Monday, February 8, 2010

Invention of the Telephone




Who could have imagined a hundred and thirty-four years ago how the telephone would change our lives forever and lead to such inventions as the television, computers, fax machines, internet, and more. Of course, we all know Alexander Graham Bell (pictured at top-left) invented the telephone. Bell’s attorney filed for the patent titled, “Improvements of Telegraphy”, in Boston, Massachusetts on February 14, 1876 (Valentine’s Day). But, did you know that within hours of Bell filing for his patent that another gentleman, Elisha Gray, would file for a Caveat. Basically, Gray filed a Caveat that stated, “the art of transmitting vocal sounds telegraphically through electrical wires”, with the intention to file for a patent within three months. The Bell Telephone Company was formed in 1877. Can you imagine hearing Gray Telephone instead of Bell Telephone? Somehow it just does not have the same ring to it. The very first telephone invented by Bell is pictured at top-right.
http://www.telcomhistory.org/

2 comments:

  1. I definitely agree that the name Gray Telephone doesn't have the same ring to it, no pun intended. Without Bell's invention, where would society be? Telephones permeate everyday society, from communication technology, to culture, teenagers shun other teenagers that don't have a cellphone, and even to art, where antique telephones are on display in people's homes and in art museums as well.

    ReplyDelete
  2. I am not capable of imagining society without telephones or this day and age cellular phones. Society is more connected with the world through a touch of a button. News, weather, sports and entertainment all at a person's access in a matter of seconds. I was born 30 years ago, and I've witnessed some funky looking rotary phones which my grandparents owned. I You had to fully wait for the rotary part to cycle back before you tried the next digit. Society today doesn't have time for that, which leads us to believe it can only get faster. Without telephones, messages were sent by carriage, which if it was headed cross country, I'm sure took weeks. How has society forced the speed of communication?

    ReplyDelete