The Making of a Man: A word-art portrait
- Feb 16, 2022
- History
- 5 minutes read
When it comes to inventions, few have had the global impact of the telephone. Patented in 1876, this device has changed cultures across the globe. However, Bell was so much more than the inventor of the telephone – his many inventions are still impacting our lives today. Bell believed, “The only difference between success and failure is the ability to take action.” He lived an action-packed life dedicated to understanding the world around him. Today, we show our dedication by deciphering all the elements that define his life’s work.
These contributions, along with key words from his life story, are listed in the word-art portrait featured on our 2022 Proof Dollar. They harness the power of language to tell a more complete story of this great inventor.
When it comes to inventions, few have had the global impact of the telephone. Patented in 1876, this device has changed cultures across the globe. However, Bell was so much more than the inventor of the telephone – his many inventions are still impacting our lives today. Bell believed, “The only difference between success and failure is the ability to take action.” He lived an action-packed life dedicated to understanding the world around him. Today, we show our dedication by deciphering all the elements that define his life’s work.
These contributions, along with key words from his life story, are listed in the word-art portrait featured on our 2022 Proof Dollar. They harness the power of language to tell a more complete story of this great inventor.
His beautifully designed hair shares his visionary world-changing inventions—inventions that still shape our culture of connectedness. It pays homage to his curiosity which led to his scientific research and the many laboratories he founded in pursuit of a better world.
The people around him often inspired Bell’s scientific pursuits. One example of this is the invention of the metal detector which he developed in an attempt to locate a bullet lodged in the chest of American President James Garfield in 1881. Bell was many things, but the most important seemed to be his roles as son, brother, father and husband.
The face of the coin shares Bell’s history and the invention that changed everything. On March 10, 1876, Bell spoke the first ever words on the telephone. He was later honoured when the bel—a unit of measurement—was named after him. He was born in Scotland, lived in the US and had a summer residence called Beinn Bhreagh in Canada. It is said that his summer residence is where he went to dream. It is also where he was later laid to rest with his wife Mabel.
In a way, Bell’s upbringing was the catalyst for all the change he created in the world. He was born in Scotland but moved to Canada after he lost his two brothers to tuberculosis. He was also closely tied to communications with both his mother and wife being deaf and a father who was a teacher of elocution.
The full beard on the coin speaks to this past, his family’s summer home in Baddeck, Cape Breton, Nova Scotia, and Boston, where he lived while a Professor of the Mechanism of Speech in Boston University’s School of Oratory. Bell, the ‘inventeur’, held more than 18 patents for his inventions and work in communications – one of these being the Photophone that could transmit a human voice hundreds of meters on a beam of light.
The clothing on the coin speaks to Bell’s involvement with the Aerial Experiment Association (A.E.A) which was a Canadian-American aeronautical research group formed on September 30, 1907. He worked with A.E.A to invent the Silver Dart—the first powered aircraft to fly in Canada. Bell is also responsible for inventing the respirator (vacuum jacket) after the loss of his premature child. The word ‘Amour’ is a tribute to his family and his fellow human beings.
The 2022 Proof Dollar and Proof Set celebrate Bell’s lifelong commitment to science and innovation, and its lasting impact. In particular, it is a Canadian celebration as many of his inventions were made right here in Canada. In a way, his story and this coin ignite a desire to leave the world in a better way than when we found it.