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April 02, 2017 at 2:53 AM

     E-mail, texting, and twitter are among the contemporary ways that people communicate. These practices are exciting and innovative to the current time period.

     But, they are not the first communication revolution, as Dick Castonguay will explain as the guest speaker for the DuBois Area Historical Society on Wednesday, April 19, at 7 p.m. His presentation, “The Victorian Internet,” is scheduled at the Society’s museum, 30 W. Long Ave., DuBois, and is free and open to all.

      Castonguay, retired Sandy Township Manager, became interested in communication methods when he was a radio operator in the United States Marine Corps. He used international Morse Code while fulfilling his duties learning that while his radio was one means of long-range communication that the telegraph would send it greater distances.

        This interest led Castonguay to a book by British journalist and author Tom Standage titled “The Victorian Internet,” the history of how the telegraph, which allowed messages to be sent quickly over long distances, revolutionized communication during the 19^th Century. He saw similarities to what is happening in today’s world.

      In his presentation, Castonguay will explore the historical development of the telegraph or the “Victorian Internet” and the social ramifications associated with this development, while comparing and contrasting it to modern means of communication.