[Detail] Alexander Graham Bell's design sketch of the telephone 
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Collection Overview
Alexander Graham Bell Family Papers, 1862-1939, consists of correspondence, scientific notebooks, journals, blueprints, articles, and photographs. The papers document the invention of the telephone, the first telephone company, Bell's family life, interest in the education of the deaf, and aeronautical and other scientific research. The collection includes Bell's experimental notebook with the entry in which he spoke through the first telephone saying, "Mr. Watson -- Come here -- I want to see you." Bell's various roles as teacher, inventor, celebrity, and family man are covered extensively in his papers.
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You may go directly to the collection, Alexander Graham Bell Family Papers at the Library of Congress, in American Memory.
Special Features
These online exhibits provide context and additional information about this collection.
- Alexander Graham Bell as Inventor and Scientist
- The Bell Family Trees
- Collection Highlights
- The Telephone and the Multiple Telegraph
- Time Line of Alexander Graham Bell (1847-1922)
Historical Eras
These historical era(s) are best represented in the collection although they may not be all-encompassing.
- The Civil War and Reconstruction, 1850-1877
- Development of the Industrial United States, 1876-1915
- Emergence of Modern America, 1890-1930
Related Collections and Exhibits
These collections and exhibits contain thematically-related primary and secondary sources. Also browse the Collection Finder for more related material on the American Memory Web site.
- America's First Look into the Camera: Daguerreotypes, 1839-1864
- American Treasures of the Library of Congress
- Inventing Entertainment: The Edison Companies
Other Resources
Recommended additional sources of information.
There are currently no other resources for this collection
Search Tips
Specific guidance for searching this collection.
Search the descriptive information and/or full text of items in the collection using the keyword search, or by selecting from the Subject Index and Name Index.
You may also browse the Series Index, which groups items in the collection by Family Papers, General Correspondence, Subject File, and Laboratory Notebooks. For help with general search strategies, see Finding Items in American Memory.
Last Updated: 01/12/2010