What would life be like without telephones or any other electronic communication device?

… what about running?! Maybe write a letter? … phone a friend??

Alexander Graham Bell

The Early Life of Alexander Graham Bell Born March 3, 1847 in Scotland His father had a passion for elocution and was a speech teacher; his mother was a portrait painter and pianist. She was also nearly deaf. Was the middle brother of three. Nicknamed Aleck; didn’t receive middle name of “Graham” until his 11 th birthday. Grew up an aspiring professional pianist Loved his independence Struggled to focus and lacked effort in school

Alexander Graham Bell: the Teacher From age 16, Alexander Graham Bell taught music and speech. He continued his career as a teacher. “Teaching at the deaf school was the beginning of what Alexander Graham Bell would consider to be his lifework– teaching the deaf to speak.” (Carson 33)

Alexander’s move to America! After both of his brothers’ deaths, the Bell family moved to Ontario, Canada. Eventually, Alexander moved to Boston, MA to instruct teachers at a school for the deaf on how to use Visible Speech. Later, Bell became a professor of vocal physiology at Boston University. … eventually, this led to Bell’s continued experiment with sound…

From Telegraph to Telephone Using Morse’s version of the telegraph, Bell came up with the idea of a “harmonic telegraph” that could send multiple messages at once… this wasn’t enough. Alexander Graham Bell liked his idea but truly wanted to invent the speaking telegraph -- also known as the telephone.

U.S. Patent No. 174,465 Elisha Gray vs. Alexander Graham Bell

“Mr. Watson – Come here --” March 10, 1876: Using new liquid transmitter, Thomas Watson, Bell’s partner and friend, took the telephone’s reed receiver into the other room and held it up against his ear… “Mr. Watson –Come here– I want to see you!”

Bell’s Other Accomplishments: Photophone- wireless telephone Metal Detector- used as bullet detector prior to X-rays. World’s first artificial respirator – known as a vacuum jacket, later evolved to the iron lung. Founded the American Association to Promote the Teaching of Speech to the Deaf Helped in shaping The National Geographic Magazine

“Inventor Teacher” Alexander Graham Bell died August 2, 1922 at the age of 75. “What this power is I cannot say; all I know is that it exists and it becomes available only when a man is in that state of mind in which he knows exactly what he wants and is fully determined not to quit until he finds it. ” – Alexander Graham Bell