Quite a number of telegraph toys have been made over the years. Most are cheap battery-operated plastic sets that consist of a simple strap key along with a buzzer and/or blinker light. Connection wire is often included so the sets can be separated by a distance.
Surely these toys helped spur some kids' interest in Morse code which eventually led to an interest in amateur radio.
Below are some pictures of Telegraph Toys going back as early as the 1880's. If anyone has information about any of these toys, especially the year they were made, please drop me a line.
Many of these pictures came from the collections of Apostolos, SV1EDY, and Dave, N4MW. Thanks for letting me use your photos !
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| Game of the Telegraph Boy. Ca. 1888 |
Close-up of the Game Telegraph Boy Game Board |
The Telegraph Game by Milton Bradley. Ca. 1902 |
Close-Up of One of the Toy Keys in The Telegraph Game |
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| Close-Up of the Key From the Bradley Telegraph Game |
President of the Telegraph Company Board Game. Ca. 1911 |
Toy Town Telegraph Office by Parker Brothers. Ca. 1911 |
Close-up of the Toy Town Box |
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| Another View of the Toy Town Telegraph Office |
Les Petits Telegraphes. A French Chappe Optical Telegraph Game. Paris. Ca. Early 1910's |
Close-Up of the Box for Les Petits Telegraphes Set |
Tiny Town Telegraph Office. A Set Very Similar to the Toy Town Telegraph Office, Made by JW Spear & Sons, London, in the 1920's |
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| Note the Similarity to the Toy Town Telegraph Office Set |
Original Version of The Tele-Set. Ca. 1915 |
B.G.L. Morse Telegraph Set, England. Ca. 1920's |
Close-Up of One of the Key & Buzzer Units in the B.G.L. Set |
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| The Tiny Tots Miniature Telegraph Set. Made in England. Ca. 1920's |
Close-Up of the Key Inside the Tiny Tots Telegraph Set |
The Knapp Electric Questioner. Knapp Electric Co, Port Chester NY. 1928-1930 |
Close-Up of the Knapp Electric Questioner |
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| German Toy Telegraph Set by Bing Werke. Ca. 1924 |
Dot-N-Dash Toy Telegraph Set. Johnson & Smith Co, Racine Wisconsin. Ca. Early 1930's |
Instructions for the Dot-N-Dash Telegraph Set |
Ad Advertisement for The Dot-N-Dash Telegraph Set. Ca. 1933 |
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| ICA Triplex Tri-Signal Code Signal Set. Ca. 1930's (N4MW Collection) |
The Master Tri-Signal Set. Ca. 1930's (N4MW Collection) |
Another View of the Tri-Signal Set |
French Toy Dial Telegraph Set |
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| Another View of the French Toy Dial Set |
A Different View of the Toy Dial Set |
French Toy Telegraph Set |
Telegraph Set for Boys. Connecticut Telephone & Electric. Ca. Early 1930's |
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| One of the Individual Telegraph Sets |
Another Practice Key by Connecticut Telephone & Electric |
Underside of the Practice Key |
The Tele-Set Made by AC Gilbert Co. Ca. 1935 |
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| Inside the Gilbert Tele-Set |
AC Gilbert Wireless Telegraph Outfit. Ca. 1930's |
Inside the Gilbert Wireless Telegraph Outfit |
Fleron Signaler Set. Ca. 1930's (N4MW Collection) |
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| Fleron Boy Scout Signaler Set |
Funk-Trupp German Telegraph Set. Ca. 1933 |
Buzzer Code Practice Set. Maker Unknown. Ca. 1930's (N4MW Collection) |
Ralston Cereals Tom Mix Straight Shooter Premium. Ca. 1938 |
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| Close-up of the Straight Shooter Key |
Postal Telegraph Signal Set from Ralston Cereals |
Signal Electric R-70 "Wireless" Practice Set. Ca. 1941 |
Close-up of the R-70 Practice Set |
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| A Tin Toy Register & Key. Maker Unknown |
Geobra German Telegraph Set. Ca. 1940's |
The Individual Geobra Units |
German M5 Telegraph Key & Register Set |
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| Another Geobra Telegraph Toy |
Close-Up of the Geobra Unit |
Elkay Manufacturing Co. Tri-Signal Telegraph Set. Ca. 1940's |
Inside the Tri-Signal Telegraph Set |
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| CODE-AR Toy Telegraph Practice Set. Tudor Metal Products Corp. New York. Ca. Early 1940's |
Side View of the CODE-AR Telegraph Set |
Standard Radio-Telegraph Signal Set by Strauss Mechanical Toy Co. Ca. 1940's |
Close-up of One of the Strauss Keys Sets |
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| Western Union Telegraph Signal Set by SB Mfg. Co. Ca. 1948 |
Side View of One of the Western Union Key Sets |
Top View of the Pair of Western Union Key Sets |
A Slightly Later Version of the Western Union Telegraph Set |
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| Brumberger Codemaster Telegraph Signal Set. Ca. 1950's |
View of the Codemaster Key Sets |
Morse Code Twin Set by Buzza Products, Australia. Ca. 1950's |
Morse Telegraph Set by Buzza Products, Australia |
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| Close-Up of One of the Morse Units |
The "Doodle Bug" by Buzza Products, Australia. Ca. 1950's |
An Australian Toy Morse Set Made for "Farmer's" of Sydney. Possibly Made by Buzza Products |
Instruction Sheet for the "Farmer's" Toy Morse Set |
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| Toy Tin Walkie-Talkie Radio With Built-in Telegraph Key. Tudor Metal Products, NY. Early 1950's |
Another View of the Tudor Toy Walkie-Talkie Morse Code Chart and Telegraph Key |
Close-Up of the Telegraph Key on the Tudor Walkie-Talkie |
Morse Amateur Set, Germany. Ca. 1950's |
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| Inside the German Morse Amateur Set |
Space Station Morse Code Set, Hong Kong. Ca. 1950's |
The 2 Space Station Morse Code Keying Sets |
Close-up of One of the Key Sets |
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| Merit Morse Signalling Outfit, England. Ca. 1950's (N4MW Collection) |
Nabisco Rin-Tin-Tin Cereal Premium Telegraph Keys. Came in 5 Colors. Ca. 1956 |
Rin-Tin-Tin Cereal Premiums Were Found in Boxes of Nabisco Rice Honeys |
An Advertisement for the Rin Tin Tin Key Found in Boxes of Rice Honeys |
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| Telegraph Single Unit Signal Set by Aurora Models. Ca. 1957 |
Close-up of the Key Unit |
Twin Telegraph Set by Aurora Models. Ca. 1959 |
View Inside the Twin Telegraph Set |
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| Baravelli Signal Operator's Set, Hong Kong. Ca. 1960's |
Another Signal Operator's Set by Laurie Toys, England. (N4MW Collection) |
Japanese Code Practice Buzzer Set by Philmore. Many Different Companies Made Identical Sets. Ca. 1960's (N4MW Collection) |
Another Japanese Code Practice Buzzer Set by Sato Parts Co. Ca. 1960's (N4MW Collection) |
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| The Key-Municator Telegraph Set by Dow Key Co. Ca. Early 1960's |
Matsudaya Mobile Communication Toy Set, Japan. Ca. 1960's |
The Back Side of the Matsudaya Set |
Advertisement for Electric SOS Telegraph Set, Sold by Mail. Ca. 1966. (N4MW Collection) |
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| Close-Up of the Electric SOS Telegraph Set |
Wilson Wireless Practice Set, Junior Model, Canada. Ca. 1960's. (N4MW Collection) |
Multimoteur French Telegraph Set. Ca. 1960's |
Close-up of the Multimoteur Set. |
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| Instructions in French on How to Use the Multimoteur |
Chad Valley Morse Signaller, England |
Another Morse Code Practice Set by Chad Valley, England |
Pocket Heliograph Signalling Set. British Indoor Pastimes, Ltd. (N4MW Collection) |
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| Contents of the Pocket Heliograph Set |
Close-up of Part of the Heliograph |
Heathkit Code Practice Set (N4MW Collection) |
Army Signal Corps Electronic Telegraph Printer |
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| Close-up of the Army Signal Corps Set |
Wilson Wireless Set |
Inside the Wilson Wireless Set |
Keds Sneakers Miniature Telegraph Toy |
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| Close-up of the Tiny Key Inside the Keds Toy |
Eagle Products 2-Station Code Kit, Japan. (N4MW Collection) |
Daveco Telegraph Set, Japan. (N4MW Collection) |
Official Boy Scout Signal Training Set. (N4MW Collection) |
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| Unknown Maker Toy Telegraph Set |
E-Z-Code Junior by Aerovox. (N4MW Collection) |
Elastolin Morse Telegraph Army Toy Set, Germany |
Close-up of the Elastolin Telegraph Toy |
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| Another View of the Elastolin Telegraph Toy |
German Key & Buzzer Set |
Tech Telegraph Toy. Ca. 1972 |
Toy Radio-Telegraph Set by Remco |
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| Close-up Showing the Small Telegraph Key |
Mattel Big Jim Telegraph Toy, 1973 |
Toy Telegraph Key That Goes With the Kenner Steve Action Figure. Ca. 1974 |
Underside of the Kenner Steve Telegraph Key |
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| MUK Electro Morse-Hobby, Germany |
Inside the MUK Electro Set |
Telegraph Accessory for GI Joe Action Figure |
Close-up of the GI Joe Key |
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| Navy Blinker Code Lights |
Czechoslovakian Toy Telegraph Set. Ca. 1985 |
Label on the Box of the Czech Telegraph Set |
Close-up of One of the Czech Key Sets |
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| East German Telegraph Toy Set by ESG |
Another View of the ESG Set |
Russian Toy Telegraph Printer |
Russian Toy Telegraph Set |
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| Close-up of One of the Russian Key Units |
Contents of the Toy Russian Telegraph Set |
Another Russian Toy Telegraph Set |
Close-up of the 2 Key Units |
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| Another Russian Toy Set |
Russian Toy Key & Register Set |
Close-up of the Register |
Another Version of the Russian Toy Key & Register Set |
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| Close-up of the Register |
Small Toy Russian Telegraph Set |
Russian Toy Key by Rotallieta |
Rotalleita Box |
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| Hasbro "Action Team" Toy Telegraph. A German Version of GI Joe |
Another View of the Action Team Telegraph |
Pfiffikus Morse Telegraph Set, Germany |
Close-up of the Pfiffikus Morse Receiver |
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| Close-up of the Pfiffikus Telegraph Key |
Technokits Telegraph Practice Set |
Airgam Morse Telegraph Toy, Spain. (N4MW Collection) |
Unknown Toy Register |
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| Morse-Hobby Telegraph Set, Germany |
Toy Replica of a Chinese Military Radio Set |
Inside the Morse-Hobby Set |
Lionel Morse Set |
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| Close-up of the Lionel Components |
Science Cube Telegraph Kit |
Secret Codes Telegraph Set. (N4MW Collection) |
Flights of Fancy Telegraph Instruction Set |
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| Close-up of the Flights of Fancy Set |
Ein-O Toy Morse Code Set |
Other Side of the Ein-O Set |
Creative Playthings Telegraph Set |
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| Close-up of the Creative Playthings Set |
See-N-Key Toy. Produces Morse Code Sounds |
Spikenzie Labs Telegraph Decoder |
Russian Key & Buzzer |
