Alexander Graham Bell: The Invention Of The Telephone

His first words on this “Liquid Transmitter” or “Electrical Speech Machine” that he later called a “Telephone” were: “Mr. Watson, Come here I want you.” Alexander Graham Bell worked with Thomas Watson, a mechanic and model maker, on the telephone together. His invention was a result of his research into telegraphy and his understanding of the human voice. Alexander received his first patent for his telephone on April 6th, 1875.

The photophone was a wireless telephone, which used a beam of light to transmit the human voice and sounds over long distances. In 1880, the photophone was used to transmit a message on the roof of a building to a window in a laboratory about 700 feet away. This was done 19 years before the first radio transmission was completed.

Alexander also contributed to the medical field in which he invented the “Metal Detector” and “Vacuum Jacket”. In 1881, Alexander invented what is known to be the first metal detector. This device was invented to help locate a bullet in President James Garfield. The device was not successful in finding the bullet, but was used until the X-Ray was invented. When his son died of respiratory failure, Alexander put his creativeness to use and invented what was called the “Vacuum Jacket” or “Metal Lung”. This device was used to help a person breath by expanding and contracting the lungs for the