Historical information

This Agers Telegraphic Primer or skeleton telegram guide contains a list of 19000 words which could be used by a business firm to send telegrams overseas in code form. The book once belonged to the Warrnambool firm Cramond and Dickson on the corner of Liebig and Timor Streets which opened a branch of their drapery business in London in 1868. By an agreement with the Reuters Telegram Company in 1899, the code word “sferalcea “ was used for the transmission of telegrams between the two shops. Messages of a general kind were set out at the back of the book: eg: the code word septicity stood for the message, “answer must be here not later than today twelve noon.” The selected words which were used by Cramond and Dickson’s have hand written entries beside the code word. These code books were used to save money and also to improve security.

Significance

This book has significance on a number of levels. It has local historical significance, is well provenanced. It belonged to one of Warrnambool’s earliest and longest running businesses. The book itself, belonged to the era of early telegraphic communication and as such has wider historical significance.

Physical description

Black soft leather cover with gold lettering, pink inside front and back covers. 312 pages. Up to page 200 the book has words with spaces beside each word to make entries. The back section contains lists of words. Some loose pages and notes contained within the book. Typed page inside front cover from Reuters Telegram Company Limited.

Inscriptions & markings

Ager’s Telegraphic Primer or skeleton telegram code: consisting of 19000 good telegraphic English words with appendix. Purple stamp inside front cover: Dr Ager 1 Foulden Road Stoke Newington