Antonio Meucci: Difference between revisions

Revision as of 15:38, 4 January 2007

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Meucci was recently recognized by the [[US House of Representatives]], in [http://www.house.gov/fossella/Press/pr020611.htm House Resolution 269], dated [[11 June]] [[2002]], as stated, "Expresses the sense of the House of Representatives that the life and achievements of Antonio Meucci should be recognized, and his work in the invention of the telephone should be acknowledged." The [[Parliament of Canada]] retaliated by passing a resolution recognizing Canadian immigrant [[Alexander Graham Bell]] as the "real inventor of the telephone." [http://www.parl.gc.ca/37/1/parlbus/chambus/house/debates/211_2002-06-21/han211_1140-e.htm] [http://www.parl.gc.ca/37/1/parlbus/chambus/house/debates/211_2002-06-21/han211_1200-e.htm]

An Italian researcher in telecommunications [http://www.esanet.it/chez_basilio/index.html Basilio Catania] and the [http://www.aei.it/ita/ Federazione Italiana di Elettrotecnica ] have devoted a Museum to Antonio Meucci making a [http://www.aei.it/ita/museo/mam_intel.htm chronology of his inventing the telephone] and tracing the history of the two trials opposing Antonio Meucci and Alexander Graham Bell [http://www.esanet.it/chez_basilio/meucci.htm] [http://www.aei.it/ita/museo/mam_hpg1.htm]. They both support the claim that Antonio Meucci was the real inventor of the telephone.

According to [http://www.esanet.it/chez_basilio/index.html Basilio Catania], in 1834 Meucci constructed a kind of [http://www.aei.it/ita/museo/mam_tela.htm acustic telephone] as a way to communicate between the stage and control room at the theatre "Teatro della Pergola" in Florence. This kind of pipe-telephone is still working.

Also according to Catania, in [[1856]] Meucci constructed the first electromagnetic telephone, made of an electromagnet with a nucleus in the shape of a horseshoe bat, a diaphragm of animal skin, stiffened with potassium dichromate and keeping a metal disk stickened in the middle. The instrument was hosted in a cylindrical carton box <ref>[http://www.aei.it/ita/museo/mam_t1em.htm electromagneticMeucci's telephoneoriginal drawings. Page maintained by the Italian Society of Electrotechnics]</ref>. He constructed this as a way to connect his second-floor bedroom to his basement laboratory, and thus communicate with his wife who was an [[Patient|invalid]] suffering from [[rheumatism]].

In august 1870, Meucci obtains transmission of voice at a mile distance by using as a conductor a tress of copper wire isolated by cotton. According to an [http://www.aei.it/ita/museo/mam_cain.htm Affidavit of lawyer Michael Lemmi] drawings and notes by Antonio Meucci dated september 27th 1970 show that Meucci understood inductive loading on long distance telephone lines 30 years before any other scientists.

It has been said that legally, "if Meucci had been able to pay the $10 fee to maintain the caveat after 1874, no patent could have been issued to Bell" ([http://inventors.about.com/library/inventors/bl_Antonio_Meucci.htm Mary Bellis]).