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Samuel Finley Breese Morse, OIC (April 27, 1791 – April 2, 1872) was an American painter and inventor. After having established his reputation as a portrait painter, in his middle age Morse contributed to the invention of a single-wire telegraph system based on European telegraphs. He was a co-developer of Morse code and helped to develop the commercial use of telegraphy.
Samuel Morse - Wikipedia
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The Life of a Fascinating and Profoundly Troubled American Genius: Samuel F. B. Morse (2003)
Samuel Finley Breese Morse (April 27, 1791 – April 2, 1872) was an American painter and inventor. After having established his reputation as a portrait paint...
Thank you, my friend Maj Marty Hogan for making us aware that April 27 is the anniversary of the birth of American painter and inventor Samuel Finley Breese Morse who contributed to the invention of a single-wire telegraph system based on European telegraphs.
Rest in peace Samuel Finley Breese Morse.
The Life of a Fascinating and Profoundly Troubled American Genius: Samuel F. B. Morse (2003)
"Samuel Finley Breese Morse (April 27, 1791 – April 2, 1872) was an American painter and inventor. After having established his reputation as a portrait painter, in his middle age Morse contributed to the invention of a single-wire telegraph system based on European telegraphs. He was a co-developer of the Morse code, and helped to develop the commercial use of telegraphy.
1. Assisted by the American ambassador in Paris, the governments of Europe were approached about their long neglect of Morse while their countries were using his invention. There was a widespread recognition that something must be done, and in 1858 Morse was awarded the sum of 400,000 French francs (equivalent to about $80,000 at the time) by the governments of France, Austria, Belgium, the Netherlands, Piedmont, Russia, Sweden, Tuscany and Turkey, each of which contributed a share according to the number of Morse instruments in use in each country.[38] In 1858, he was also elected a foreign member of the Royal Swedish Academy of Sciences.
2. Morse lent his support to Cyrus West Field's ambitious plan to construct the first transoceanic telegraph line. Morse had experimented with underwater telegraph circuits since 1842. He invested $10,000 in Field's Atlantic Telegraph Company, took a seat on its board of directors, and was appointed honorary "Electrician".[39] In 1856, Morse traveled to London to help Charles Tilston Bright and Edward Whitehouse test a 2,000-mile-length of spooled cable.[40]
3. After the first two cable-laying attempts failed, Field reorganized the project, removing Morse from direct involvement.[41] Though the cable broke three times during the third attempt, it was successfully repaired, and the first transatlantic telegraph messages were sent in 1858. The cable failed after just three months of use. Though Field had to wait out the Civil War, the cable laid in 1866 proved more durable, and the era of reliable transatlantic telegraph service had begun.
4. In addition to the telegraph, Morse invented a marble-cutting machine that could carve three-dimensional sculptures in marble or stone. He could not patent it, however, because of an existing 1820 Thomas Blanchard design.
5. Samuel Morse gave large sums to charity. He also became interested in the relationship of science and religion and provided the funds to establish a lectureship on "the relation of the Bible to the Sciences". Though he was rarely awarded any royalties for the later uses and implementations of his inventions, he was able to live comfortably.
6. He died in New York City on April 2, 1872,[43] and was interred at Green-Wood Cemetery in Brooklyn, New York. By the time of his death, his estate was valued at some $500,000 ($9.88 million today)."
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=3cXk1ShWH0Y
Images:
1. Samuel Morse, ca. 1850, with an early type of printing receiver. Lithograph by John Sartain, courtesy of Smithsonian Libraries
2. 1844 Portion of the first long-distance telegraph message transmitted by Morse and transcribed in his hand
3. This 1844 telegraph key by Alfred Vail, improving on Morse’s original design, is believed to be from the first Baltimore-Washington telegraph line
Background from americanhistory.si.edu/blog/2012/05/samuel-finley-breese-morse-artist-and-inventor.html
"Samuel Finley Breese Morse: Artist and Inventor
By Harold D. Wallace Jr., May 10, 2012
The National Museum of American History and photographer Robert Weingarten are working in collaboration to build a historic portrait with help from the public. During the week of May 7-11, the museum will present five blogs about significant individuals in American history. Between May 11-28, visitors can vote on which of these historic figures they would most like to see depicted in the portrait. Once a winner is announced, the public will have further opportunity to contribute to Weingarten’s unique process of visual biography. The finished portrait will be displayed at the Smithsonian this fall.
This project is inspired by the exhibition Pushing Boundaries: Portraits by Robert Weingarten, on view July 2-October 14 at the Smithsonian’s International Gallery, Ripley Center on the National Mall.
On May 24, 1844, Samuel F. B. Morse sent an electrical message from the Supreme Court Chambers in Washington, D.C., to his associate Alfred Vail at the Mt. Clare railway station in Baltimore. The now famous message “What Hath God Wrought” was not the first telegraph message ever sent nor was this the first working telegraph, but Morse’s success caught the attention of the American public and made him an American hero.
Morse was a moderately known artist before turning to telegraphy in 1832. While aboard ship returning from three years of art study in Europe, he became inspired by conversations with other passengers about electrical devices and began sketching. Those drawings recorded his thoughts about the possibility of sending messages by way of electrical impulses through a wire and included the first version of his binary code.
During the next four years, Morse studied electricity and settled into his new position as a professor at the University of the City of New York. In 1837 he constructed a transmitter and receiver using, among other things, a painter’s canvas stretcher. With the help of colleague Leonard Gale, Morse sent signals through ten miles of wire. Gale, familiar with electromagnetic studies done by Joseph Henry (later first secretary of the Smithsonian), helped Morse improve his designs. Soon thereafter Alfred Vail began working with Morse and added further refinements, including the use of a key and a dot-dash code.
After five more years of work and many attempts to attract investors, Morse received an appropriation from Congress to construct the Washington to Baltimore line. Once opened in 1844, the business slowly grew. At first, some people did not believe there would be enough demand for telegraph messages to make the system profitable. Morse himself thought that the system would be best operated by the federal government but Congress declined to purchase the system.
Ultimately various associates purchased rights to Morse’s patents and established the Magnetic Telegraph Company. Several other groups of investors established rival companies. Some used different types of telegraph instruments, some simply used Morse equipment without the inventor’s permission which led to a series of lawsuits. The U.S. war with Mexico (1846-48) proved the value of telegraphy to journalists and government officials alike and spurred massive investment. By the time Morse died in 1872 the system operated by Western Union included a network of lines that spanned the country and connected America to the world.
Samuel Morse was sometimes a controversial figure in his day. He twice ran for mayor of New York City and was defeated both times due to his anti-immigrant and anti-Catholic platform. Morse also argued in favor of the institution of slavery and published a pro-slavery tract in 1863, at the height of the Civil War. Despite his political views, Americans came to honor him as an example of American inventiveness and entrepreneurship. Characterizing Morse as either a hero or a villain would be easy by selectively focusing on only one part of the man. As a historian, I view him as a complex product of his time who must be viewed in that context. Today he is remembered for his creativity—an artist who became interested in a novel technology and helped lay the foundation for a revolution in communications that has since changed the world."
Thank you for reminding me, my friend TSgt Joe C.
FYI LTC Wayne Brandon LTC (Join to see) MSgt Robert C Aldi CPT Scott Sharon CMSgt (Join to see) SMSgt Tom Burns SSG Donald H "Don" Bates SSG Jeffrey Leake Sgt (Join to see) SGT Randal Groover SGT Rick Colburn SPC Mike Lake PO3 William Hetrick PO3 Lynn Spalding SPC Mark Huddleston Rhonda Hanson SPC Jordan Sutich
Rest in peace Samuel Finley Breese Morse.
The Life of a Fascinating and Profoundly Troubled American Genius: Samuel F. B. Morse (2003)
"Samuel Finley Breese Morse (April 27, 1791 – April 2, 1872) was an American painter and inventor. After having established his reputation as a portrait painter, in his middle age Morse contributed to the invention of a single-wire telegraph system based on European telegraphs. He was a co-developer of the Morse code, and helped to develop the commercial use of telegraphy.
1. Assisted by the American ambassador in Paris, the governments of Europe were approached about their long neglect of Morse while their countries were using his invention. There was a widespread recognition that something must be done, and in 1858 Morse was awarded the sum of 400,000 French francs (equivalent to about $80,000 at the time) by the governments of France, Austria, Belgium, the Netherlands, Piedmont, Russia, Sweden, Tuscany and Turkey, each of which contributed a share according to the number of Morse instruments in use in each country.[38] In 1858, he was also elected a foreign member of the Royal Swedish Academy of Sciences.
2. Morse lent his support to Cyrus West Field's ambitious plan to construct the first transoceanic telegraph line. Morse had experimented with underwater telegraph circuits since 1842. He invested $10,000 in Field's Atlantic Telegraph Company, took a seat on its board of directors, and was appointed honorary "Electrician".[39] In 1856, Morse traveled to London to help Charles Tilston Bright and Edward Whitehouse test a 2,000-mile-length of spooled cable.[40]
3. After the first two cable-laying attempts failed, Field reorganized the project, removing Morse from direct involvement.[41] Though the cable broke three times during the third attempt, it was successfully repaired, and the first transatlantic telegraph messages were sent in 1858. The cable failed after just three months of use. Though Field had to wait out the Civil War, the cable laid in 1866 proved more durable, and the era of reliable transatlantic telegraph service had begun.
4. In addition to the telegraph, Morse invented a marble-cutting machine that could carve three-dimensional sculptures in marble or stone. He could not patent it, however, because of an existing 1820 Thomas Blanchard design.
5. Samuel Morse gave large sums to charity. He also became interested in the relationship of science and religion and provided the funds to establish a lectureship on "the relation of the Bible to the Sciences". Though he was rarely awarded any royalties for the later uses and implementations of his inventions, he was able to live comfortably.
6. He died in New York City on April 2, 1872,[43] and was interred at Green-Wood Cemetery in Brooklyn, New York. By the time of his death, his estate was valued at some $500,000 ($9.88 million today)."
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=3cXk1ShWH0Y
Images:
1. Samuel Morse, ca. 1850, with an early type of printing receiver. Lithograph by John Sartain, courtesy of Smithsonian Libraries
2. 1844 Portion of the first long-distance telegraph message transmitted by Morse and transcribed in his hand
3. This 1844 telegraph key by Alfred Vail, improving on Morse’s original design, is believed to be from the first Baltimore-Washington telegraph line
Background from americanhistory.si.edu/blog/2012/05/samuel-finley-breese-morse-artist-and-inventor.html
"Samuel Finley Breese Morse: Artist and Inventor
By Harold D. Wallace Jr., May 10, 2012
The National Museum of American History and photographer Robert Weingarten are working in collaboration to build a historic portrait with help from the public. During the week of May 7-11, the museum will present five blogs about significant individuals in American history. Between May 11-28, visitors can vote on which of these historic figures they would most like to see depicted in the portrait. Once a winner is announced, the public will have further opportunity to contribute to Weingarten’s unique process of visual biography. The finished portrait will be displayed at the Smithsonian this fall.
This project is inspired by the exhibition Pushing Boundaries: Portraits by Robert Weingarten, on view July 2-October 14 at the Smithsonian’s International Gallery, Ripley Center on the National Mall.
On May 24, 1844, Samuel F. B. Morse sent an electrical message from the Supreme Court Chambers in Washington, D.C., to his associate Alfred Vail at the Mt. Clare railway station in Baltimore. The now famous message “What Hath God Wrought” was not the first telegraph message ever sent nor was this the first working telegraph, but Morse’s success caught the attention of the American public and made him an American hero.
Morse was a moderately known artist before turning to telegraphy in 1832. While aboard ship returning from three years of art study in Europe, he became inspired by conversations with other passengers about electrical devices and began sketching. Those drawings recorded his thoughts about the possibility of sending messages by way of electrical impulses through a wire and included the first version of his binary code.
During the next four years, Morse studied electricity and settled into his new position as a professor at the University of the City of New York. In 1837 he constructed a transmitter and receiver using, among other things, a painter’s canvas stretcher. With the help of colleague Leonard Gale, Morse sent signals through ten miles of wire. Gale, familiar with electromagnetic studies done by Joseph Henry (later first secretary of the Smithsonian), helped Morse improve his designs. Soon thereafter Alfred Vail began working with Morse and added further refinements, including the use of a key and a dot-dash code.
After five more years of work and many attempts to attract investors, Morse received an appropriation from Congress to construct the Washington to Baltimore line. Once opened in 1844, the business slowly grew. At first, some people did not believe there would be enough demand for telegraph messages to make the system profitable. Morse himself thought that the system would be best operated by the federal government but Congress declined to purchase the system.
Ultimately various associates purchased rights to Morse’s patents and established the Magnetic Telegraph Company. Several other groups of investors established rival companies. Some used different types of telegraph instruments, some simply used Morse equipment without the inventor’s permission which led to a series of lawsuits. The U.S. war with Mexico (1846-48) proved the value of telegraphy to journalists and government officials alike and spurred massive investment. By the time Morse died in 1872 the system operated by Western Union included a network of lines that spanned the country and connected America to the world.
Samuel Morse was sometimes a controversial figure in his day. He twice ran for mayor of New York City and was defeated both times due to his anti-immigrant and anti-Catholic platform. Morse also argued in favor of the institution of slavery and published a pro-slavery tract in 1863, at the height of the Civil War. Despite his political views, Americans came to honor him as an example of American inventiveness and entrepreneurship. Characterizing Morse as either a hero or a villain would be easy by selectively focusing on only one part of the man. As a historian, I view him as a complex product of his time who must be viewed in that context. Today he is remembered for his creativity—an artist who became interested in a novel technology and helped lay the foundation for a revolution in communications that has since changed the world."
Thank you for reminding me, my friend TSgt Joe C.
FYI LTC Wayne Brandon LTC (Join to see) MSgt Robert C Aldi CPT Scott Sharon CMSgt (Join to see) SMSgt Tom Burns SSG Donald H "Don" Bates SSG Jeffrey Leake Sgt (Join to see) SGT Randal Groover SGT Rick Colburn SPC Mike Lake PO3 William Hetrick PO3 Lynn Spalding SPC Mark Huddleston Rhonda Hanson SPC Jordan Sutich
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He did great things!
COL Mikel J. Burroughs Maj Marty Hogan LTC Stephen F. CW5 Jack Cardwell TSgt David L. Cpl (Join to see) Maj William W. 'Bill' Price CPL Dave Hoover SPC Douglas Bolton LTC Greg Henning Maj Bill Smith, Ph.D. Alan K. Lt Col Charlie Brown PO2 Kevin Parker SP5 Mark Kuzinski PO1 John Johnson Sgt (Join to see) PVT Mark Zehner Col Carl Whicker SFC Joe S. Davis Jr., MSM, DSL
COL Mikel J. Burroughs Maj Marty Hogan LTC Stephen F. CW5 Jack Cardwell TSgt David L. Cpl (Join to see) Maj William W. 'Bill' Price CPL Dave Hoover SPC Douglas Bolton LTC Greg Henning Maj Bill Smith, Ph.D. Alan K. Lt Col Charlie Brown PO2 Kevin Parker SP5 Mark Kuzinski PO1 John Johnson Sgt (Join to see) PVT Mark Zehner Col Carl Whicker SFC Joe S. Davis Jr., MSM, DSL
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