Antonio Meucci facts for kids
Quick facts for kids
Antonio Meucci
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Meucci in 1878
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| Born | 13 April 1808 Florence, First French Empire (present-day Italy)
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| Died | 18 October 1889 (aged 81) Staten Island, New York, U.S.
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| Alma mater | Accademia di Belle Arti |
| Known for | Inventing a telephone-like device, innovator, businessman, supporter of Italian unification |
| Scientific career | |
| Fields | Communication devices, manufacturing, chemical and mechanical engineering, chemical and food patents |
Antonio Santi Giuseppe Meucci (may-OO-chee; 13 April 1808 – 18 October 1889) was an Italian inventor. He is famous for creating a device that could send voices over a distance, which many people believe was the first telephone.
Meucci built a way to talk between his second-floor bedroom and his lab in his home on Staten Island, New York. In 1871, he filed a "patent caveat" for his phone-like device with the U.S. Patent Office. A caveat is like a notice that you plan to get a patent later. However, his caveat did not clearly explain how his device used electricity to send sounds.
In 1876, Alexander Graham Bell received a patent for sending voices using electric currents. Even though Bell is widely known for inventing the telephone, the Italian Ministry of Cultural Heritage and Activities celebrated Meucci's 200th birthday in 2008, calling him the "Inventor of the telephone." In 2002, the United States House of Representatives also recognized Meucci's work in inventing the telephone. However, the United States Senate did not agree with this resolution, and there is still debate about it.
Contents
Early Life
Meucci was born in Florence, Italy, on 13 April 1808. He was the first of nine children. His father, Amatis Meucci, worked as a government clerk and police officer. His mother, Domenica Pepi, was a homemaker. Sadly, four of his siblings did not live past childhood.
In November 1821, when he was 13, Meucci became the youngest student at the Florence Academy of Fine Arts. There, he studied chemical and mechanical engineering. He had to stop studying full-time two years later because he didn't have enough money. But he kept studying part-time while working as an assistant gatekeeper and customs official.
In May 1825, during celebrations for a princess, Meucci created a strong mixture for fireworks. The fireworks unfortunately caused some damage and injuries. Meucci was arrested because people thought he might be plotting against the government.
Later, Meucci worked at the Teatro della Pergola in Florence as a stage technician. In 1834, he built a type of acoustic telephone to talk between the stage and the control room. This device was like the pipe-telephones used on ships and still works today. On 7 August 1834, he married Esterre Mochi, a costume designer who worked at the same theater.
Life in Havana, Cuba
In October 1835, Meucci and his wife moved to Cuba, which was then a Spanish province. Meucci got a job at the Teatro Tacón in Havana, which was the biggest theater in the Americas at the time. In Havana, he built a system to clean water and rebuilt the theater.
In 1848, his work contract ended. Meucci was asked by doctors to help with a therapy system for patients with rheumatism, a condition that causes pain in joints. In 1849, he created a popular way to use electric shocks to treat illnesses. He then experimented with a device that allowed people to hear unclear human voices. He called this device "telegrafo parlante," which means "talking telegraph."
By 1850, Meucci's contract with the governor ended. His friendship with General Giuseppe Garibaldi, a famous Italian leader, made him a suspected person in Cuba. At the same time, Samuel Morse became famous in the United States for his telegraph. This encouraged Meucci to focus on making a living from his own inventions.
Moving to Staten Island, New York
On 13 April 1850, Meucci and his wife moved to the United States. They brought about $26,000 in savings, which would be around $500,000 today. They settled in Clifton, Staten Island, New York.
The Meuccis lived there for the rest of their lives. On Staten Island, Antonio helped many Italians who supported the Italian unification movement and had escaped political problems. Meucci used his savings to start a candle factory, which was the first of its kind in America. He hired many Italian exiles to work there. For two years, Meucci hosted friends at his home, including General Giuseppe Garibaldi.
In 1854, Meucci's wife, Esterre, became very ill with rheumatoid arthritis. Meucci continued his experiments, trying to find new ways to help people.
The Electromagnetic Telephone
Meucci spent many years studying how to send voices using electromagnetism. In 1856, he was able to send his voice through wires. He put a telephone-like device in his house so he could talk to his sick wife.
Meucci created an electromagnetic telephone to connect his second-floor bedroom to his basement lab. This allowed him to communicate with his wife easily. Between 1856 and 1870, Meucci developed more than 30 different types of telephones based on this first model.
In 2003, Italy released a postage stamp with Meucci's picture on it. Around 1858, an artist named Nestore Corradi drew Meucci's communication idea. This drawing was used with the stamp in a special publication.
Meucci wanted to improve his invention, but he didn't have enough money to keep his company going. His candle factory went out of business, and Meucci had to look for money from rich Italian families, but he was not successful. In 1860, he asked his friend Enrico Bandelari to find investors. However, the political situation in Italy was too unstable for anyone to invest.
Financial Hardship
Meucci also lost money because some people who owed him money didn't pay him back. On 13 November 1861, his home was sold at an auction. The new owner allowed the Meuccis to live in the house without paying rent. But Meucci's money ran out, and he had to rely on public funds and help from friends. From 1859 to 1861, Meucci worked closely with William E. Ryder, who invested in Meucci's inventions and paid for his experiments. Their friendship lasted until 1867.
In August 1870, Meucci reportedly managed to send a clear human voice over a distance of one mile using a copper plate as a conductor. He called this device the "telettrofono." While he was recovering from injuries he got in a boiler explosion on a Staten Island Ferry, Meucci was in such a bad financial and health state that his wife sold his drawings and devices to a second-hand dealer to get money.
The Patent Caveat
On 12 December 1871, Meucci made an agreement with some business partners to create the Telettrofono Company. They gave him $20, but he only needed $15 to file a full patent application. Instead, his lawyer filed a "patent caveat" with the U.S. Patent Office on 28 December 1871. This caveat was numbered 3335 and was called "Sound Telegraph."
A patent caveat is a legal document that tells the patent office you are working on an invention and plan to file a full patent later. It gives you some time to protect your idea.
Meucci's caveat described how he used metal wires to carry sound. He said he would insulate the wires and the people talking. He also described using a "speaking trumpet" for the mouth and ear instruments shaped like a clock glass to hear. He wanted to make sure the communication was private. He also mentioned using an electric signal to get attention.
He claimed his invention included:
- A continuous sound conductor that was electrically insulated.
- A way for people far apart to talk using this insulated conductor.
- The use of a conductor that carries both sound and electricity.
- A mouthpiece and ear pieces connected to the insulated conductor.
Different Views on Meucci's Invention
Some historians, like Bruce, have said that Meucci didn't fully understand how the telephone worked, even after Bell patented it.
However, other researchers have pointed out problems with Bruce's ideas. They note that Meucci's device was called a "telettrofono," not a "telephone." Also, many people supported Meucci. For example, Beckwith, a manager of a telephone company, was a big fan of Meucci. His company used Meucci's caveat to challenge Bell's patent. They had about 30 sworn statements saying Meucci had built and used electric telephones years before Bell.
English historian William Aitken believes Meucci was the first to create an electrical telephone. The International Telecommunication Union and the Smithsonian Institution have also recognized Meucci's work as important steps before Bell's telephone.
Meucci and his partners wanted to get a full patent, but they couldn't pay the $250 fee. So, they only filed the caveat, which cost $20. Some people claim that Meucci's lawyer removed important notes from the caveat that would have better explained his invention.
The Telettrofono Company
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In 1872, Meucci and his friend Angelo Bertolino went to Edward B. Grant, a vice president at American District Telegraph Co. Meucci asked to test his device on the company's telegraph lines. He gave Grant a description of his invention and a copy of his caveat. After two years, Meucci asked for his documents back, but Grant said they were lost.
Around 1873, a man named Bill Carroll asked Meucci to build a telephone for divers. This device would let divers talk to people on the surface. Meucci's drawing shows this as an electromagnetic telephone made to be waterproof.
On 28 December 1874, Meucci's Telettrofono patent caveat expired. Some critics argue that Meucci could have afforded to file for a full patent or renew his caveat. This is because he did file for and was granted other patents in 1872, 1873, 1875, and 1876 for inventions not related to the telephone. These patents cost $35 each, plus another $10 for a caveat, totaling $150.
After Bell got his patents in 1876, the Bell Telephone Company sued many other companies, including the Globe Telephone Company, for using their inventions without permission. Meucci was represented by a lawyer named Joe Melli. The U.S. Government also got involved in a case against Bell, trying to cancel Bell's patent.
The Court Cases
Meucci's "Memorandum Book," which had his drawings and notes from 1862 to 1882, was important evidence in the trial. Meucci was accused of making these records after Bell's invention and changing the dates. Meucci said that one of the owners of the Rider & Clark company had given him a copy of the book in 1862, but he was not believed.
On 13 January 1887, the U.S. Government tried to cancel Bell's patent, saying it was obtained unfairly. After many court decisions, the Bell company won in the Supreme Court. By the time the trial ended after nine years, the U.S. lawyer had died, and Bell's patents were no longer active. However, the judges decided to continue the case because it was important for setting a "precedent" for future cases.
The lawsuit was finally dropped on 30 November 1897. During a statement for the 1887 trial, Meucci said he had made the first working telephone model in Italy in 1834. In 1886, Meucci testified in court to prove he invented the telephone first. But his evidence was questioned because his original models were reportedly lost at the American District Telegraph (ADT) laboratory in New York.
Meucci's patent caveat described a "lover's telegraph," which sent sound vibrations mechanically through a tight wire. The court said Meucci's device was a mechanical telephone with a mouthpiece and earpiece connected by a wire. Meucci's work, like many other inventors of that time, was based on older sound principles. The final case involving Meucci was dropped after he died.
Death
Meucci became sick in March 1889 and passed away on 18 October 1889, in Clifton, Staten Island, New York.
Who Invented the Telephone?
There has been a lot of debate about who truly invented the telephone. Bell is known for being the first to send clear speech using electric currents. The Italian Federation of Electrotechnics has a museum dedicated to Meucci. It shows a timeline of his invention of the telephone and the history of the trials between Meucci and Bell. They believe Antonio Meucci was the true inventor.
However, some experts outside Italy do not agree that Meucci's device directly led to the modern telephone. Tomas Farley writes that most experts agree Bell and Watson were the first to send understandable speech using electricity. Others sent sounds or clicks, but Bell and Watson sent speech that could be understood.
In 1834, Meucci built an acoustic telephone to talk between the stage and control room at the "Teatro della Pergola" in Florence. This phone was like the pipe-telephones used on ships and still works.
In 1848, Meucci developed a popular way to treat rheumatism using electric shocks. In 1849, while giving a patient an electrical treatment, Meucci claimed he heard his patient's scream through a copper wire he held near his ear. He thought the copper wire vibrated like a leaf in an electroscope. To continue the experiment safely, Meucci covered the wire with paper. Through this device, he claimed to hear unclear human voices. He called this device "telegrafo parlante" (talking telegraph).
Based on this, some people say Meucci worked on more than 30 kinds of telephones. He was inspired by the telegraph but wanted a "continuous" way to send voice, meaning the electric flow wouldn't be interrupted. In 1856, Meucci reportedly built the first electromagnetic telephone. It had a horseshoe-shaped electromagnet, a diaphragm made of animal skin, and a metal disk. It was placed in a round cardboard box. He supposedly built it to connect his bedroom to his basement lab so he could talk to his sick wife.
Meucci separated the two directions of talking to avoid interference, using what we now call a four-wire circuit. He also made a simple calling system using a telegraph key to create loud clicks. He knew his device needed more electrical "space" than a telegraph. He found ways to prevent the "skin effect," where electricity tends to travel only on the surface of a wire, by treating the conductor or using copper instead of iron.
In 1864, Meucci claimed to have made his best device. It used an iron diaphragm that was very thin and held tightly at its edges. The device was in a shaving-soap box. In August 1870, Meucci reportedly sent clear human voice over a mile using a copper wire insulated with cotton. He called this device "telettrofono." Drawings and notes by Antonio Meucci, dated 27 September 1870, suggest he understood how to improve long-distance telephone lines 30 years before other scientists. The question of whether Bell was the true inventor of the telephone has been debated in hundreds of court cases in U.S. history.
2002 U.S. Congressional Resolution
In 2002, U.S. Representative Vito Fossella and other Italian-American lawmakers helped the United States House of Representatives pass a resolution about Antonio Meucci. This resolution, HRes. 269, stated that "the life and achievements of Antonio Meucci should be recognized, and his work in the invention of the telephone should be acknowledged." The resolution's introduction said that "if Meucci had been able to pay the $10 fee to maintain the caveat after 1874, no patent could have been issued to Bell." The resolution's sponsor said it was a clear message recognizing Antonio Meucci as the true inventor of the telephone.
Some news articles in 2002 reported that the resolution said Meucci's "telettrofono," shown in New York in 1860, made him the inventor instead of Bell, who got his patent 16 years later.
A similar resolution was proposed in the United States Senate, but it was not voted on. Even with the House of Representatives resolution, whether it fully supports Meucci as the inventor of the telephone is still debated. The resolution only mentioned "his work in the invention of" the telephone, not that he was definitely the inventor.
Ten days later, the House of Commons of Canada responded by passing a motion saying that Alexander Graham Bell was the inventor of the telephone. The Italian newspaper La Repubblica saw the U.S. vote as a long-awaited recognition for Meucci.
Garibaldi–Meucci Museum
The Order of the Sons of Italy in America runs the Garibaldi–Meucci Museum on Staten Island. The museum is in a house built in 1840, which Meucci bought in 1850. Giuseppe Garibaldi rented it from Meucci between 1850 and 1854. The museum shows Meucci's models, drawings, and pictures from his life.
Other Inventions
Antonio Meucci was a very busy inventor! Here are some of his other creations:
- 1825: A new chemical mixture for fireworks.
- 1834: A "pipe telephone" at a theater in Florence to talk between the stage and control room.
- 1840: Improved filters for Havana's water supply.
- 1844: The first factory in the Americas for electroplating (coating metal with another metal) in Havana.
- 1846: A better device for electrotherapy, using electric currents to treat illnesses.
- 1847: A new roof and ventilation system for the Tacón Theater in Havana after a hurricane.
- 1849: A chemical process to preserve bodies for shipping to Europe.
- 1849: His first invention for sending speech using electricity.
- 1850-1851: The first stearic candle factory in the Americas, in New York.
- 1855: Musical instruments called celestas, with crystal bars instead of steel, and pianos.
- 1856: The first lager beer factory on Staten Island.
- 1858–1860: Invented the paraffin candle and machines to make them.
- 1860: The first paraffin candle factory in the world, producing over 1,000 candles a day.
- 1860: Experiments with dry batteries for electric trains and other uses.
- 1860: A process to change red corals to a more valuable pink color.
- 1862: A kerosene lamp that made a bright flame without smoke, using electricity.
- 1862–1863: Processes for treating and cleaning kerosene to make oils for paint.
- 1864: New, more powerful ammunition for guns and cannons.
- 1864–1865: Processes to make paper pulp from wood or plants.
- 1865: A way to make wicks for candles from plant fibers.
- 1867: A paper factory that recycled waste paper.
- 1871: A patent for "Effervescent Drinks," fruit-vitamin rich drinks that helped him recover from injuries.
- 1871: Filed his patent caveat for a telephone device.
- 1873: A patent for "Sauce for Food," which used modern food technologies.
- 1873: Designed a screw steamer for canals.
- 1874: A process for refining crude oil.
- 1875: A filter for tea or coffee, like those in today's coffee machines.
- 1875: A "Lactometer" to test milk for impurities.
- 1876: A "Hygrometer" to measure humidity, which was a big improvement over older ones.
- 1878: A method to prevent noise on elevated railways in New York.
- 1878: A process for making decorative paraffin candles for Christmas trees.
- 1883: A patent for "Plastic Paste," a hard and strong material suitable for billiard balls.
Patents
- U.S. Patent 22,739 1859 – Candle mold
- U.S. Patent 30,180 1860 – Candle mold
- U.S. Patent 36,192 1862 – Lamp burner
- U.S. Patent 36,419 1862 – Improvement in treating kerosene
- U.S. Patent 38,714 1863 – Improvement in preparing hydrocarbon liquid
- U.S. Patent 44,735 1864 – Improved process for removing mineral, gummy, and resinous substances from vegetables
- U.S. Patent 46,607 1865 – Improved method of making wicks
- U.S. Patent 47,068 1865 – Improved process for removing mineral, gummy, and resinous substances from vegetables
- U.S. Patent 53,165 1866 – Improved process for making paper-pulp from wood
- U.S. Patent 122,478 1872 – Improved method of manufacturing effervescent drinks from fruits
- U.S. Patent 142,071 1873 – Improvement in sauces for food
- U.S. Patent 168,273 1875 – Method of testing milk
- U.S. Patent 183,062 1876 – Hygrometer
- U.S. Patent 279,492 1883 – Plastic paste for billiard balls and vases
See Also
- The Telephone Cases
- Timeline of the telephone
- Emile Berliner
- Thomas Edison
- Elisha Gray
Images for kids
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