Alexander Graham Bell

Alexander Graham Bell was a Scottish-born inventor and scientist who is credited with the invention of the telephone. He also worked on the education of the deaf and on other inventions.

Early Life and Education

Bell was born in 1847 in Edinburgh, Scotland, to a family of speech teachers. His father developed a system of visible speech for the deaf.

He studied at the University of Edinburgh and at University College, London. He emigrated to Canada in 1870 and then to the United States.

He worked as a teacher of the deaf and opened a school in Boston. He became a professor at Boston University.

The Invention of the Telephone

Bell began to experiment with the transmission of sound over wires. He developed the idea of the telephone and filed a patent in 1876.

The patent was granted on the same day that Elisha Gray filed a similar claim. The dispute over the invention was long and bitter.

Bell demonstrated the telephone at the Philadelphia Centennial Exposition. The device was a sensation and led to the founding of the Bell Telephone Company.

The Work with the Deaf

Bell was a teacher of the deaf and worked with Helen Keller. He advocated the teaching of speech rather than of sign language.

He founded the American Association to Promote the Teaching of Speech to the Deaf. He was a supporter of the oral method of education.

His work with the deaf was controversial and has been criticised by the deaf community. He opposed the use of sign language.

The Other Inventions

Bell worked on the photophone, which transmitted sound on a beam of light. The device was a precursor of fibre optics.

He worked on the phonograph and on the audiometer. He invented the metal detector and used it in an attempt to find a bullet in the body of President Garfield.

He was interested in aviation and in the construction of kites and of hydrofoils. He founded the Aerial Experiment Association.

The Later Life and Death

Bell founded the Volta Bureau for the study of the deaf. He was a member of the National Geographic Society and supported its work.

He received many honours, including the Légion d'honneur and the Edison Medal. He was a member of the Royal Society.

He died in 1922 at his estate in Nova Scotia. The telephone service in the United States was silenced for a minute in his honour.

Legacy

Bell is regarded as one of the most important inventors in history. The telephone transformed communication and the modern world.

The Bell Telephone Company grew into the American Telephone and Telegraph Company. The Bell Labs produced many important inventions.

He is remembered for his work with the deaf and for his humanitarianism. His name is associated with the invention of the telephone.

The Visible Speech and the Education of the Deaf

Bell's father developed a system of visible speech for the deaf. Bell used the system in his teaching.

He opened a school for the deaf in Boston and trained teachers. He advocated the oral method of education.

He worked with Helen Keller and with other deaf students. His work influenced the education of the deaf.

The Photophone and the Audiometer

Bell invented the photophone, which transmitted sound on a beam of light. The device was a precursor of fibre optics.

He invented the audiometer, which measures hearing. The device is used in the diagnosis of hearing loss.

He worked on the phonograph and on other devices. The inventions were tested and patented.

The Later Years

Bell founded the Volta Bureau for the study of the deaf. He was a member of the National Geographic Society and supported its work.

He received many honours, including the Légion d'honneur and the Edison Medal. He was a member of the Royal Society.

He died in 1922 at his estate in Nova Scotia. The telephone service in the United States was silenced for a minute in his honour.

The Telephone and the Patent

Bell filed the patent for the telephone in 1876. The patent was granted on 7 March of that year.

He demonstrated the invention at the Centennial Exhibition in Philadelphia. The device transmitted the human voice over a wire.

The Bell Telephone Company was founded in 1877. The company became one of the largest in the world.

The Early Life and the Family

Bell was born in Edinburgh in 1847. His father and his grandfather were teachers of elocution.

He emigrated to Canada and then to the United States. He became a teacher of the deaf in Boston.

His mother and his wife were both deaf. The experience shaped his lifelong interest in the education of the deaf.

See also

• Telephone
• History of communication