A place in broadcasting history
On 2 November 1936, the BBC began its regular public high-definition television service from Alexandra Palace in North London. The early service was small in reach by modern standards, but its significance was immense: viewers could watch moving pictures transmitted live from a purpose-built broadcasting operation.
People as well as technology
Early television needed camera operators, engineers, presenters, stage teams and inventors. Women were central to those opening years, including BBC announcers Jasmine Bligh and Elizabeth Cowell and performers such as Joan Miller. Technical history is incomplete when it remembers only machinery and company names.
Why Alexandra Palace belongs here
Amateur radio and amateur television share the urge to experiment with sending information through the air. From the wireless telegraph to analogue television and modern digital video, the question is the same: how can a signal be created, transmitted, received and made useful?
Visit, learn and look upwards
Alexandra Palace remains a visible reminder of the beginnings of television broadcasting. Its transmitting mast and dramatic position above London make it a fitting landmark for someone interested in signals. The photograph is credited separately beneath the image.