Although the transmission to a distance of voice signals by means of electricity was achieved by A.G. Bell in 1875, allusions to the possibilities that sounds could be propagated from one person to another, and even recorded, date from the 17th Century. Bell's telephone was not the outcome of some fortuitous finding; rather, it stemmed from nearly 20 years of investigations of speech and hearing, subjects that had greatly interested his father and grandfather. Since the importance of the telephone cannot be overstated a few words on Bell's background are apposite.
The telephone, Page 1 of 2
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