Skip to main content

Primary sourceBook1906

The Mechanism of Speech

Alexander Graham Bell · 1906

Bell's 1906 published lectures to teachers of the deaf, setting out his science of articulation.

Bell wrote this book of lectures, reflecting his scientific career teaching deaf students about speech.

Ask Alexander Graham about this sourceView the original(opens in new tab)
Front cover of a dark book with a library barcode label reading UC-NRLF and call number in the upper left. A gold-bordered rectangle on the cover contains the title THE MECHANISM OF SPEECH, BY ALEXANDER GRAHAM BELL.
Alexander Graham Bell, The Mechanism of Speech, 1906. Library of Congress / Internet Archive.

About this source

What it is

This is the published book The Mechanism of Speech by Alexander Graham Bell, from 1906, held by the Library of Congress and the Internet Archive. It consists of lectures Bell gave to teachers of the deaf, describing the physical mechanics of how speech sounds are produced.

Why it matters

Bell's scientific study of speech and articulation was the professional core of his life apart from his invention of the telephone. This book shows his deep, lifelong engagement with the science of sound and communication, work that grew out of his family's and his own career teaching deaf students.

Look closer

  • Why does Bell use an everyday comparison, like a vault or room, to describe parts of the body?
  • What does the style of writing tell you about who the book was meant for?
  • What does this book reveal about the connection between Bell's teaching career and his famous invention?

This book is part of the curated material that grounds the AI version of Alexander Graham on Humy.ai — when students ask about related events, the AI can quote it and cite it.

More Alexander Graham sources

Meet the AI Alexander Graham →
Scan of the first page of U.S. Patent No. 174,465, titled 'United States Patent Office,' naming Alexander Graham Bell of Salem, Massachusetts, and 'Improvement in Telegraphy.' Dense printed text in two columns follows.Document

Primary source

U.S. Patent No. 174,465, Improvement in Telegraphy

Alexander Graham Bell · 7 March 1876

Artifact

Primary source

Recording of the Voice of Alexander Graham Bell

Alexander Graham Bell · 1885

Handwritten pen sketch labeled 'Fig 4' in a notebook showing a liquid transmitter: a diaphragm labeled B, a cup labeled C in a container, a point labeled P, a battery symbol, and a switch labeled S, with partial handwritten text below.Painting

Primary source

Drawing of a Liquid Transmitter, 8 March 1876

Alexander Graham Bell · 8 March 1876

Book

Primary source

Memoir Upon the Formation of a Deaf Variety of the Human Race

Alexander Graham Bell · 1884

Black-and-white studio portrait of an elderly man with white hair and a full white beard, wearing a dark suit, vest, and tie, looking toward the camera against a soft gray backdrop.Photograph

Primary source

Portrait of Alexander Graham Bell

Moffett Studio

Ready when you are

Start chatting with Alexander Graham now.

20 messages free · No credit card · Available in 50+ languages.

Trial Humy for freeGet a quote for institutions