We live in an information society. But how big role did information technologies (eg.: telegraph) play from the first industrial revolution up to the early 1990s?

by aboutillegals

For about two decades we are supposedly living in the information age.

I was wondering, how important was telegraph, telephone, etc., in the first and second industrial revolution, and than on until 1994 (20 year rule). Was there important developments in information creation, storage and use also? (not just transmission)

Was there any attempt to quantify the role these technologies played in the development of modern economies, compared for example to railroads or cheap steel, etc.

Could you point me to some books, which look at the role of information creation, transmission, storage, use in the industrial revolutions and afterwards in more depth?

Cosmic_Charlie

IMO, the authority on this is Richard R. John. His Spreading the News deals with the history of the US Post Office, focusing on how it drove the spread of information. His newest book, Network Nation is likely closer to what you're seeking. It delves deeply into the development of the various technologies, but also how we as a society became dependent upon those technologies.