# How did the old Zipper work? **URL:** \ **Category:** Factual Questions\ **Created:** [October 16, 2004, 4:36am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/how-did-the-old-zipper-work/269518 "2004-10-16T04:36:32Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 8\ **Page:** 1
**Author:** ![Running\_with\_Scissors](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/r/a183cd/32.png) [@Running\_with\_Scissors](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Running_with_Scissors)\ **Post date:** [October 16, 2004, 4:36am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/how-did-the-old-zipper-work/269518/1 "2004-10-16T04:36:32Z")
No, I’m not talking about [these](http://www.straightdope.com/classics/a4_209.html) zippers, I’m talking about The Zipper, at the old NY Times building in Times Square. The current iteration is obviously all electronic, but I vaguely remember the old one that used light bulbs instead of LEDs, and it’s my understanding that it originally came about in the early part of the 1900s. So how did they do it without the benefit of ASICs or logic gates or even transistors? Some kind of punched tape? Punch cards? What’s the Straight Dope? ---
**Author:** ![astro](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/a/9dc877/32.png) [@astro](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/astro)\ **Post date:** [October 16, 2004, 5:09am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/how-did-the-old-zipper-work/269518/2 "2004-10-16T05:09:03Z")
Some history [EVERETT H. BICKLEY COLLECTION, 1919-1980](http://americanhistory.si.edu/archives/d8683.htm) > [@](#): > > Everett Huckel Bickley (b. 1888) was an active inventor and enterpreneur. His inventing career began while a student at the Carnegie Institute of Technology, where he invented a number of items, including a variable speed governor with which he won the Senior Design Competition in 1910, the year he graduated. > > In 1911, Bickley developed and marketed his first commercial invention, the “motograph,” which was an electric sign which spelled out moving messages with light bulbs. The first motograph was erected over the Columbian Theatre in Detroit, but others were eventually seen in cities throughout the world. Unfortunately, he sold his interests too soon and made little money from this idea > [@](#): > > In 1911, Pennsylvania inventor Everett Bickley invented an electric sign he called a motograph (not to be confused with Thomas Edison’s motograph receiver, invented in 1872) that spelled out moving messages with a series of light bulbs. The invention first appeared at the Columbian Theater in Detroit. > > The Times Square reader board first appeared on November 6, 1928. On Times Tower, the Motograph News Bulletin, better known as “The Zipper,” began flashing its 14,800 light bulbs. The first news item was election results: Herbert Hoover defeats Al Smith. ---
**Author:** ![friedo](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/f/8edcca/32.png) [@friedo](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/friedo)\ **Post date:** [October 16, 2004, 8:04am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/how-did-the-old-zipper-work/269518/3 "2004-10-16T08:04:48Z")
Unfortunately neither of those explains how the motograph actually worked. I’m guessing lots of vacuum tubes. Or a really fast dude and a lot of little light switches. 🙂 ---
**Author:** ![EvilGhandi](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/e/f17d59/32.png) [@EvilGhandi](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/EvilGhandi)\ **Post date:** [October 16, 2004, 10:22am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/how-did-the-old-zipper-work/269518/4 "2004-10-16T10:22:30Z")
Quote’ “I’m guessing lots of vacuum tubes” I doubt it. Ive worked with lots of equipment from the 30’s and 40’s. Servo-mechanical was the big thing then. You’d be amazed what you can accomplish woth cams and gears. ---
**Author:** ![Running\_with\_Scissors](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/r/a183cd/32.png) [@Running\_with\_Scissors](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Running_with_Scissors)\ **Post date:** [October 16, 2004, 1:50pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/how-did-the-old-zipper-work/269518/5 "2004-10-16T13:50:20Z")
No real info yet? The problem with either of those solutions is that this was supposed to be up-to-the-minute news. Wouldn’t changing cams require a lot of downtime? ---
**Author:** ![David\_Simmons](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/d/9de053/32.png) [@David\_Simmons](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/David_Simmons)\ **Post date:** [October 16, 2004, 3:03pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/how-did-the-old-zipper-work/269518/6 "2004-10-16T15:03:58Z")
WAG. The original probably worked with relays operated by a punched, paper tape (sort of like a player piano) to turn the bulbs on and off. ---
**Author:** ![Running\_with\_Scissors](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/r/a183cd/32.png) [@Running\_with\_Scissors](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Running_with_Scissors)\ **Post date:** [October 18, 2004, 7:04pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/how-did-the-old-zipper-work/269518/7 "2004-10-18T19:04:06Z")
Bumping this for the weekday users…anyone? ---
**Author:** ![ZipperJJ](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/zipperjj/32/211_2.png) [@ZipperJJ](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/ZipperJJ)\ **Post date:** [October 18, 2004, 7:42pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/how-did-the-old-zipper-work/269518/8 "2004-10-18T19:42:25Z")
I used to work on my feet - restaurants, movie theater, grocery store, etc. But the NEW Zipper works at home and sits on her ass all day. _ba-dum-bum_