| The concept of the telephone deals with sound being | | | | the sound to a very considerable distance in an |
| converted to electronic impulses and traveling along | | | | instant, or with as seemingly quick motion as that of |
| electrical current until they reach their destination | | | | light." Not only was this the first of its kind in the |
| where they are converted back into audible sound. | | | | Victorian era, but could also work with bent wires, |
| No modern day technological telephony equipment | | | | the arrangement is called a 'telephone'' Not only did |
| from home phones to telephone answering services | | | | he invent a way to travel sounds from long distance, |
| would be possible without the help of Sir Charles | | | | but he also invented the 'microphone,' to hear the |
| Wheatstone. Born on February 6, 1802, he grew up | | | | sounds delivered by the telephone. The microphone |
| to be one of the major scientific and musical | | | | consisted of two rods that work by conveying |
| inventors of the Victorian era. He is known for his | | | | mechanical vibrations to the ears. |
| contributions to acoustics and electric telegraphy. | | | | As an English scientist and inventor, Wheatstone also |
| Through his inventions of the aconcryptophone and | | | | invented the stereoscope, used to display |
| stereoscope, Wheatstone became a major player in | | | | three-dimensional images. The stereoscope was |
| developing how sound would travel and be heard, | | | | found through the exploitation of spectral emission |
| eventually leading to the invention of the modern day | | | | lines. Wheatstone used a method of looking at an |
| telephone, a device that is the basis for modern day | | | | electric spark through a prism to reveal certain rays |
| call center and telephone answering services. | | | | which were characteristic of them. The metals that |
| Charles Wheatstone was born near Gloucester. His | | | | formed the sparking points could be found by |
| father a music-seller in the town gave Charles his | | | | analyzing the light of the spark. The stereoscope was |
| love of music and invention. Charles was very | | | | an arrangement of lenses and prisms and it used two |
| educated as a child, receiving an education in a village | | | | photographs of the same object taken from |
| school and several institutions in London. Wheatstone | | | | different points and made them seam as a single |
| was a shy and emotional boy who liked to be alone | | | | solid object to the human eye. With this invention |
| and keep to himself. At the age of fourteen, | | | | and his explanation of binocular vision, Wheatstone |
| Wheatstone was apprenticed to his uncle. His uncle | | | | was awarded the Royal Medal of the Royal Society. |
| was a seller and maker of musical instruments. While | | | | He showed that the mind can comprehend more |
| with his uncle, Charles did not show much interest to | | | | than just two dimensional pictures, but of two |
| the handicraft or business, but was more into what | | | | separate pictures of an object taken by both eyes |
| made the instruments work. In his later year, | | | | from different points of view, thus creating a three |
| Wheatstone was married in February 12, 1847 only | | | | dimensional image. |
| to have his wife die in 1866, leaving him with five | | | | Wheatstone used his inventions of the telephone, |
| young children to take care of. | | | | microphone, and stereoscope, to aid in the installation |
| With his love of music spawning from his father, | | | | of wires for the telegraph. He proposed to lay lines |
| Wheatstone created the Aconcryptophone. It | | | | across the Thames and on the London and |
| consisted of a combination of the piano, harp, and | | | | Birmingham Railway. Following his completion of the |
| dulcimer together, hung from the ceiling by a cord. | | | | automatic telegraph in 1868, Wheatstone was |
| The instrument worked my waves moving in high | | | | knighted. With more than thirty-four distinctions and |
| velocity, transmitting sounds to long distances. Said | | | | diplomas to his name, he became a much respected |
| to have sound travel at 200 micrographia, | | | | man in society. Telephones and the entire telephone |
| Wheatstone wrote, "I can assure the reader that I | | | | answering service industry would not exist if it were |
| have, by the help of a distended wire, propagated | | | | not for the work of Sir Charles Wheatstone. |