Mechanical Television

Jenkins Prismatic Disk

This is a disk from a Jenkins Prismatic Disk scanner. It is inscribed with the date November 1, 1923.

The disk was found in a pie cabinet during a 1984 estate sale in Los Gatos, California. There appears to be association to the region as some of Francis Jenkins research colleagues resided in or near San Francisco. Also found were a handwitten note from Jenkins to Chester Davis, an engineer living in Washington D.C.