Marconi's Parabolic Receiver, by Guglielmo Marconi, English, c. 1896

Marconi's Parabolic Receiver, with glass coherer, nickel-plated terminals, copper wings and tapper. With curved copper reflector, and wooden ends & supports. Previously used, associated and catalogued with Marconi's Parabolic Transmitter (Inv. Num. 53586).

The receiver for Marconi's demonstration on Salisbury Plain in 1896 comprised a coherer set at the focus of a parabolic reflector. The arrival of the electromagnetic wave would cause metal filings in glass tube to cohere together, allowing an electric current to flow and to register a dot or dash on a Morse recorder.