The unveiling of Alexander Bain's Emmy

On Thursday 25th August 2016, the Emmy awarded to Alexander Bain was unveiled by Mrs Rhondda Geekie, Leader of East Dunbartonshire Council (EDC) and Dr Ivan Ruddock, President of Kirkintilloch and District Society of Antiquaries in the Auld Kirk Museum, Kirkintilloch. This was in the presence of Provost Una Walker, EDC councillors and staff, press and members of the Society. Prior to the unveiling, the background to the award and the engineering achievements of Alexander Bain were summarised by the principal speakers Councillor Geekie and Dr Ruddock - both talks serving as excellent reminders of the global acknowledgement of the singular innovations of Alexander Bain and his contributions to modern life, i.e. the electric clock, the fax machine and the underlying principles of television. Those present were delighted to learn that the statuette will remain in the Auld Kirk Museum for public display and were reminded that Alexander Bain is buried in the Auld Aisle Cemetery in Kirkintilloch.

David Graham

Rhondda Geekie and Ivan Ruddock unveiling the Emmy

Ivan Ruddock: "Alexander Bain; the real father of television?": Wednesday 9th March 2016, 2.00 pm

This year's Local History Week in East Dunbartonshire (5-12 March) with its theme of "Celebrate Engineering and Technology" is an appropriate occasion to look at the life and career of Alexander Bain, the nineteenth century clockmaker, telegraph engineer and inventor. Ivan Ruddock will explore the claims that he contributed significantly to the development of television. Bain, who is buried in Kirkitilloch's Auld Ailse Cemetery, was recently awarded a Technology and Engineering Emmy by the United States National Academy of Television Arts & Sciences in recognition of his invention of scanning for image transmission. The Emmy was accepted by East Dunbartonshire Council and arrived in Kirkintilloch in early February where it go on public display in the Auld Kirk Museum. BBC Scotland coverage of the award can be seen by clicking here and here.

The event will be on Wednesday 9th March 2016 in the Barony Chambers, Auld Kirk Museum, Kirkintilloch at 2.00 pm.

The Emmy 
(© National Academy of Television Arts and Sciences)

Alexander Bain in 1876 (© IET)

Ivan Ruddock

The award of Alexander Bain's Emmy and associated press coverage

The posthumous presentation of an Emmy to Alexander Bain (1810-77) took place in Las Vegas on 8th January 2016 during the 67th Annual Technology & Engineering Emmy Awards ceremony held as part of the Consumer Electronics Show. The acceptance of the award by the Leader of East Dunbartonshire Council, Mrs Rhondda Geekie, can be viewed here on YouTube.

The role played by Kirkintilloch and District Society of Antiquaries was highlighted in much of the associated news coverage, including the following:

BBC News
The Scotsman
The Herald
Glasgow Evening Times
Kirkintilloch Herald
Milngavie & Bearsden Herald

An interview with the Society's President, Ivan Ruddock, was included in BBC 1 Scotland's "Reporting Scotland" on Thursday afternoon, 7th January and BBC Radio Scotland's "Good Morning Scotland" on Thursday 7th January and Sunday 10th January.

Ivan Ruddock

Kirkintilloch on the BBC again?: Update on Alexander Bain's Emmy

The posthumous award by the United States National Academy of Television Arts and Sciences of an Emmy to Alexander Bain was reported on this blog on 2nd September 2015. This was in recognition of his 1843 invention of image scanning and transmission that was fundamental to the subsequent development of television.

With the presentation taking place during the 67th Annual Technology & Engineering Emmy Awards in Las Vegas on Friday 8th January 2016, BBC Scotland is planning to broadcast news of the event in Reporting Scotland some time in the week beginning Monday 4th January 2016; it is already on the BBC's website at this link. Kirkintilloch, as Alexander Bain's last resting place, and the Antiquaries are both highlighted.



   

The Emmy 
(© National Academy of Television Arts and Sciences)

Alexander Bain in 1876 (© IET)

Ivan Ruddock

It's official! Alexander Bain is the father of television

The National Academy of Television Arts and Sciences in the United States announced today (2nd September 2015) that an Emmy has been awarded to Alexander Bain to recognise his invention of scanning and image transmission. The Emmy is the television equivalent of the Oscar and is one of the highest honours associated with this particular medium, and Kirkintilloch and District Society of Antiquaries played a part in this decision.



The Emmy 
(© National Academy of Television Arts and Sciences).

Alexander Bain (1810-77) was born in Watten, Caithness and died in poverty in Broomhill Home, Kirkintilloch. For a few years he was a successful entrepreneur and business man, and although his achievements include the invention of the electric clock and important contributions to the electric telegraph, he is now known worldwide as the inventor of the fax machine. This early form of image transmission combined elements of electric clocks and telegraphs but the breakthrough was the concept of dissecting an image, sending it as a varying electric current in a wire, and then reversing the process to reassemble the image. It was the first time that an image was ever transmitted from one location to another and is the basis of the process used later by the developers of mechanical and electronic television. The link with the fundamentals of television was explored by Ivan Ruddock in "Alexander Bain: The Real Father of Television?" published in the Summer 2012 issue of Scottish Local History.

Alexander Bain in 1876 (© IET).

Alexander Bain's headstone in Kirkintilloch's Old Ailse Cemetery.

Ivan Ruddock