BURGLAR ALARMS HAVE COME A LONG WAY

Don't you just love this picture from 1952 that shows an electric eye sensor connected to a burglar alarm.  There are so many things that are quaint about this picture, not least the clunky alarm system sensor.

I don't know which is my favourite bit - the yellow wallpaper - perhaps the house owner worked at Roberts Radio!!!!!!

Or is it the fact that de rigueur 50's house breaking apparel included a trilby hat and a horsehide A2 flying jacket and was that jacket stolen from an American fighter pilot in a prior home raid?

Still this technology was a quantum improvement on its clunky predecessor, the Burgot Auto-annuncuator:-

In 1938, Mr Mountstephen designed  a machine that, if activated would automatically dial 999 and played a  message recorded on a shellac or steel 78 disc that identified the location of the premises in dulcet BBC tones and diction as per the example in the video above.

As external sounders were not used this machine was an effective “silent alarm” resulting in a high arrest rate for the Police.   The system used ordinary telephone speech lines  hence costs were considerably less than the Central Station method. 

The system was marketed under the name of Burgot Alarms and many a burglar caught in the act, could not understand how the Police had been tipped off and assuming an accomplice was responsible the arrested burglar informed on those who he thought responsible after uttering those immortal words "You got me bang to rights Guv.".

Burgot flourished during  the late 1940's and 1950's as burglary  ncreased  due to men being released from the military with experience with explosives and cutting equipment which were handy skills for a burglar!!

 In 1948 Burgot was acquired by Radio Rentals and traded as Burgot Rentals Ltd.  and held onto them for ten years before selling out.