In our archives there are a fine set of hand-written notes by Sir William Preece, dated June 1 1877.
These describe the mechanical and physical properties of Thomas Edison's newly invented 'speaking telegraph'.
It was invented around the same time as Alexander Graham Bell's 'telephone' (1876), and the two inventions were hotly contested through the courts by their respective inventors, arguing as to who was the first to invent the telephone. Eventually, Bell's patent was accepted.
A third party, Elisha Gray, also claimed primacy, maintaining that despite his device being patented one hour after Bell's, his actually worked, whereas Bell's did not. Bell, of course, vehemently denied this claim! Amongst some historians, the debate continues - and conflicting opinions still create a degree of confusion as to who actually invented the telephone.
What is certain, though, is that the real conflict was between the inventors' egos!
We’re upgrading our contact centre to make it quicker and easier for you to speak to the right member of our team.
From Thursday, 30 to Friday, 31 October, our phone lines will be temporarily unavailable while we upgrade our systems. For any urgent enquiries during this time, please email membership@theiet.org and we’ll get back to you as soon as possible.
From Monday, 3 November, we’re moving to one central phone number for all enquiries - which will be 0333 049 9123. This change will make it easier to reach the right team quickly and improve your experience.
Thank you for your patience as we improve how we connect with you.