Samuel Morse Collection

Old and new methods of communication. At right is the former home of Samuel Morse (1791-1872), who invented the electric telegraph and the Morse code

Communication. Morse telegraph. Imagery from a series on the Wonder of Electricity, France, 1910
2638694 Communication. Morse telegraph. Imagery from a series on the Wonder of Electricity, France, 1910.; Private Collection; (add.info.: Communication. Coll. Part.); Photo © CCI.

Morse's first telegraph apparatus
NWI4759584 Morse's first telegraph apparatus.; (add.info.: Morse's first telegraph apparatus.); Photo © North Wind Pictures.

Samuel Morse on board of boat "Sully", 19th century (engraving)
2757933 Samuel Morse on board of boat "Sully", 19th century (engraving) by Unknown Artist, (19th century); (add.info.: Samuel Morse and Charles Thomas Jackson on the ship Sully)

David Edward Hughes
2757940 David Edward Hughes. by French School, (19th century); (add.info.: Sciences. Communication. Coll. Part. Science. Communication)

Samuel Morse
2757934 Samuel Morse. by French School, (19th century); (add.info.: Sciences. Communication. Coll. Part. Science. Communication. American inventor Samuel Morse)

Samuel F. B. Morse, between 1855 and 1865. Creator: Unknown
Samuel F.B. Morse, between 1855 and 1865. [Artist, portrait painter, inventor, photographer]

Samuel Morse
Portrait of Prof.S.F.B. Morse ( 1791-1872)Engraved and published in the Story a Great Nation by John Gilmary Shea and edited in Newyork by Gay Brothers & Company in 1884.Digital restoration by

Samuel Morse (engraving)
815688 Samuel Morse (engraving) by English School, (19th century); Private Collection; (add.info.: Samuel Morse, (1791- 1872)

Morse making his own Instrument (engraving)
2813751 Morse making his own Instrument (engraving) by American School, (19th century); Private Collection; (add.info.: Morse making his own Instrument)

Telegraphe Morse (engraving)
2817628 Telegraphe Morse (engraving) by French School, (19th century); Private Collection; (add.info.: Telegraphe Morse. Illustration for Les Nouvelles Conquetes De La Science, L Electricite)

Morse hears the wonderful news (litho)
979519 Morse hears the wonderful news (litho) by Sheldon, Charles Mills (1866-1928) (after); Private Collection; (add.info.: Morse hears the wonderful news)

Morse telegraph (chromolitho)
974514 Morse telegraph (chromolitho) by European School, (19th century); Private Collection; (add.info.: Morse telegraph. Educational card, late 19th or early 20th century.); © Look and Learn

The story of the telegraph (colour litho)
3099323 The story of the telegraph (colour litho) by French School, (19th century); Private Collection; (add.info.: The story of the telegraph)

The first electrical telegraph invented by Samuel Morse in 1837
2619093 The first electrical telegraph invented by Samuel Morse in 1837, from Les Merveilles de la Science, published c.1870 (engraving) by French School, (19th century); Private Collection; French

Samuel Morse (engraving)
664941 Samuel Morse (engraving) by English School, (19th century); Private Collection; (add.info.: Samuel Morse. Illustration for Blackies Modern Cyclopedia (1899)

The late Professor Morse (engraving)
1613691 The late Professor Morse (engraving) by English School, (19th century); Private Collection; (add.info.: The late Professor Morse. Illustration for The Illustrated London News, 4 May 1872)

No 5 West Twenty-second Street, New York, where Morse lived for Many Years and died (engraving)
2813747 No 5 West Twenty-second Street, New York, where Morse lived for Many Years and died (engraving) by American School

Study for The House of Representatives, ca. 1821. Creator: Samuel Finley Breese Morse
Study for The House of Representatives, ca. 1821

Samuel F. B. Morse Self-Portrait, 1812. Creator: Samuel Finley Breese Morse
Samuel F. B. Morse Self-Portrait, 1812

Men of Progress, 1862. Creator: Christian Schussele
Men of Progress, 1862

Samuel F. B. Morse, 1895. Creator: Edward Lind Morse
Samuel F. B. Morse, 1895

The House of Representatives, 1822, probably reworked 1823

Lydia Coit Terry (Mrs. Eliphalet Terry), c. 1824. Creator: Samuel Finley Breese Morse
Lydia Coit Terry (Mrs. Eliphalet Terry), c. 1824

Eliphalet Terry, c. 1824. Creator: Samuel Finley Breese Morse
Eliphalet Terry, c. 1824

Joseph Gales, 1821 / 1822. Creator: Samuel Finley Breese Morse
Joseph Gales, 1821/1822

Rev. William Buell Sprague, 1834. Creator: Asher Brown Durand
Rev. William Buell Sprague, 1834

The Wife, 1829. Creator: Asher Brown Durand
The Wife, 1829

Samuel F. B. Morse, ca. 1870. Creator: Mathew Brady
Samuel F. B. Morse, ca. 1870

Portrait of a Young Man, 1840. Creator: Samuel Finley Breese Morse
Portrait of a Young Man, 1840

Professor Samuel F. B. Morse, LL. D. 1850s. Creator: Unknown
Professor Samuel F. B. Morse, LL.D. 1850s

Samuel F. B. Morse, printers sample for the Worlds Inventors souvenir album (A25) for Allen & Ginter Cigarettes, 1888

Mrs. Daniel DeSaussure Bacot, ca. 1820. Creator: Samuel Finley Breese Morse
Mrs. Daniel DeSaussure Bacot, ca. 1820

Susan Walker Morse (The Muse), ca. 1836-37. Creator: Samuel Finley Breese Morse
Susan Walker Morse (The Muse), ca. 1836-37

De Witt Clinton, 1826. Creator: Samuel Finley Breese Morse
De Witt Clinton, 1826

Samuel Morse 1791-1872, 1934. Samuel Finley Breese Morse (1791-1872), American painter and inventor. After having established his reputation as a portrait painter

Transmitting a message, 1894. An operator sending a message on a Morse electric printing telegraph. From A Popular History of Science, by Robert Routledge, BSc (Lond.), F.C.S

Samuel Morse (1791-1872), American artist and inventor, 1926. Morse was the inventor of the first functional electric telegraph (1835) and, with Alexander Bain (1810-1977), of the Morse code

Samuel Finley Breese Morse, American inventor, (1934). Morse (1791-1872) was a painter of portraits and historic scenes. It is disputed whether Morse had invented the electrical telegraph in 1837 as

Samuel Finley Breese Morse, 19th century American inventor, (1900). Morse (1791-1872) was the inventor of the first functional electric telegraph (1835) and, with Alexander Bain (1810-1977)

Morse telegraph operating room, Cincinnati, Ohio, USA, 1859. From The Telegraph Manual, by TP Shaffner. (New York 1859). Credit Smithsonian Institution, Washington DC

Morse telegraphy, Cincinnati, Ohio, USA, 1859. The public reception room where telegraph messages could be sent and received. From The Telegraph Manual by TP Shaffner. (New York 1859)

Samuel Finley Breese Morse, American artist and inventor, 1873. Morse (1791-1872) was the inventor of the first functional electric telegraph (1835) and, with Alexander Bain (1810-1977)

Main station of the Exchange Telegraph Company, London, 1882. An operator receives a message on a ticker-tape machine. A Morse transmitting instrument is connected directly to the Stock Exchange

Operator receiving a message in Morse code on an electric printing telegraph, 1887. In the box under the table are the wet cells (batteries) supplying electricity

Telegraph office, c1900. A man reads a message he has received (left). Inside the office an operator sends a message using a Morse transmitting key (right)

Operator sending a message on a Morse electric printing telegraph, 1887. He is tapping out the message with a key using the code developed by Samuel Morse and Alexander Bain

Morses first telegraph, 1837 (c1900). Artist: Sir John Gilbert
Morses first telegraph, 1837 (c1900). Invented by Samuel Finley Breese Morse (1791-1872), this was the first functional electric telegraph

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Samuel Morse: Pioneering Old and New Methods of Communication From the humble beginnings of smoke signals to the lightning-fast world of social media, communication has evolved drastically over time. One individual who played a significant role in this transformation is Samuel Morse. Born on April 27, 1791, in Charlestown, Massachusetts, Samuel Finley Breese Morse became a renowned American inventor and painter. While he initially pursued his passion for art at Yale University and later in Europe, it was his fascination with science that would shape his legacy. In the mid-1830s, Morse collaborated with Alfred Vail to develop an electrical telegraph system capable of transmitting messages across long distances using coded pulses known as Morse code. This groundbreaking invention revolutionized communication by enabling real-time information exchange like never before. Morse's ingenuity did not stop there. In 1844, he successfully sent the first telegraph message from Washington D. C. To Baltimore with the iconic words "What hath God wrought?" This historic moment marked a turning point in human connectivity and laid the foundation for future advancements. Interestingly enough, another notable figure influenced Samuel Morse's journey into telecommunications – David Edward Hughes. An accomplished Welsh-American scientist and musician himself, Hughes made significant contributions to early telegraphy systems during the late 1800s. As technology progressed rapidly throughout history, so did methods of documenting these advancements. Engravings depicting Samuel F. B. Morse working on his instrument or operating his creation showcased both his dedication and expertise in bringing about change through innovation. The impact of Samuel Morse's invention cannot be overstated; it forever altered how we communicate across vast distances. From receiving wonderful news via lithographs to witnessing chromolithos illustrating the marvels of telegraphy firsthand – society marveled at this transformative force that bridged gaps between people near and far. Today we find ourselves immersed in a digital age where instant messaging apps, video calls, and social media platforms dominate our communication landscape.