Hungarian Intellectual Property Office

TIVADAR PUSKÁS (1844 - 1893)

Born in Budapest, Puskás finished his Technical University studies in Vienna. He visited many European cities, then went to America, where he became acquainted with the telegraph and Edison's invention, the carbon microphone. There it occured to him to set up a central exchange which would be suitable for connecting several persons talking. For two years he had worked in Edison's laboratory as his colleauge, then went to Paris, where he designed an electric cab and airship. His mind had long been occupied in solving the problem of transmitting the human voice and music. In 1879 he built Europe's first telephone exchange in Paris. In Budapest, the world's fourth exchange commenced operating in 1881.

His other important invention was the telephonograph, predecessor of the wired radio. "Bánk bán" was broadcasted from the Opera House in Budapest in 1882 through the "songtelephone". The same telephonograph announced the death of the prominent technical and economic professional at the age of 49.