Once upon a time in the late 1800’s, Alexander Graham Bell had a marvelous idea. His goal was to improve the telegraph into a device that could send sound and voice signals and help deaf people hear better.

Hey Watson!

It works!!

But something a little different happened instead. He invented what we call the telephone!

Alexander Graham Bell’s father was a man named Alexander Melville Bell and he worked with deaf patients. He worked on visible speech, and his son Alexander Graham Bell performed many experiments with sound and telegraphs. He wanted to follow in his dads footsteps.

I can't hear you!!

We're working on that, sir...

Bell was interested in the idea of sending sound signals instead of written signals. That way, it was easier and more efficient to send messages and communicate from distances without using Morse Code.

Alexander Graham Bell hired a skilled electrician named Thomas Watson. After Bell shared his ideas with Watson, they began to work to make the telephone a reality.

How would you like to work for me?

I'd love to hear your goals!

For almost two years, the two worked to send voice signals from one room to another. Finally, in 1876, Watson heard Bell’s voice clearly through the speaker in the room he was in. But how did this happen?

"Mr. Watson I want to see you...

Golly gee, it works!

The first phone was a large funnel speaker that was connected to a diaphragm and attached to a rod that hung down into acidic water. It was electrified by water, and vocal vibrations caused the rod to move up and down. Another wire connected to the water and was attached to a receiver in the other room. The vibrations altered a current to the other room and turned them into sound.

This success lead Bell to open his own telephone cooperation on July 9th, 1877 called Bell’s Telephone Company. The young entrepreneur presented the telephone to the Emperor of Brazil and when it successfully made many long distance calls, the Emperor responded, “My God, it talks!”

Impressive!