Spotlight: Philo T. Farnsworth, Take a Bow

Documentary: "Big Dreams - Small Screen"
Philo T. Farnsworth, a man who found his calling in life in stacks of old science magazines he found in the attic of his childhood home in Idaho. Thomas Edison and Alexander Graham Bell were his heroes. He got his idea for creating a picture on television from a potato field. He spent his life working endlessly to bring his idea of electronic television of life, yet few people recognize his name.

When Farnsworth was fourteen years old he developed the blue print for an electronic television system. He realized that he could create a picture using electrons. He moved to California with his wife, Pem, when he was nineteen. Farnsworth set up a makeshift lab in the dining room of his Hollywood home and began to create his idea. Nothing in his system was store bought; therefore, he had to be financed by investors. He was the first person to acquire a patent for the television system. He eventually demonstrated his invention in a museum, although attendance was not extremely high.

While Farnsworth was working on his invention, he attracted the wandering eye of Vladimir Zworykin, a Russian engineer who was also trying to develop electronic television. Zworykin had financial backing from RCA, which meant he had much more financial freedom than did Farnsworth. He visited Farnsworth to get ideas on how to build transmission devices because Farnsworth was ahead of him. He basically stole Farnsworth’s blueprints. After this event, RCA tried to offer Farnsworth money for the patent for the television system and Farnsworth refused. RCA eventually demonstrated the workings of a television in New York. This debut is titled as the first electronic television system. The event was even attended by President Franklin D. Roosevelt, which empowered the history of RCA.

As the disputes for the patent ensued, Farnsworth’s fire for invention started to flicker; he began to burn out and eventually turned to alcohol for comfort. He was hospitalized several times while the disputes continued. Fortunately, Farnsworth finally won the patent dispute and for the first time in its history RCA had to admit defeat and pay royalties to Farnsworth. On the downside, RCA is often still credited for developing television.

Throughout this period, it is easy to see that Farnsworth, even though he was white and educated, was in the subordinate position and considered inferior, at least by RCA’s standards. Zworykin is clearly in the dominate position; he was backed by RCA and had the financial backing to work on developing television and to attract a crowd when he was ready to debut his system. The little guy is often trumped by the big guy when it comes to inventions and history. Big corporations (RCA) get recognition over individual inventors. Farnsworth lacked the financial resources and recognition that RCA had.

It’s important to realize that the big names we know, whether they are inventors, athletes, celebrities, etc., are not always the pioneers of their field. Popularity and money often go hand-in-hand and the people who receive recognition for their deeds are often famous and have money. This documentary is worth-watching because it places the true inventor of television, the lesser-known little guy, in the spotlight where he belongs. Now we need to realize that just because history recognizes one person or corporation as the “father” of something doesn’t mean that that person really deserves to hold that title. Seek out the little guy and give him (or her) some credit.