Portrait of Alexander Graham Bell

What it is

This is a black-and-white studio photograph of Alexander Graham Bell, taken by the Moffett Studio. It shows Bell as an elderly man with white hair and a full white beard, wearing a dark suit, vest, and tie, posed against a plain backdrop.

Why it matters

This portrait is widely used as the standard image of Bell in his later years, after he had become famous for inventing the telephone and had gone on to other work, including early aviation research. Studio portraits like this one shaped how the public pictured well-known inventors and scientists of the era.

Look closer

• What impression of Bell does this formal pose and clothing create?
• Why might a studio photograph differ from a casual snapshot of someone at work?
• What does this image not tell you about Bell's life or ideas?