Evening star., 1938-01-09

the collection. A first printing of the
first steamship that really operated
Robert Fulton's own designs here,
together with an interesting check for
SIPS, dated July %. 1881. made out in
Fulton's hand and bearing his sigma
ture.
THE invention Of the telegraph is
. recorded by S. F. B. Morse's own
account Of his invention-the Morse
Memorial" Similarly, A. G. Bells own
account Of his invention of the tele-
phone gives another highlight of sci
ence. The first wireless newspaper
ever published, issued on the S. S. St.
Paul at sea, en- route from England,
on November Is, 1899. Is one Of the
most interesting items in the science
collection. This is due to association
very largely, for it so happened that
Mr.. Marconi was making the trip on
the st. Paul at the time
The little sheet was printed on the
letter form Of the st. Paul on the little
printing press that turned out the
daily menus. Its first page stated:
Through the courtesy of Mr.. Mar
conf, the passengers on board the St.
Paul are accorded a rare privilege,
that Of receiving news several hours
before landing. Mr.. Marconi and his
assistants have arranged for work the
apparatus used in reporting the yacht
race in New York, and are now receiv-
ing dispatches from their station at
the Needles. War news from South
Africa and home messages from Lon
don and Paris are being received. The
most important dispatches are being
published on the opposite pages. As
all know, this IS the first time such
venture as this has been under
taken. A newspaper published at sea
with wireless telegraph messages re-
ceived and printed on ship going
20 knots an hour!"
This particular copy is inscribed by
the great inventor in his own auto
graph. ITO Mrs. Robert Mcclure, with
kind regards from Guglielmo Mar
conf"
There are letters in this collection
that were written by the most famous
scientists of the world Included are
Metchnikoff. the greatest Russian
scientist; Pasteur, the greatest scien-
tist of France; Freud of Austria, Hum
boldt of Germany, Linneus Of Sweden,
Thomas Edison, Benjamin Franklin,
Count Rumford, and Volta Of Italy.
With. the Edison items is shown q very
rare signed photograph Of Edison as
q young man, and the original manu-
script Of that great inventor, in letter
form, wherein, in q handwriting as
exouisitely fine as engraving. he an
nounces his invention Of the first
"talkie." AS an historical document
this letter Is priceless, and 1t Is filled
with human interest as we'll. It reads,
in part:
I'm the year 1887 the idea occurred
to me that it was possible to devise
an instrument which should do for
the eyes what the phonograph does
for the ear, and that, by a combina-
ton of the two, all motion and sound
could be recorded and reproduced ST.
multaneously. This idea. the germ Of
which came from the little toy called
the zoatrope and the work OF May
Gridge, Marie and others, has now
been accomplished, so that every
change Of facial expression can be
recorded and reproduced life size. The
kinetoscope is only q small model
illustrating the present stage Of prog
ress, but with each succeeding month
new possibilities are brought into
view. I believe that in coming years,
by my own work and that Of Dickson,
MayGridge, Marie and others who
will doubtless enter the field, that
grand opera can be given at the Met
ropolitan Opera House at New York
without any material change from the
original, and with artists and musi-
clans long since dead"
A VERY appealing picture is given
Of the dance, in the Batchelder
collection. Every internationally ia
nous danseuse-Taglioni, Cleo de Me-
rode, Anna Pavlova, Fanny Ellsler,
Lois Fuller, oarmsncita, Lola Montes,