On this day 150 years ago, having arrived at the Centennial Exhibition in Philadelphia, Alec Bell wrote to his young wife Mabel:

"I have been hard at work all day upon my exhibits. All is in readiness to try tomorrow — but I must say I feel very nervous about the result. If I can only make the transmission of vocal sounds a success — I am sure of notice — but my apparatus has been injured and there is no possibility of removing it from the building to have it repaired. The things were either very badly packed or my trunk was treated most unmercifully on the way here. Seven of my glass cells were smashed to pieces. The cones of my telephones were completely flattened — and nearly all the instruments injured more or less. However I think I have succeeded in putting them into some sort of shape.”