The telephone was conceived and invented in this house in Brantford, Ontario. Alexander Graham Bell lived here with his parents after they moved over from Edinburgh. Bell had a handwritten note detailing where he was during each stage of development to allay any future concerns about where the telephone was invented. It was invented in Canada.
The first call, the first long-distance call, the first call involving a musical instrument, and the first call involving a choral ensemble were all done from Brantford. There’s no doubt.
Bell was a resourceful person. He had a hand-operated washing tub that spun clothes around in a bucket of water, an all-in-one stove and home furnace, shrunk the telephone’s earpiece into a quarter of its original size in less than a year, and was wealthy enough to afford full-length curtains. His passion for science began when he had to talk to his mother through a hearing tube, this interested him in buying an ear for a human cadaver and developing the telephone with mechanical parts that mimicked nature.
Bits of the house was also supported by Bell, the telephone company, on the history of telecommunications in Canada. Tours must be booked in advance by phone.
