How did the 40's era, light up billboard with scrolling text ("WAR DECLARED ON JAPAN" etc) work?

by yohanfunk

I've seen it in many documentaries from around the 1940's- a long billboard which displays scrolling text using thousands of lightbulbs above the entrance to a building. I assumed this was in Times Square, but have been unable to find any information about where it was or or how it works. Does anyone know? I'd assume there would be some way to program it, but pre digital computing, how did they do it? With punch cards or something?

BrowsOfSteel

You’re probably thinking of the Motograph News Bulletin, a.k.a. “The Zipper”, at One Times Square.

It used metal plates running along a belt and contacting metal brushes.