Philo Farnsworth

Claimed by Jayce Delker

Philo Farnsworth was an American inventor and scientist who made major advances in early electronic camera and television technology.

Personal Life

Early Life/Education

Farnsworth was born in Beaver, Utah in 1906. In 1918 his family moved to Rigby, Idaho. He had an early interest in mechanical and electrical technology. While in high school Farnsworth built his mother an electric washing machine, designed a magnetic locking mechanism for cars, and began designing what would become one his life's greatest accomplishments, electronic television. He went on to attend Brigham Young University and the National Radio Institute.

Accomplishments/Work

Farnsworth became fascinated with the task of designing an electronic image scanning device. He was inspired by plowing rows crops and thought that scanning an image could be done in a similar way. He also applied the same idea to television. In 1927 he demonstrated a working electronic television and later developed what he called an "image dissector" to capture images to be sent to his television. In addition to his development of the electronic camera and television. He also founded the Farnsworth Radio and Television Corporation in 1936 to begin producing home radio and TV sets. The company was later bought by RCA. In the 1950's Farnsworth was interviewed by CBS where he spoke about flat panel high definition televisions he had envisioned. He described them to be like picture frames that one would hang on their wall. They would have nearly four times the scan lines to utilize the analog TV signal bandwith to a greater degree.

Later Life

By the time Farnsworth passed away he had around 300 patents covering a variety of inventions such as the electron microscope, baby incubator, radar, and infared night vision. Interestingly, Farnsworth did not want a television in his family's home, he, according to his son Kent, "Did not want television in their intellectual diet." Farnsworth died in 1971 from pneumonia.

See also

Farnsworth family website: http://philotfarnsworth.com/