Alexander Graham Bell

Alexander Graham Bell was a Scottish-born American inventor, scientist, and engineer who is credited with patenting the first practical telephone. He also co-founded the American Telephone and Telegraph Company (AT&T) in 1885.

Bell was born on March 3, 1847, in Edinburgh, Scotland. His mother was almost deaf, and his father taught elocution to the deaf, influencing Alexander's later career choice as teacher of the deaf.
In 1870, Bell and his family emigrated to Canada. A year later, Bell moved to the United States, where he taught speech to deaf students at Boston University. While in the U.S., Bell invented and/or improved a number of electrical technologies, including the photophone (which transmitted speech by light rays), the audiometer (which measured acuteness of hearing), and the Graphophone (an early practical sound recorder).
On March 10, 1876, Bell patented the telephone, which he had invented in his laboratory in Boston. The first words ever spoken over the telephone were "Mr. Watson, come here, I want you." These words were spoken by Bell to his assistant, Thomas Watson.

The telephone was a revolutionary invention that revolutionized communication. It quickly became one of the most important inventions of the 20th century. Bell continued to invent and innovate throughout his life. He also founded the Volta Laboratory in Washington, D.C., which was dedicated to research in hearing and speech.

Bell died on August 2, 1922, at his summer home in Beinn Bhreagh, Nova Scotia, Canada. He was 75 years old.

Bell was a brilliant inventor and scientist who made a significant impact on the world. His invention of the telephone changed the way people communicate forever. He is also remembered for his work on other inventions, such as the photophone and the audiometer. Bell was a true pioneer who helped to shape the modern world.

Here are some of Alexander Graham Bell's most important accomplishments:

Invented the telephone in 1876.
Co-founded the American Telephone and Telegraph Company (AT&T) in 1885.
Invented the photophone, which transmitted speech by light rays.
Invented the audiometer, which measured acuteness of hearing.
Invented the Graphophone, an early practical sound recorder.
Founded the Volta Laboratory in Washington, D.C., which was dedicated to research in hearing and speech.

Bell was a recipient of many awards and honors, including the IEEE Edison Medal, the Elliott Cresson Medal, the John Fritz Medal, the Hughes Medal, and the Albert Medal. He was also a member of the Royal Society of London and the American Philosophical Society.

Bell was a complex and fascinating figure. He was a brilliant inventor and scientist, but he was also a flawed human being. He was often difficult to work with, and he could be arrogant and self-centered. However, he was also a visionary who had a profound impact on the world. His invention of the telephone changed the way people communicate forever, and his work on other inventions helped to improve the lives of millions of people.

First invention

As a child, Bell displayed a curiosity about his world; he gathered botanical specimens and ran experiments at an early age. His best friend was Ben Herdman, a neighbour whose family operated a flour mill. At the age of 12, Bell built a homemade device that combined rotating paddles with sets of nail brushes, creating a simple dehusking machine that was put into operation at the mill and used steadily for a number of years. In return, Ben's father John Herdman gave both boys the run of a small workshop in which to "invent".

From his early years, Bell showed a sensitive nature and a talent for art, poetry, and music that was encouraged by his mother. With no formal training, he mastered the piano and became the family's pianist. Despite being normally quiet and introspective, he revelled in mimicry and "voice tricks" akin to ventriloquism that continually entertained family guests during their occasional visits.Bell was also deeply affected by his mother's gradual deafness (she began to lose her hearing when he was 12), and learned a manual finger language so he could sit at her side and tap out silently the conversations swirling around the family parlour. He also developed a technique of speaking in clear, modulated tones directly into his mother's forehead wherein she would hear him with reasonable clarity. Bell's preoccupation with his mother's deafness led him to study acoustics.

His family was long associated with the teaching of elocution: his grandfather, Alexander Bell, in London, his uncle in Dublin, and his father, in Edinburgh, were all elocutionists. His father published a variety of works on the subject, several of which are still well known, especially his The Standard Elocutionist (1860),which appeared in Edinburgh in 1868. The Standard Elocutionist appeared in 168 British editions and sold over a quarter of a million copies in the United States alone. In this treatise, his father explains his methods of how to instruct deaf-mutes (as they were then known) to articulate words and read other people's lip movements to decipher meaning. Bell's father taught him and his brothers not only to write Visible Speech but to identify any symbol and its accompanying sound.Bell became so proficient that he became a part of his father's public demonstrations and astounded audiences with his abilities. He could decipher Visible Speech representing virtually every language, including Latin, Scottish Gaelic, and even Sanskrit, accurately reciting written tracts without any prior knowledge of their pronunciation.

Education

Initially, Bell’s education consisted of homeschooling. Bell didn’t excel academically, but he was a problem solver from an early age.

When he was just 12, the young Alexander invented a device with rotating paddles and nail brushes that could quickly remove husks from wheat grain to help improve a farming process. At age 16, Bell began studying the mechanics of speech.

He went on to attend Royal High School and the University of Edinburgh. In 1870, Bell, along with his family, moved to Canada. The following year, he settled in the United States.

While in the United States, Bell implemented a system his father developed to teach deaf children called “visible speech”—a set of symbols that represented speech sounds.

In 1872, he opened the School of Vocal Physiology and Mechanics of Speech in Boston, where deaf people were taught to speak. At age 26, the budding inventor became Professor of Vocal Physiology and Elocution at the Boston University School of Oratory, even though he didn’t have a university degree.

While teaching, Bell met Mabel Hubbard, a deaf student. The couple married on July 11, 1877. They went on to have four children, including two sons who died as infants.

First experiments with sound

Interest in Automata:

Bell's father played a crucial role in encouraging his interest in speech and sound.
In 1863, they saw an automaton developed by Sir Charles Wheatstone that simulated a human voice. This experience fascinated Bell and his brother.

Building an Automaton Head:

Bell and his brother, Melville, decided to build their own automaton head to simulate speech.
They obtained a copy of Baron Wolfgang von Kempelen's book (published in German) and translated it.
Bell focused on recreating a lifelike skull for the automaton.

Experimenting with a Live Subject:

Bell further experimented with sound by teaching the family's dog, Trouve, to growl continuously.
He manipulated the dog's lips and vocal cords to produce crude-sounding words.
These experiments entertained visitors and convinced them they were seeing a "talking dog."

Influence of Alexander Ellis and Helmholtz:

Bell wrote a report on his work and sent it to Alexander Ellis, a philologist and colleague of his father.
Ellis informed Bell that similar work had been done in Germany and lent him a copy of Hermann von Helmholtz's book, "The Sensations of Tone."
Bell, despite an erroneous mistranslation of a French edition of Helmholtz's work, made a significant deduction about transmitting sound.

Key Deduction and Future Work:

Bell deduced that if vowel sounds could be produced by electrical means, so could consonants and articulate speech.
This deduction became the foundation for his future work on transmitting sound and ultimately led to the invention of the telephone.
Bell's curious and experimental nature, combined with his exposure to various scientific influences, set the stage for his groundbreaking work on sound transmission and the invention of the telephone, which would change the course of communication technology. His willingness to learn from others and build upon their work was a hallmark of his scientific approach.

Family tragedy

Alexander Graham Bell's family moved to Canada in 1870 for health reasons. His father, Alexander Melville Bell, had been ill for several years, and his younger brother, Edward, had died of tuberculosis in 1867. The family believed that the climate in Canada would be better for their health.

Bell was reluctant to leave England, but he eventually agreed to go with his family. He arrived in Canada in May 1870, and they settled in Brantford, Ontario. Bell continued his studies in speech and hearing, and he began to experiment with ways to transmit sound over a wire. In 1876, he patented the telephone, which revolutionized communication.

Bell's move to Canada was a turning point in his life. It allowed him to pursue his research in speech and hearing, and it led to the invention of the telephone, which had a profound impact on the world.

Here are some of the reasons why Bell's family moved to Canada:

The climate in Canada was believed to be better for people with respiratory illnesses.
Bell's father had been ill for several years, and he was hoping that the move would improve his health.
Bell's younger brother had died of tuberculosis, and the family was concerned about Bell's health.
Bell's father had a friend in Canada who had offered them a place to stay.

The move to Canada was a difficult decision for Bell, but it ultimately proved to be a good one. It allowed him to pursue his research in speech and hearing, and it led to the invention of the telephone, which had a profound impact on the world.

Family life

Marriage and Family:

On July 11, 1877, a few days after the establishment of the Bell Telephone Company, Alexander Graham Bell married Mabel Hubbard at her family's estate in Cambridge, Massachusetts.
As a wedding gift, Bell turned over a significant portion of his shares in the Bell Telephone Company to his bride.
The newlyweds embarked on a year-long honeymoon in Europe, during which Bell continued to work on his telephone invention.
The couple had four children: Elsie May Bell, Marian Hubbard Bell, and two sons who sadly died in infancy (Edward and Robert).

Financial Struggles and Lectures:

Despite the initial success of the telephone, it was not immediately profitable, and Bell's primary source of income was from giving lectures until after 1897.

Name Change and Citizenship:

At his fiancée's request, Bell began signing his name as "Alec Bell" instead of the familiar "Aleck."
In 1882, Bell became a naturalized citizen of the United States, but he had previously been a British subject during his early life in Scotland and later in Canada.

Residences:

The Bell family lived in Cambridge, Massachusetts, until 1880 when Mabel's father bought a house for them in Washington, D.C.
In 1886, Bell started building an estate on Cape Breton Island in Nova Scotia, Canada, across from the village of Baddeck.
The estate, named Beinn Bhreagh (Gaelic for "Beautiful Mountain"), included a large house and a laboratory for Bell's experiments.

Boat Building and Bras d'Or Lake:

Bell also established the Bell Boatyard on his estate, where experimental craft, lifeboats for the Royal Canadian Navy, and pleasure craft for his family were built.
He was an avid boater and spent time sailing and rowing on Bras d'Or Lake.

Split Residency:

In his later years, Bell split his time between Washington, D.C., and Beinn Bhreagh, with increasing amounts spent at the latter.
The Baddeck community embraced the Bells, and they became an integral part of the village.

Halifax Explosion:

The Bells were in residence at Beinn Bhreagh when the Halifax Explosion occurred on December 6, 1917.
Mabel and Bell played a significant role in mobilizing the community to help the victims of the disaster in Halifax, showcasing their commitment to humanitarian efforts.
This period in Alexander Graham Bell's life demonstrates his dedication to his family, his contributions to his communities, and his ongoing work in scientific and technological endeavors, even as he continued to make significant contributions to society beyond his inventions.

Death

Bell died of complications arising from diabetes on August 2, 1922, at his private estate in Cape Breton, Nova Scotia, at age 75.Bell had also been affected by pernicious anemia.His last view of the land he had inhabited was by moonlight on his mountain estate at 2:00 a.m. While tending to him after his long illness, Mabel, his wife, whispered, "Don't leave me." By way of reply, Bell signed "no...", lost consciousness, and died shortly after.

On learning of Bell's death, the Canadian Prime Minister, Mackenzie King, cabled Mrs. Bell, saying:

My colleagues in the Government join with me in expressing to you our sense of the world's loss in the death of your distinguished husband. It will ever be a source of pride to our country that the great invention, with which his name is immortally associated, is a part of its history. On the behalf of the citizens of Canada, may I extend to you an expression of our combined gratitude and sympathy.

Bell's coffin was constructed of Beinn Bhreagh pine by his laboratory staff, lined with the same red silk fabric used in his tetrahedral kite experiments. To help celebrate his life, his wife asked guests not to wear black (the traditional funeral color) while attending his service, during which soloist Jean MacDonald sang a verse of Robert Louis Stevenson's "Requiem"

Under a wide and starry sky,

Dig the grave and let me lie.

Glad did I live and gladly die

And I laid me down with a will.

Upon the conclusion of Bell's funeral, for one minute at 6:25 p.m. Eastern Time,"every phone on the continent of North America was silenced in honor of the man who had given to mankind the means for direct communication at a distance".

Alexander Graham Bell was buried atop Beinn Bhreagh mountain, on his estate where he had resided increasingly for the last 35 years of his life, overlooking Bras d'Or Lake. He was survived by his wife Mabel, his two daughters, Elsie May and Marian, and nine of his grandchildren.

Alexander Graham Bell