Description: Sir Kenneth Corfield, chairman and chief executive of Standard Telephones and Cables, presents the 54th edition of the annual Faraday Lecture. Seen by over 100,000 people across the country, which toured to 15 venues, the final lecture took place in the Dominion Theatre on London's Tottenham Court Road. STC celebrated its own centenary the same year.

The crowds stream into the venue, under the marquee (or letter board) advertising some of the other coming attractions, such as the third Star Wars film, Return of the Jedi, along with the title of the upcoming lecture - The Photon Connection. The opening of the lecture makes use of the massive hydraulic lift designed by set designer John Napier for the upcoming 'Time - the Musical'.

The lecturer talks about the use of light to transfer messages; from the fall of Troy to announcing the wedding of Charles and Diana. A slide show takes us through developments in communication technology - radio to television, BBC to commercial stations, the introduction of colour, moon landings, and the arrival of computers into offices and everyday life. Sir Kenneth provides us with practical demonstrations using visible light and lasers, and explains the benefits of optical systems - less digging up of the roads for one thing!