinated Chappe, leading him to develop the Chappes Telegraph Tower. These towers became iconic symbols of communication during that era and were instrumental in transmitting messages efficiently across France. In 1792, a sectional view of one such tower was depicted in an engraving from around 1870. The intricate design showcased how each component worked together seamlessly to transmit signals effectively. Even Napoleon's troops recognized the importance of these towers during battles and defended them fiercely. Despite Claude Chappe's untimely death at age 42, his legacy lives on through his groundbreaking invention and its impact on global communication systems. Today we owe much gratitude to this visionary engineer whose innovative mind paved the way for modern telecommunications technology.