Charles Francis Jenkins

Charles Francis Jenkins (1868-1934) was an American inventor and pioneer in early motion picture and television technology, based in Washington, D.C. In the context of UAP/UFO-related fields, he collaborated with astronomer David Peck Todd in 1924 on an experiment to detect radio signals from Mars using a radio receiver aboard the U.S. Navy dirigible. Jenkins developed a 'radio camera' that converted radio data into optical flashes on photographic paper. The resulting 38-foot roll showed dots, dashes, and an arrangement some interpreted as a human face, sparking brief speculation of extraterrestrial communication. Jenkins dismissed it as freakish but unrelated to Mars, stating the results had nothing to do with the planet. No further involvement in UFO research is documented; the original film is lost, but images survive in Yale University's collection.