History of the Telephone

Antonio Meucci 1808-1889 inventor of the Telephone.

Who invented the telephone

For over one hundred years Alexander Graham Bell has been credited for the invention of the Telephone , as he did in fact patent the idea back in 1876 . He then went on to be glorified in books and films.

But the facts are that a poor Italian emigrant a native of Florence . Antonio Meucci born in 1808, he studied mechanical engineering at the Academy of Fine Arts in Florence, and as a stage technician at the city's Teatro Della Pergola developed a primitive system to help colleagues communicate.

While working in Cuba in 1830s on methods to treat illness with electric shocks, found that sounds could travel by electrical impulses through copper wire. Sensing the potential, he moved to Staten Island , near New York City in 1850

Antonio's wife became paralysed so he rigged up a system to link her bedroom with a neighbouring workshop and in 1860 held a public demonstration, which was reported in the New York's Italian - language press. But failed to find financial backing , also failed to master English, and was badly burned in an accident aboard a steamship.

Forced to make new prototype telephones after his wife Ester sold his machines for $6 to a junk shop to make ends meet. His Telecommunication devices became more sophisticated and were used years later for Long Distance Communications.

Poor Antonio could not afford the $250 needed for a definitive patent for his ( talking telegraph ) so in 1871 filed a one-year renewable notice of an impending patent. Three years later he could not even afford the $10 to renew it.

He unwisely sent a model and technical details to the Western Union telegraph company but failed to win a meeting with executives. When he asked for his property back in 1874 , he was told that it had been lost. Two years later Bell , who shared a laboratory with Antonio Meucci , filed a patent for a telephone, and became a celebrity and made a lucrative deal with Western Union.

Italy issued a postage stamp " Above" to mark the official recognition of Antonio Meucci as the inventor of the telephone. For more information on the history of the telephone visit Waterstones website. By clicking here

Thank to Antonio Meucci we are able to talk to our friends and family all over the world , and with technology we have today we are able to talk from as little as 1p ( British Penny) a minute .

Just click on the logo and you will be taken into the world of cheap calls from 50 countries to over 200 countries, at a very very low rate, just try it and then you know.