Alexander Graham Bell

Summary

Alexander Graham Bell (1847-1922), Scottish-born inventor and scientist, was born in Edinburgh, Scotland, lived for many years in Washington, D.C., and died in Cape Breton, Nova Scotia. As a young man, he consulted physicist Joseph Henry, the first Smithsonian Secretary, about the feasibility of his telephone invention and was greatly encouraged by Henry. He considered Henry as an important mentor and supported the Smithsonian in many ways. Bell served as a citizen member of the Smithsonian Board of Regents, provided seed money for the Smithsonian Astrophysical Observatory, donated collections to the National Museum, and arranged for the move of James Smithson's remains from Genoa, Italy, to the Smithsonian Institution in 1904.

Subject

• Bell, Alexander Graham 1847-1922
• Smithson, James 1765-1829
• Henry, Joseph 1797-1878
• Regents Smithsonian Institution
• Smithsonian Astrophysical Observatory
• United States National Museum

Category

Historic Images of the Smithsonian

Contained within

Smithsonian Institution Archives, Record Unit 95, Box 3, Folder: 32 Alexander Graham Bell

Contact information

Institutional History Division, Smithsonian Archives, 600 Maryland Avenue, SW, Washington, D.C. 20024-2520, SIHistory@si.edu

Date

c. 1880s

Restrictions & Rights

No restrictions

Topic

• Smithson, James
• Inventors
• Telephone
• Donors
• Funding
• Secretaries
• Death and burial
• Physicists
• Philanthropists
• Scientists
• Nova Scotia
• Smithson, James--Death and burial

Place

• Nova Scotia
• Genoa (Italy)
• Scotland
• Washington (D.C.)

Form/Genre

• Photographic print
• Portraits

ID Number

SIA2012-1089 and 10425

Physical description

Number of Images: 1 ; Color: Cyanotype ; Size: 7.75w x 10h; Type of Image: Portrait ; Medium: Photographic print

Full Record

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