MORSE, SAMUEL B. (& CARL AUGUST VON STEINHEIL). - THE FIRST ELECTRIC TELEGRAPH.

Télégraphe électro-magnétique de M. Morse, professeur à l'université de New-York. (Séance du Lundi 10 Septembre 1838) (+) Notice sur le télégraphe galvanique de M. Steinheil (Communique par l'Auteur). (Séance du Lundi 10 Septembre 1838). (2 papers).

(Paris, Bachelier, 1838). 4to. No wrappers. In: "Comptes rendus hebdomadaires des séances de l’Académie des sciences", Vol. 7, No 11. Pp. (543-) 601. Morse's paper: pp. 593-95. Steinheil's paper: pp. 590-593. A faint dampstain in upper margin, otherwise clean and fine.

First printing of Morse's French announcement of his first successfull display of his invention at an 1838 exhibition in New York (January 6) where Morse transmitted 10 words per minute. He had retired his number-word dictionary, using instead the dot-dash code directly for letters. Although other changes would eventually be made, the Morse Code that would become standard throughout the world had been born. In the paper he also gives full credit to Carl August von Steinheil for his discoveries concerning the electrical telegraph.

In the paper Steinheil describes his own telegraph and its predecessors. In reality, Steinheil's telegraph was the first recording telegraph, and it predating Morse.

Order-nr.: 49636