The Vibroplex is a hand-operated telegraph key that’s been in continuous use for more than a century. It has an enduring place in the history of telegraphy and has been called the “Rolls-Royce of keys.”

The unique feature of this key is that it makes Morse-code “dots” automatically, on its own; the operator still has to make “dashes” but since the key generates all dots without human intervention, this dramatically reduces the amount of stress that keying produces on the operator’s arm. (Back when telegraphy was one of the main systems of communication, most telegraphers suffered terribly from what was called “glass arm” in their day, and what we now call carpal tunnel syndrome.) The Vibroplex is also famed for its top-notch construction and reliability.

When I designed the book that recounts the history of the Vibroplex, I knew that virtually all buyers and readers would be active telegraphers, so I set the running heads at the tops of the pages in Morse code.