History--1957 telegraph supply paper

Most of us who used punched cards or paper tape probably never gave much thought to where the raw stock came from. But back in the days of widespread telegraph use, paper tape was a key product and papermakers advertised their quality.

Below is a link to a 1957 ad from Railway Signaling & Communications for "laboratory tested" high grade paper tape.

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Here is another ad for their product:

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Note on the following page is an ad for line-pole glass insulators by Owens-Corning. This is another product we'd take for granted but was important, and advertisers touted their quality. (One problem with such insulators was that hunters liked to use them for target practice, resulting in high maintenance expenses. "Open wire" lines by communication carriers remained in service for many years.)

P.S. Right after my post I saw a Verizon truck with a fresh wooden pole on it being hauled someplace. The linemen are still out there.

Open wire lines required design to prevent crosstalk and current leakage. Wires were often transposed at certain distances to reduce leakage (inductance and capacitance). The design of insulators was important to prevent leakage, especially if the insulators got wet or dirty.

As to paper tape, before inexpensive and reliable computer memories came along, punched cards and paper tape had to suffice. In communications applications, punched tape often acted as a store-and-forward medium. The tape had to be physically durable to not break while going through the punches, readers, and winders.