Philo Taylor Farnsworth
1906-08-19 — 1971-03-11 · Estados Unidos · invention; electronic television (image dissector)
He beat RCA at the Patent Office and was paid one million dollars — and the name attached to electronic television stayed the other man’s.
The first working all-electronic television system — electronic scanning in both the pickup and the display — built around the image dissector camera tube (1927)It displaced the electromechanical Nipkow-disc systems and set the technical path of all electronic television that followed; the United States Patent Office awarded Farnsworth priority for the invention of the image dissector against RCA/Zworykin.
Credit went to Vladimir Kosma Zworykin — IEEE Medal of Honor (1951), IEEE Edison Medal (1952), Faraday Medal (1965), National Medal of Science (1966), National Inventors Hall of Fame (1977), Morris N. Liebmann Memorial Prize (1934), IEEE Lamme Medal (1948) with the citation “For his outstanding contribution to the concept and design of electronic apparatus basic to modern television”, nominated for the Nobel Prize in Physics in 1954; named the iconoscope and led RCA’s television development
What this video rests on
The whole video depends on these 3 claims. If any of them falls, the video falls with it. The links go straight to the source.
T1 primary Farnsworth published, as sole author, “Television by electron image scanning” in the Journal of the Franklin Institute, vol. 218, in October 1934 — primary record that the electron image scanning method was presented under his own name
T2 reviewed The institutional recognition of electronic television went to Zworykin: National Inventors Hall of Fame in 1977, Liebmann Prize in 1934 and Lamme Medal in 1948, the latter with the citation “basic to modern television”
T2 reviewed Farnsworth was the first in the world to build and operate an all-electronic television system, in July 1929
Timeline
| 1888 | Birth of Vladimir Zworykin (the structured record carries two competing dates: 1888-07-17 and 1889-07-30) (confidence: baixa) T2 reviewed |
| 1906-08-19 | Birth of Philo Taylor Farnsworth, near Beaver T2 reviewed |
| 1923-12-29 | Zworykin files the patent application “Television Systems” in the United States, the basis of RCA’s later priority claim — the equipment described was never successfully demonstrated T3 tertiary |
| 1927-09-07 | Farnsworth’s image dissector tube transmits its first image, a simple straight line, at the laboratory at 202 Green Street, San Francisco T3 tertiary |
| 1928-09-03 | First demonstration of the system to the press — widely regarded as the first demonstration of electronic television T3 tertiary |
| 1930 | RCA recruits Zworykin to head its television department; before leaving Westinghouse he visits Farnsworth’s laboratory and is reported to have had his team make copies of the Image Dissector (confidence: media) T3 tertiary |
| 1931 | David Sarnoff (RCA) offers US$100,000 for Farnsworth’s patents, on condition that he become an RCA employee; Farnsworth refuses T3 tertiary |
| 1931-10-23 | The RCA team decides to name the new camera tube the “iconoscope” T3 tertiary |
| 1934 | The United States Patent Office rules in Farnsworth’s favour, awarding him priority of invention of the image dissector against Zworykin; RCA loses the appeal that follows (confidence: media) T3 tertiary |
| 1934-08-25 | First public exhibition of Farnsworth’s system, at the Franklin Institute in Philadelphia T3 tertiary |
| 1934-10-01 | Publication of “Television by electron image scanning” in the Journal of the Franklin Institute, vol. 218, signed solely by Philo Taylor Farnsworth T1 primary |
| 1939-09 | After more than a decade of litigation, RCA accepts a multi-year licensing agreement over Farnsworth’s 1927 television patent, totalling one million dollars T3 tertiary |
| 1951 | The Farnsworth Television and Radio Corporation is bought by International Telephone and Telegraph (ITT) T3 tertiary |
| 1970 | By Christmas 1970 PTFA had failed to secure financing; the Farnsworths had already sold all their ITT stock and cashed in Philo’s life insurance T3 tertiary |
| 1971-03-11 | Death of Philo Farnsworth in Salt Lake City T2 reviewed |
| 1977 | Zworykin enters the National Inventors Hall of Fame T2 reviewed |
| 1984 | Farnsworth enters the National Inventors Hall of Fame, thirteen years after his death and seven years after Zworykin T2 reviewed |
What is said × what the documents show
The version in circulation
RCA stole television from an Idaho farm boy and destroyed him in the courts.
What the sourcing found
The record supports the appropriation half and contradicts the destruction half. Zworykin visited Farnsworth’s laboratory in 1930, before taking over RCA’s television department, and is reported to have had the Image Dissector copied; RCA brought an interference action claiming priority for Zworykin’s 1923 patent without presenting evidence of a working transmitter tube before 1931. But Farnsworth WON: the Patent Office ruled in his favour (1934 in the English-language version, 1935 in the Portuguese one), RCA lost the appeal and in September 1939 agreed to pay one million dollars in licensing. The record does NOT allow the claim that the courts destroyed him — the financial ruin on record is from 1970, when PTFA failed to secure financing and he sold his ITT stock and cashed in his own life insurance. As for the “Idaho farm boy”: the record shows only a birth near Beaver, Utah, schooling at Rigby High School (Idaho), and a 1936 Collier’s piece praising “a nineteen-year-old boy from Utah”; there is nothing about a farm.
The version in circulation
Zworykin invented the electronic television camera on his own, at RCA.
What the sourcing found
The iconoscope, named on 23/10/1931, grew out of the principle of charge accumulation and storage from the 1928 patents of the Hungarian Kálmán Tihanyi, whose company RCA approached in July 1930; and the equipment in Zworykin’s 1923 application was never successfully demonstrated, his image tube never getting past the laboratory stage.
Outcome
Farnsworth won the legal war that is told as a defeat: priority recognised by the Patent Office against RCA, RCA’s appeal rejected and, in September 1939, a licensing settlement of one million dollars. Even so, the man who received the belt of honours for electronic television was Zworykin — Liebmann in 1934, Lamme in 1948 “basic to modern television”, IEEE Medal of Honor in 1951, National Medal of Science in 1966, a Nobel nomination in 1954 and the Hall of Fame in 1977. Farnsworth only entered that same Hall of Fame in 1984, thirteen years after dying in Salt Lake City and after selling ITT stock and cashing in his own life insurance to keep his fusion company alive.
Caveats
• The PRIORITY of the invention rests on peer-reviewed literature (ref-16, SMPTE 1992, Abramson) and on a primary publication record (ref-1). The OUTCOME of the interference case — that Farnsworth won — still rests on encyclopaedia alone (ref-4, ref-9). ref-17 proves the case existed and identifies it by number, but it is a bibliography entry and does not say who won. In writing the script, the victory may be narrated; the precision of its DATE may not.
• CONFLICT within Wikidata itself: Zworykin has two recorded dates of birth (1888-07-17 and 1889-07-30); the English Wikipedia also writes “1888/1889”. The birth event in the timeline is entered as 1888 with low confidence (ref-15) and must not be asserted precisely in the script.
• DATE CONFLICT between passages: the English Wikipedia dates the Patent Office decision in Farnsworth’s favour to 1934; the Portuguese Wikipedia (article “Televisão”) dates the same decision to 1935. As both are T3, the event was entered with medium confidence. Do not assert the year in the video without checking a primary source (the interference case file).
• The primary record P2 (“Adaptation processes in public school systems…”, Teachers College, 1940) is attributed to “Philo Taylor Farnsworth”, but the subject is public education and not electronics: almost certainly a namesake. Do not use it as the inventor’s work.
• Patent numbers cited in the material (2,087,683; 2,140,695; 2,233,888) come from an encyclopaedia passage and not from a primary patent record; if they go on air, mark them as unverified.
• The material contains no mention of a “farm” and does not confirm Idaho as where he was raised — only Rigby High School (Idaho) in Wikidata and the birth near Beaver, Utah. Do not repeat the “Idaho farm boy” cliché as fact.
• The claim that Zworykin had the Image Dissector copied appears in the material with the adverb “reportedly” — treat it as an account, not as established fact.
• The date 1888 carries baixa confidence: Birth of Vladimir Zworykin (the structured record carries two competing dates: 1888-07-17 and 1889-07-30)
• The date 1930 carries media confidence: RCA recruits Zworykin to head its television department; before leaving Westinghouse he visits Farnsworth’s laboratory and is reported to have had his team make copies of the Image Dissector
• The date 1934 carries media confidence: The United States Patent Office rules in Farnsworth’s favour, awarding him priority of invention of the image dissector against Zworykin; RCA loses the appeal that follows
Sources
- T1 primary carries the thesis
Farnsworth published, as sole author, “Television by electron image scanning” in the Journal of the Franklin Institute, vol. 218, in October 1934 — primary record that the electron image scanning method was presented under his own name - T2 reviewed
Life and recognition data for Farnsworth: born 1906-08-19 near Beaver, died 1971-03-11 in Salt Lake City, American inventor, IEEE Morris N. Liebmann Memorial Prize in 1941 and National Inventors Hall of Fame in 1984“- data de nascimento: 1906-08-19
- data de morte: 1971-03-11
- local de nascimento: Beaver [P1480: perto de]
- local de morte: Salt Lake City
- nacionalidade: Estados Unidos
- ocupação: inventor
- formação: Universidade Brigham Young
- formação: Rigby High School
- formação: Brigham Young High School
- empregador: Philco
- empregador: ITT Corporation
- prêmio recebido: National Inventors Hall of Fame [momento: 1984”
- T2 reviewed carries the thesis
The institutional recognition of electronic television went to Zworykin: National Inventors Hall of Fame in 1977, Liebmann Prize in 1934 and Lamme Medal in 1948, the latter with the citation “basic to modern television”“- prêmio recebido: National Inventors Hall of Fame [momento: 1977]
- prêmio recebido: Prêmio Memorial Morris N. Liebmann IEEE [momento: 1934]
- prêmio recebido: Medalha Lamme IEEE [momento: 1948; P6208: For his outstanding contribution to the concept and design of electronic apparatus basic to modern television]”
- T2 reviewed
The structured record for Zworykin carries two competing dates of birth (1888-07-17 and 1889-07-30) and a death on 1982-07-29“- data de nascimento: 1888-07-17
- data de nascimento: 1889-07-30
- data de morte: 1982-07-29”
- T3 tertiary
RCA sued Farnsworth for interference claiming priority for Zworykin’s 1923 patent, without being able to present evidence of a working transmitter tube before 1931; in 1934 the United States Patent Office awarded priority of the image dissector to Farnsworth and RCA lost the appeal“RCA later filed an interference suit against Farnsworth, claiming Zworykin's 1923 patent had priority over Farnsworth's design, despite the fact it could present no evidence that Zworykin had actually produced a functioning transmitter tube before 1931. Farnsworth had lost two interference claims to Zworykin in 1928, but this time he prevailed and the U.S. Patent Office rendered a decision in 1934 awarding priority o”
- T3 tertiary
In September 1939 RCA gave way and signed a multi-year licensing agreement over Farnsworth’s 1927 television patent, totalling one million dollars“In September 1939, after a more than decade-long legal battle, RCA finally conceded to a multi-year licensing agreement concerning Farnsworth's 1927 patent for television totaling $1 million. RCA was then free, after showcasing electronic television at New York World's Fair on April 20, 1939, to sell electronic television cameras to the public.”
- T3 tertiary
On 7 September 1927 Farnsworth’s image dissector tube transmitted its first image, a simple straight line, at the laboratory at 202 Green Street, San Francisco“On September 7, 1927, Farnsworth's image dissector camera tube transmitted its first image, a simple straight line, to a receiver in another room of his laboratory at 202 Green Street in San Francisco.”
- T3 tertiary
Zworykin, who had been trying unsuccessfully to develop all-electronic television at Westinghouse since 1923, visited Farnsworth’s laboratory before joining RCA in 1930 and is reported to have had his team make several copies of the Image Dissector“In 1930, RCA recruited Vladimir K. Zworykin—who had tried, unsuccessfully, to develop his own all-electronic television system at Westinghouse in Pittsburgh since 1923—to lead its television development department. Before leaving his old employer, Zworykin visited Farnsworth's laboratory, and was sufficiently impressed with the performance of the Image Dissector that he reportedly had his team at Westinghouse make se”
- T3 tertiary
In 1931 David Sarnoff offered US$100,000 for Farnsworth’s patents on condition that he become an RCA employee; Farnsworth refused and went to Philco“In 1931, David Sarnoff of RCA offered to buy Farnsworth's patents for $100,000, with the stipulation that he become an employee of RCA, but Farnsworth refused. In June of that year, Farnsworth joined the Philco company and moved to Philadelphia along with his wife and two children.”
- T3 tertiary
Portuguese-language version: Zworykin’s image tube never got past the laboratory stage, and the patent examiner ruled in 1935, establishing priority of invention for Farnsworth“O tubo de imagem de Zworykin nunca passou do estágio de laboratório. Mas a RCA, que adquiriu a patente da Westinghouse, afirmou que a patente do dissecador de imagens de Farnsworth de 1927 foi escrita de forma tão ampla que excluiria qualquer outro dispositivo eletrônico de imagem. Assim, a RCA, com base no pedido de patente de Zworykin de 1923, entrou com um processo de interferência de patente contra Farnsworth. O ”
- T3 tertiary
Zworykin filed the application “Television Systems” on 29/12/1923, whose equipment was never successfully demonstrated; the RCA team named the new camera tube the iconoscope on 23/10/1931, building on the charge-storage principle of Kálmán Tihanyi’s patents“The first, entitled "Television Systems", was filed on December 29, 1923, and was followed by a second application in 1925 of essentially the same content, but with minor changes and the addition of a Paget-type RGB raster screen for color transmission and reception. He was awarded a patent for the 1925 application in 1928, and two patents for the 1923 application that was divided in 1931, although the equipment desc”
- T3 tertiary
The Farnsworth Television and Radio Corporation was bought by ITT in 1951, where Farnsworth worked in a basement laboratory nicknamed “the cave”“Farnsworth Television and Radio Corporation was purchased by International Telephone and Telegraph (ITT) in 1951. During his time at ITT, Farnsworth worked in a basement laboratory known as "the cave" on Pontiac Street in Fort Wayne.”
- T3 tertiary
At the end of his life, the financial ruin came from PTFA and not from the litigation: without financing, the Farnsworths sold all their ITT stock and cashed in Philo’s life insurance, and the banks called in the loans“By Christmas 1970, PTFA had failed to secure the necessary financing, and the Farnsworths had sold all their own ITT stock and cashed in Philo's life insurance policy to maintain organizational stability. The underwriter had failed to provide the financial backing that was to have supported the organization during its critical first year. The banks called in all outstanding loans”
- T1 primary
Additional primary record attributed to “Philo Taylor Farnsworth”: a book on adaptation processes in public school systems, Teachers College, Columbia University, 1940 — a subject unrelated to electronics and most likely a namesakeBureau of Publications, Teachers College, Columbia University eBooks
- T2 reviewed
Farnsworth’s education and employers according to the structured record: Rigby High School, Brigham Young High School and Brigham Young University; employers Philco and ITT Corporation“- formação: Universidade Brigham Young
- formação: Rigby High School
- formação: Brigham Young High School
- empregador: Philco
- empregador: ITT Corporation”
- T2 reviewed carries the thesis
Farnsworth was the first in the world to build and operate an all-electronic television system, in July 1929“Farnsworth was the first inventor in the world to build and operate an all-electric television system, in July 1929.”
- T2 reviewed
The dispute between the two is an identifiable record: patent interference no. 64,027, Philo T. Farnsworth v. Vladimir K. Zworykin, United States Patent Office, docketed in 1933. The source is Abramson’s bibliography and it does NOT state the outcome“patent interference no. 64,027, Philo T. Farnsworth v. Vladimir K. Zworykin, U.S. Patent Office, Washington, D.C., 1933.”
- T3 tertiary
On 23 October 1931 the RCA team decided to name the new camera tube the iconoscope“on October 23, 1931, it was decided that the new camera tube would be named the iconoscope.”
- T3 tertiary
Farnsworth demonstrated the system to the press on 3 September 1928 and to the public at the Franklin Institute in Philadelphia on 25 August 1934“He first demonstrated his system to the press on September 3, 1928, and to the public at the Franklin Institute in Philadelphia on August 25, 1934.”
Independent corroboration
Literature outside the encyclopaedia, found by searching academic databases. Each passage was verified: it does exist in the published text. The reading is yours — we do not classify here whether a passage confirms or contradicts, because that is the part that takes judgement.
- T2 reviewed
Google Books — Technical Development of Television, George Shiers, 1977“20. Philo T. Farnsworth , " Television by electron image scanning , " J. Franklin Inst . , 218 : ”
- T2 reviewed
OpenAlex — SMPTE Journal, 1992“Born in 1906 in Utah, he conceived an all-electric system of television while only 15 years of age.”
- T2 reviewed
OpenAlex — SMPTE Journal, 1992“By the time he was 21 he had secured financing and was operating a laboratory in San Francisco, from which came a host of important inventions.”
- T2 reviewed
OpenAlex — SMPTE Journal, 1992“Farnsworth was the first inventor in the world to build and operate an all-electric television system, in July 1929.”
- T2 reviewed
OpenAlex — SMPTE Journal, 1992“He was the inventor of the method for generating anode high voltage from the scanning currents.”
- T2 reviewed
Google Books — Zworykin, Pioneer of Television, Albert Abramson, 1995“patent interference no. 64,027, Philo T. Farnsworth v. Vladimir K. Zworykin, U.S. Patent Office, Washington, D.C., 1933.”
- T2 reviewed
OpenAlex — IEEJ Transactions on Electrical and Electronic Engineering, 2006“Electronic type television technologies have advanced through the development of the television camera tube and electronic image display technology carried out by Philo T. Farnsworth, Vladimir K. Zworykin, Kenjirou Tayayanagi and others.”
- T2 reviewed
Google Books — Beyond 3D TV, Tony Sperry“Zworykin was also experimenting with the cathode ray tube to create and show images.”
- T2 reviewed
Google Books — Head's Broadcasting in America, Michael McGregor, 2016-01-08“Sarnoff was so impressed with Zworykin that within a few months he had his own lab at RCA ...”
- T2 reviewed
Google Books — Media,Technology and Society, Brian Winston, 2002-09-11“Both Sarnoff and Zworykin ... 1927 , in car radios . When Farnsworth joined , it was outselling ...”
- T2 reviewed
Google Books — Broadcasting and Telecommunication, John R. Bittner, 1991“Zworykin The visit of V. K. Zworykin ( Figure 3-7 ) to Farnsworth's San ... RCA , whose Electronics Research Labo- ratory he directed . Zworykin ...”
- T2 reviewed
Google Books — Entertainment Industry, Michael J. Haupert, 2012-08-17“Their television research team was headed by Vladimir Zworykin , a Russian immigrant and a ...”
- T2 reviewed
Google Books — Technology, Television, and Competition, Jeffrey A. Hart, 2004-02-05“Zworykin to investigate Farnsworth's device. ( Zworykin also visited laboratories in Europe at around the same ...”
Further reading
The Philo T. and Elma G. Farnsworth Papers (1924–1992). [[University of Utah]] [[J. Willard Marriott Library
linkWho Invented What?. The Farnsworth Chronicles
link(25 d). Elma "Pen" Farnsworth. (Part 10 of 12) [[Academy of Television Arts & Sciences]]
link(Marc). Philo T. Farnsworth dies at 64, known as father of television. Deseret News
linkSchatzkin. Who Invented What – And When?. www.farnovision.com
linkITT, Advancing Human Progress. ITT
link(Octo). The IEC star-mode fusion neutron source for NAA – status and next-step designs. Appl Radiat Isot
doiBussard. Should Google Go Nuclear. Askmar.com
linkLovece. (Augu). Zworykin vs. Farnsworth, Part I: The Strange Story of TV's Troubled Origins. Video
linkPhilo Taylor Farnsworth: Mathematician, Inventor, Father of Television. Brigham Young High School Alumni
linkFarnsworth. (1990). Distant Vision: Romance and Discovery of an Invisible Frontier. PemberlyKent Publishers, Inc.
link(2015). Mormon Faith in America. Infobase Learning
The images in this video
Every photograph and every document that appears in the video is listed here, with author, licence and the address it came from. The charcoal illustrations are generated by us and announce themselves as interpretation: this channel does not fabricate photographs.
- Vintage RCA Metal Adverting Sign, RCA Electron Tubes, TV-Radio Service, Measures Approximately 14 Inches High x 18 Inches Wide (36486421932).jpg
Joe Haupt from USA · CC BY-SA 2.0
- Zworykin kinescope 1929.jpg
Smithsonian Institution from United States · No restrictions
- Philo T Farnsworth (cropped).jpg
Harris & Ewing · Public domain
- Farnsworth's Green Street Lab.jpg
Almonroth · CC BY-SA 3.0
- US1773980A prancha 1 — Television system
United States Patent Office · Public domain
- Zworykin patent (1923).jpg
Vladimir K. Zworykin · Public domain
- Муром школа 16 памятная табличка.JPG
Soniaromanoff · CC BY-SA 4.0
- Zworykin1931iconoscope.png
Vladimir Zworykin · Public domain
- Vladimir Zworykin and historic TV tubes.jpg
Unknown author Unknown author · Public domain
- Humble beginnings, pt. 2 (2151364648).jpg
Marcin Wichary from San Francisco, U.S.A. · CC BY 2.0
- Philo T. Farnsworth in 1936.jpg
PSchatzkin · CC0
- US1773980A prancha 3 — Television system
United States Patent Office · Public domain
- Vintage Radio Advertising - Capehart - Panamuse, Products of Farnsworth Television & Radio Corporation, World War II-Era Ad, Circa 1943 (9717389427).jpg
Joe Haupt from USA · CC BY-SA 2.0
- Vladimir Zworykin and a cathode ray tube, 1929 NYT.jpg
The New York Times · Public domain
- Ikonoscope.JPG
Runner1616 · CC BY-SA 3.0
- Super-Iconoscope 2.jpg
PaulT · CC BY-SA 4.0
- Vladimir Zworykin.jpg
Alexander Patrikeev · CC BY-SA 4.0
- RCA Pavilion.jpg
Doug Coldwell · CC BY-SA 3.0
- Philo T. Farnsworth House in Fort Wayne.jpg
Nyttend · Public domain
- Farnsworth ldac.jpg
Photograph taken by me, statue located on public grounds · Copyrighted free use
16 charcoal illustrations made for this video. They are not documents and do not imitate photography.
How this sourcing was done
The script for this video was written from this record and only from it. Nothing absent here is said in the video — not a date, not a name. Before becoming a script, the record passes three automatic checks: whether each quotation really exists in the collected material, whether each date is confirmed to the precision claimed, and whether the claim carrying the video comes from a primary source or from peer-reviewed literature — not from an encyclopaedia.
T1 primary primary record: official archive, original paper with a DOI, patent, period newspaper. T2 reviewed reviewed literature: book, academic article, structured database. T3 tertiary encyclopaedia — cited by the exact revision consulted, because the page changes and the revision does not.
Encyclopaedia consulted at these revisions: Philo Farnsworth (pt, rev. 72292968) · Philo Farnsworth (en, rev. 1372255204) · Televisão (pt, rev. 72308698) · Vladimir K. Zworykin (en, rev. 1372255090)
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0015-philo-farnsworth · sourced on 2026-09-07 · published on 2026-09-26 · aprovado
