Radio Equipment, Receivers Marconi-Fleming valve radio receiver, c 1908

Radio Equipment, Receivers Marconi-Fleming valve radio receiver, c 1908. As well as being a pioneer in the application of electricity to lighting and heating on a large scale, John Ambrose Fleming (1849-1945) invented the thermionic diode or valve. His invention was a major step forward in wireless technology as it was considerably more efficient as a radio wave detector than coherers or magnetic detectors. Valves became fundamental components in radios, as well as television sets and computers for 50 years, before being superseded by the transistor. The Marconi-Fleming valve receiver was the first radio receiver to make use of FlemingÕs invention. ©SSPL/Science Museum