John Logie Baird
A Scottish engineer and inventor who demonstrated the first working television system.
Most quoted
"The crude apparatus shook and trembled, and the image quivered and danced. But it was there. A human face, recognisable, yet ghostly and pale, stared from the screen."
— from Description of first television demonstration, 1925
"In the dance of electrons across a screen, I see not just technology, but the yearning of the human spirit to transcend its physical limitations."
— from Interview fragment
"I often wondered if the people watching my early broadcasts understood the sheer effort involved in getting that flickering image to them."
— from Biography/Interview
All quotes by John Logie Baird (413)
I have been called a visionary, a dreamer, and a madman. I prefer to think of myself as a man who simply saw what others couldn't.
They said it couldn't be done. They said it was impossible. I merely provided the evidence to the contrary.
My early television pictures were rather like looking through a fog. A very interesting fog, mind you.
Some people chase fame; I chased light. The results, it seems, are somewhat similar.
The greatest invention is not the one that works perfectly, but the one that inspires others to make it so.
I often wonder if the public truly understands the sheer amount of string and sealing wax that went into these early marvels.
To invent, one must first be willing to look foolish. I've had plenty of practice.
My laboratory was less a temple of science and more a glorified junk shop. With occasional flashes of genius, of course.
The future of television? More screens, less thinking, probably. But I'm an optimist.
If at first you don't succeed, try, try again. And then, perhaps, try a different type of selenium cell.
They say necessity is the mother of invention. In my case, it was more like stubbornness and a severe lack of alternative entertainment.
My early broadcasts were a bit like watching a puppet show through a keyhole. A very small, very dark keyhole.
The most difficult part of inventing television was convincing people they actually wanted to see moving pictures in their living rooms.
I never set out to change the world, merely to make it a little more interesting to look at.
Critics are like flies; they buzz around the light, but rarely contribute to its illumination.
My greatest fear was not failure, but that someone else would get there first. And then I'd have to invent something else entirely.
The public wants novelty. Give them a talking picture, and they'll want a talking picture that also makes tea.
I've always found that a good cup of tea and a stubborn refusal to give up are the best tools for any inventor.
To truly innovate, you must be prepared to break a few rules. And possibly a few pieces of equipment.
My early experiments often ended in smoke and sparks. A rather dramatic way to learn, I suppose.
Contemporaries of John Logie Baird
Other Inventions born within 50 years of John Logie Baird (1888–1946).