Telegraphic address
A unique code for telegraph recipients, regulated to prevent duplication.
A telegraphic address, also known as a cable address, was a unique identifier code assigned to a recipient of telegraph messages. Telegraph service operators regulated these addresses to prevent duplication. Rather than containing routing information, the address could be looked up by telegraph office personnel, who would then manually direct the message to the office nearest the destination or to an intermediate office.
- Type
- unique identifier code for a recipient of telegraph messages
- Regulation
- operators of telegraph services regulated use to prevent duplication
- Analogy
- similar to a uniform resource locator (URL)
- Function
- looked up by telegraph office personnel, who manually directed the message
Lore & Background
Since the destination address of a telegram counted as part of the message, using a short registered address code saved the expense of sending a complete street address. Telegraphic addresses were chosen either as versions of a company's name or as a memorable short word somehow associated with the recipient. Occasionally, an organization would come to be best known by its telegraphic address, for example Interflora, Interpol and Oxfam.
Reader's Guide
A telegraphic address was a valuable part of a company's corporate identity. Disputes sometimes arose when a competitor registered a telegraphic address similar to a trade name or identifier used by a rival. The practice of using such addresses reduced costs for senders, as the destination address counted as part of the telegram's message. The telegraphic address of Patent agents G.F. Redfern & Co. of London was the name INVENTION, as perforated on stamps used by the company on a circa 1900 stamp. A sponsored park bench in Pirassununga, Brazil, advertised a hotel from São Paulo with the telegraphic address LORDHOTEL, promoting itself as 'Your home away from home'. The system relied on manual lookup by telegraph office personnel, who would direct messages to the appropriate office.
Did You Know?
- A sponsored park bench in Pirassununga, Brazil, advertised the telegraphic address LORDHOTEL.
- Organizations such as Interflora, Interpol and Oxfam became best known by their telegraphic addresses.
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