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Genius at Work: Images of Alexander Graham Bell
Describes the life and experiments of Alexander Graham Bell at his summer home and laboratory on Cape Breton Island in Nova Scotia
200 pages, Paperback
First published January 6, 1991
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Displaying 1 - 2 of 2 reviews
May 5, 2023
This book, written in 1991 is obviously the work of an author who has high esteem for Alexander Graham Bell. The book is composed of 50% text and 50% photographs. It focuses on Bell’s work at his Beinn Bhreagh estate on Bras D’Or lake in Nova Scotia’s Cape Breton Island. The photos almost all include Bell or family members, usually with a backdrop of one of his inventions or experiments. Little is said about the telephone, its patents, or lawsuits other than to state that he won all the suits and is entitled to be called the “inventor of the telephone.”
Although Bell sold most of his telephone patents, he continued to work on telecommunications and aids and tools for the deaf, for the rest of his life. The Bells spent their summers at Beinn Bhreagh, usually staying for up to six months to avoid Washington’s heat and Canada’s cold. The estate was used from about 1895 to 1920. The house was built first, followed by labs and workshops used for his experiments and trial. Besides Bell’s continuing work with the deaf, there were three major activities: heavier than air aircraft, the tetrahedron and the hydrofoil. In addition, he developed the ability to transmit sound using sunlight. Bell did not develop the laser, but he was the first to prove the viability of using light for communications.
Bell’s work on aircraft was assisted by four much younger men, one of whom was Glenn Curtiss. The Aerial Experiment Association (AEA) survived only a couple of years as members branched out into solo activities. Curtiss stayed and modified light-weight motorcycle engines for aircraft. During this period the AEA built four of the world’s first flyable aircraft, built and flew the British Empire’s first aircraft, developed aviation’s triangle undercarriage and developed and applied the use of ailerons. This work was all funded by Bell money; his wife was also independently wealthy. These achievements helped aeronautics advance rapidly during its early years.
As aircraft work was underway, Bell was testing structures and wing design using kites and his tetrahedron design. The tetrahedron was a great success that he was able to demonstrate using a 100-foot tower and a structure of this design. This structural design was popularized by Buckminster Fuller’s large dome, built in Montreal for Expo 67. It is now used extensively in aircraft. Bell’s aircraft design was less successful as wing design was not yet well understood. Bell’s last major achievement was to design and build a hydrofoil. This vessel named HD4 set a nautical speed record in 1919 that lasted for nine years. Unfortunately, he was unable to sell the design to the British or US navies.
This book opened my eyes to the exuberance and breadth of Alexander Graham Bell as well as the strength, tenderness and support of his relationship with his wife Mable. Three 1/2 Stars
Although Bell sold most of his telephone patents, he continued to work on telecommunications and aids and tools for the deaf, for the rest of his life. The Bells spent their summers at Beinn Bhreagh, usually staying for up to six months to avoid Washington’s heat and Canada’s cold. The estate was used from about 1895 to 1920. The house was built first, followed by labs and workshops used for his experiments and trial. Besides Bell’s continuing work with the deaf, there were three major activities: heavier than air aircraft, the tetrahedron and the hydrofoil. In addition, he developed the ability to transmit sound using sunlight. Bell did not develop the laser, but he was the first to prove the viability of using light for communications.
Bell’s work on aircraft was assisted by four much younger men, one of whom was Glenn Curtiss. The Aerial Experiment Association (AEA) survived only a couple of years as members branched out into solo activities. Curtiss stayed and modified light-weight motorcycle engines for aircraft. During this period the AEA built four of the world’s first flyable aircraft, built and flew the British Empire’s first aircraft, developed aviation’s triangle undercarriage and developed and applied the use of ailerons. This work was all funded by Bell money; his wife was also independently wealthy. These achievements helped aeronautics advance rapidly during its early years.
As aircraft work was underway, Bell was testing structures and wing design using kites and his tetrahedron design. The tetrahedron was a great success that he was able to demonstrate using a 100-foot tower and a structure of this design. This structural design was popularized by Buckminster Fuller’s large dome, built in Montreal for Expo 67. It is now used extensively in aircraft. Bell’s aircraft design was less successful as wing design was not yet well understood. Bell’s last major achievement was to design and build a hydrofoil. This vessel named HD4 set a nautical speed record in 1919 that lasted for nine years. Unfortunately, he was unable to sell the design to the British or US navies.
This book opened my eyes to the exuberance and breadth of Alexander Graham Bell as well as the strength, tenderness and support of his relationship with his wife Mable. Three 1/2 Stars
September 29, 2009
Fun family photos. It made it very clear that Bell was supported most of his career by his wife's family fortune. But that gave him the freedom to imagine and create things that really were on the cutting edge for his time.
Displaying 1 - 2 of 2 reviews