Two Paths to the Telephone (1981) [pdf]

Great article. Back in the 80’s Scientific American magazine published much more substantial articles than it does today. Nowadays, its articles are very much watered-down and superficial.

> STRIKING PARALLELS between the telephones envisioned by Elisha Gray and Alexander Graham Bell are evident in their respective sketches of the instruments.

Didn't Bell have a friend at the patent office that allowed him to see the Gray patent and retrospectively alter his (Bells) patent application. This to increase the quality of evidence as to who had prior claim on the invention.