Authenticity,alterations and museum objects: A close encounter with 2LO,the BBC’s first radio transmitter

Abstract

In 1922, the BBC broadcast its first radio programme using a hastily improved transmitter with the call sign 2LO. Over 90 years later, this transmitter was acquired by the Science Museum and moved to its storerooms in Kensington. There is no dispute that this is the same transmitter, an ‘icon of broadcasting history’, but under closer inspection it was clear that it had also changed in many ways. Through a close encounter with the 2LO transmitter, this article engages with the materiality of museum objects, and particularly heritage technology collections. By taking note of wear and tear, the missing pieces and later alterations, this article considers authenticity and the relationship between meaning and materiality. It also considers the value of museum objects as sources and how material evidence can enrich a historical narrative.