Faxed: The Rise and Fall of the Fax Machine [Book Review]

In this book the author expertly demonstrates facsimile technology has a deep and complex history that defies conventional narratives about the technology, and provides an ideal landscape in which to explore key issues for technological development: developer push and user pull, and the dynamics by which technologies are invented and popularized, or ignored. Although this book provides a detailed overview of the history of facsimile technology, and an important contribution to the history of media and communication technology, it is by no means the final word on faxing. However, its oversights seem to come with the territory of entering into a technological discussion where prior synthesized work is scarce, and Faxed accomplishes what it set out to do: to provide a solid “first history” of the facsimile machine based on technical and market details. It would be a stronger and more complete work if lengthened by even a few pages to explain key statements and provide further insight into other dimensions of faxing, but Faxed remains a detailed and relatively accessible discussion of the history of the technology of facsimile, and lays the groundwork for deeper questions to be asked about facsimile in particular contexts and time periods, from rendered dimensions of faxing to the status of facsimile in the popular imaginary.