SAMUEL F. B. MORSE - AUTOGRAPH LETTER SIGNED 08/08/1868 - HFSID 285860
Price: $3,000.00
SAMUEL F.B. MORSE
Signed, handwritten letter to telegraphic expert Robert Sabine (1868), insisting that he
be given journal space to refute "Hamel's calumnious paper read before the Society of
Arts".
ALS: "Saml F.B. Morse, 3 pages, 5x8. Po'keepsie, N.York, 1868 August 8. The inventor
of the Morse Code who established a telegraph line between Washington, D.C., and
Baltimore in 1844 writes to Robert Sabine, Westminster, London. In full: "I began a letter
to you on the 18th July in reply to your valuable letter of the 18th of June. I have had so
many interruptions since my return that I must defer its completion, until I have finished
by Report as Commissioner for my Government. I write now simply to acknowledge your
kindness and to thank you for your courtesy, and to promise you at no very distant day
the finished letter on Hamel's calumnious paper read before the Society of Arts. The part
in which he refers to me, requires a thorough exposure. I do not ask to have it published
entire, but I do ask that it be read to the Society, and that it be recorded in their
proceedings, with such remarks of their own as their sense of justice may prompt after a
proper examination of the case. If Hamel's paper on their Records should ever be
referred to in disparagement of me, it seems but just that my remarks should be at hand
on the same records, as rebutting evidence. If at any time you have printed documents
on Telegraphic matters which you think may be of interest to me, I shall be much
gratified to have copies of them and shall feel greatly obliged to you if you would take the
trouble to send them to me; any expense of course, I will cheerfully defray. We have your
photographic portrait in our choice Album. I enclose you two views of my country villa,
my summer residence on the Hudson, where I hope yet to have the pleasure at a future
day of seeing you." Samuel F. B. Morse (1791-1872) was an accomplished portrait and
mural painter and founder of the National Academy of Design. On a trip to Europe in
1830, while observing French semaphores, and realized that messages could be sent even more
quickly using an electrical spark. In March 1843, he won a grant from the US Congress to
build the first telegraph line. He sent the first successful telegraph message from
Washington, D.C. to Baltimore on May 24, 1844. His code for message transmission
became, of course, the system of dots and dashes known as Morse code. Morse built
telegraph lines across the country while battling rivals in the courts. Robert Sabine was an
English science writer who had recently published a book on the telegraph (The Electric
Telegraph, 1867). That same year he produced a report for the British government on
telegraph techniques shown at the Paris Universal Exhibition of 1867. The Hamel Morse
denounces in this letter was probably Joseph Hamel, a scholar at the Russian Imperial
Academy who kept the Czar informed of technological developments in the West, including
telegraphy and photography. Hamel has been called "the first industrial spy." Light
show-through from mounting remnant on verso of third page, usual folds, slight separation at
bottom of vertical fold and at blank portion of third page above but not touching signature, else
fine.
Following offer submission users will be contacted at their account email address within 48 hours. Our response will be to accept your offer, decline your offer or send you a final counteroffer. All offers can be viewed from within the "Offer Review" area of your HistoryForSale account. Please review the Make Offer Terms prior to making an offer.
If you have not received an offer acceptance or counter-offer email within 24-hours please check your spam/junk email folder.