1877
by Hooper, William
1877. Hooper, William (d. 1878). A.L.s. to Latimer Clark. N.p., November 10, 1877. 2pp. 151 x 98 mm. Remains of mounting present. Provenance: Latimer Clark. Contains an early reference to the telephone: "I shd. be greatly obliged if you would give me a copy of the translated paper you read to me on the telephone!" Alexander Graham Bell had filed his patent for the telephone the year before, but since Bell's writings would not have required translation, the "telephone" referred to here may have been that of Johann Phillipp Reis (1834-74), who in 1861 invented the first machine to transmit sounds (although not human speech) electrically. Reis named his device the "Telephon." Origins of Cyberspace 160. . (Inventory #: 40763)