Lot 243
Morse, Samuel F.B (1791-1872) American artist, contributor to the invention of a single-wire telegraph system based on European telegraphs, and co-inventor of the Morse code. Beautiful 20 x 16" photograph signed twice by Morse, "Sam'l F. B. Morse"; the first signature, followed by a paraph, and "New York, March 10, 1871," is under his waist-length portrait. Spelled out along the lower edge of the photograph is the Morse code message, "What hath God wrought," with corresponding letters above the dots and dashes of the Morse code, followed by Morse's holograph note, "first dispatch on the first completed public line between Washington & Baltimore. May 24, 1844. 8:45 P.M. Sam'l F.B. Morse." This second signature falls primarily on the mount (size of mount unknown--not viewed out of the frame). Attractively matted and framed in a gilt wood frame to an overall size of 28 x 24½". Moderate toning in lower right corner; a couple of faint blemishes in blank upper background. A spectacular display piece with a historic association!
Morse was an accomplished artist whose subjects included John Adams, James Monroe, and the Marquis de Lafayette. Returning home from Europe in 1832, he met Charles Thomas Jackson aboard the same ship. Jackson's experiments with electromagnetism fascinated Morse, who subsequently developed the concept of a single-wire telegraph. Unable to get a telegraphic signal to carry more than a few hundred yards, Morse was aided by chemistry professor Leonard Gale, who gave him the idea of introducing extra circuits or relays at frequent intervals. Morse and Gale were soon joined by Alfred Vail, who had both good ideas and money, and the first public demonstration of the electric telegraph took place at the Speedwell Ironworks in Morristown, New Jersey, on January 11, 1838.
On May 24, 1844, the line was officially opened when Morse sent the famous words "What hath God wrought" from the Supreme Court chamber in the basement of the U.S. Capitol building in Washington, D.C., to the Baltimore & Ohio Railroad's Mount Clare Station in Baltimore.
Later in life Morse depended on dividends from telegraph companies. In 1858 several European countries combined to pay him a gratuity of 400,000 francs as compensation for their use of his system. Morse code changed the way that messages were sent and received throughout the world. It would become the primary language of telegraphy in the world, and is still the standard for rhythmic transmission of data. This is the iconic artifact of all electronic messaging!
Estimated Value $15,000 - 20,000.
Ex Paul Richards, 1980s.
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| Realized $22,800 |
