Presidents’ signatures, Bell’s telephone patent docs in spotlight at Quinn’s, Feb. 20

Patriotic needlework, possibly of silk thread, depicting American Flags outlined in silver thread and eagle with ‘E Pluribus Unum’ pennant. Possibly made for 1836 Presidential election. Framed size: 25¼ x 23¾ in. Estimate $800-$1,200

FALLS CHURCH, Va. – This year marks the 150th anniversary of Alexander Graham Bell’s most famous invention: the telephone. While scientific history is mired in controversy over who actually devised the first electronic speech-transmitting device, with a number of contenders in the fray, it was Bell who received the US patent for the telephone, on March 7, 1876. In recognition of Bell’s world-changing invention, Quinn’s has included several significant early documents and other ephemera pertaining to the telephone patent dispute in its February 20 Presidential Autograph and Americana Auction. Bid absentee or live online through LiveAuctioneers.

Continue reading