January 10, 2007

First Telephone Used to Help Escaping Slaves

med_slave_telephone.jpg

A blast from the past thanks to Modern Mechanix.

"America’s oldest telephone, pictured here, was used before the Civil War by abolitionists who helped negroes escape. It consisted of a wire attached between drumlike boxes containing diaphragms. A ringing bell announced that a message was to be sent."

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