Samuel Morse, That’s Who! by Tracy Nelson Maurer

 This biography for children brings to life an American inventor and painter.

Samuel Finley Breese Morse (1791-1872) was born in Charlestown, Massachusetts. He went to Yale College and London’s Royal Academy of Arts.

Samuel had a natural nag for inventing, except others were a step ahead of him. He designed a water pump with his brother, but nobody bought it. Then, a marble-cutting machine which was already invented. Then, he experimented with wild paint mixes, for example, milk for a pearly effect.

Above all, he fancied himself as an artist. He travelled from town to town, mostly painting portraits to make a living. But he dreamed of painting grand scenes as he found America’s taste in art boorish.

However, people were not interested in his paintings. He still persisted. He sailed for Europe in 1829 to study the Old World masters and paint a huge picture of their art to show to the people in the US.

At the same time, in France, he saw the famous French optical telegraph system in action, which was created in 1794 and served during wartime. Towers relayed codes for messages if it wasn’t foggy or dark. He wanted to create something that wouldn’t be dependent on the weather or daylight. But for now, he concentrated on finishing his masterpiece which he titled Gallery of the Louvre.

In 1832, he sailed back home with his massive painting. On ship Sully, he learned about possibilities for electricity. It sparked an idea. He wanted to create a system that would use electric pulses to instantly carry coded messages through wires between two machines. Thus, it wouldn’t be dependent on the weather nor daylight. He sketched a code using dots and dashes.

Back in NY, no one was interested in his painting. Instead, people became fascinated by his idea of an electromagnetic telegraph machine.

Thus, he mostly focused on his telegraph. He experimented with an alphabet code and other measures to record a message, but he needed help. He shared his idea with two of his friends, one professor, another was machine-minded. When the team clicked, he set aside art and focused on the invention.

In 1840, he received a US patent for his telegraph.

In 1842, a demonstration was presented between Manhattan and Governors Island. It went well until a ship crew cut his wire not knowing what it was for and he found out about it later on. Nevertheless, he persisted.

In 1843, Congress granted him money for a telegraph line between Baltimore and DC. With many delays, they finally started digging trenches to set the cable in lead pipes. But it turned out that poorly made pipes caused wires to fail in damp soil. He needed a new plan. Now, the wires would go up between poles.

In May 1844, a first long-distance telegraph message is sent.

In time, telegraph lines crossed from coast to coast. Then, undersea cables linked continents. The first successful transatlantic telegraph was installed in 1858. Telegraph offices appeared connecting messages of all kinds.

During the Civil War, both sides used the telegraph to communicate.

Morse died in 1872, four years before Alexander Graham Bell patented the telephone.

In 1982, Gallery of the Louvre sold for $3.25 million, then a record for a work by an American painter.

This biography exemplifies a man who had a nag for inventing and who also had a talent for painting. He persisted with both which turned out to be balancing him well. When he couldn’t make it in inventing, he focused on painting. After establishing his reputation as a portrait painter, he focused on inventing a single-wire telegraph system based on European telegraphs. He travelled to Europe to improve his skills in painting and that led him to contributing to his biggest invention of his lifetime. 

This beautifully illustrated biography is written with lyrical prose. As it’s mean for young audience ages 4-8 years, it rather needs to be read to them, and some words might have to be explained. The storytelling is grasping. This biography doesn’t bring his success in painting. It rather focuses on his inventing, highlighting his struggles and setbacks in it.

Source: Henry Holt & Co

 

 

TRENDING INSPIRATION: Balancing act between art and science led Samuel Morse to success. When he struggled with inventing, he turned to painting. When he studied to improve his skill in painting, it led him back to inventing – his biggest success. Thus, the focus doesn’t necessarily have to be on one venture. Sometimes, we need to leave what we’re passionate about for some time in order to gain a fresh perspective on it.

 

 

 

Traits:

·         He had a natural nag for inventing, except others were a step ahead of him.

·         He also wanted to be an artist. He travelled from town to town, mostly painting portraits to make a living.

·         He travelled to Europe to study Old Masters to improve his skills in painting.

·         In Europe, he learned about telegraph, and that led him back to his nag for inventing.

·         He gathered the right team as he knew he didn’t have enough knowledge for improving telegraph.

·         With the right team, he patented his idea, but there were some setbacks in putting it to work. He persisted. When one plan failed, he came up with another until he figured out the right way to transmit the telegraph.

·         First he connected states on the East Coast, then he connected East and West costs, then he connected the continents. He had a big picture in mind, but he knew he had to take smaller steps in order to get to the big picture.

 

 

“Science and art are not opposed.” – Samuel Morse

Leonardo da Vinci by Kathleen Krull

 The biography series Giants of Science for middle grade fascinates with the story of Leonardo da Vinci who was an Italian polymath during the High Renaissance.  

Leonardo da Vinci (1734-1818) was born in Vinci, in Tuscany, Italy. He was an illegitimate child, raised by grandparents. His uncle Francesco farmed family’s land. He liked experimenting with different crops. Leonardo spent hours helping his uncle, and that probably influences his curious mind.

Leonardo from childhood was very observant, observing everything around him, making notes and drawings. He always carried a pen and paper with him so no thought would escape him. He supposedly developed this habit already during his childhood.

He received minimal schooling and because of his illegitimacy, he wasn’t allowed to attend university. He pretty much had two options: either to join the army or to take up a trade.

His father used his connections to get him apprenticed as a studio boy to Andrea del Verrocchio, the leading Florentine painter and sculptor of his day. Leonardo was twelve or thirteen at the time. He started with sweeping the floors, running errands, and cleaning paintbrushes. Meanwhile, he continued to practice his drawing.

It was a time when paintings were being developed from appearing flat to giving the illusion of depth. Like Leonardo’s uncle, Verrocchio also liked experimenting and innovating. He encouraged his shop to break new ground in the arts.

Leonardo was a quick learner and his talent was noticed. Verrocchio was delegating more work to him.

Leonardo spent time at hospitals, furthering his study of anatomy.

By twenty, he became an official member of the Florentine painters’ guild, but he remained with his teacher for another 12-13 years, perfecting his skills.

Leonardo was a man of many talents, but he wasn’t good at finishing tasks. He quitted many commissions. He left behind many sketches and plans and less finished work.

It could have been that with so many talents and passions focusing on one idea for an extended period was becoming disengaging for him.

He was always busy. If not creating, then reading and educating himself.

Leonardo became obsessed with flying. Thus, he studied the motion of bird’s wings.

He was fascinated with Greek philosophers, but he never followed blindly. He always questioned and made his own observations.

He also was solving practical problems, one of them was designing warfare weapons as the city – states of Italy were at war much of the time.

Above all, Leonardo wanted to be original. He was much more interested in inventing and designing. And for that he needed a patron.

Lorenzo de Medici – the greatest patron of art – didn’t pick Leonardo. Thus, it was time for him to leave Florence.

At thirty, he moved to Milan – the city known for advances in science and learning. And that’s what interested him the most. He entered the service of Duke Ludovico Sforza, Milan’s ruler, and served him for years as principal military engineer and also as an architect.

When another epidemic of Black Death struck Milan, Leonardo designed an ideal city, to make it clean and healthy as he connected the filthy conditions with the cause of plagues. But the design was never used.

During his time in Milan, he painted The Last Super.

Past his forties, he taught himself Latin, so he could read books that weren’t translated into Italian.

In 1499, when French invaded Milan and his patron was overthrown, at forty-seven, he began to roam with his assistant Salai.

From 1513-1516, he lived in Rome with the pope for a patron.

In 1517, Leonardo travelled to France as King Francis I became his patron.

This biography demonstrates a man who didn’t have a formal education and yet became a polymath thanks to his curiosity. What exemplifies him is his curious mind which led him to asking many questions about everything, including how things worked and what people imposed with their believes. He was open-minded and never relied on long-standing theories.  

This biography for young readers, ages 8-12, is presented in a relatable way, for most part with simple sentences.

Source: Puffin Books, 2008

 

 

 

·         TRENDING INSPIRATION: “Learning never exhausts the mind.” – Leonardo da Vinci (He never stopped learning. Fascination in a subject led him to study it in order to understand it).

 

 

Traits:

·         From childhood, he was very observant, observing everything around him, making notes and drawings.

·         As a boy, he was apprenticed to clean the art studio, but meanwhile continued on improving his drawings.

·         He spent time at hospitals to further his study of anatomy, so his drawings would look natural.

·         Even when he was at age to strike on his own, he remained with his teacher to improve his skills.

·         He was a man of many talents, but he wasn’t good at finishing tasks.

·         He was always busy. If not creating, then reading and educating himself.

·         When he became obsessed with flying, he studied the motion of bird’s wings.

·         Past his forties, he taught himself Latin, so he could read books that weren’t translated into Italian.

 

 

 

“Simplicity is the ultimate sophistication.” – Leonardo da Vinci

“The greatest deception men suffer is from their own opinions.” – Leonardo da Vinci

“There are three classes of people: those who see, those who see when they are shown, and those who do not see.” – Leonardo da Vinci

“The noblest pleasure if the joy of understanding.” – Leonardo da Vinci

“Wisdom is the daughter of experience.” – Leonardo da Vinci

“Iron rusts from disuse; water loses its purity from stagnation…even so does inaction sap the vigor of the mind.” – Leonardo da Vinci

“Nature is the source of all true knowledge.” – Leonardo da Vinci

 

 

 

 

FURTHER INSPIRATION AND RECOMMENDATION:  

 Leonardo da Vinci was one of the greatest intellects in the history of mankind, very productive, always having a pen and a piece of paper with him to write down whatever came to him. He wanted to make sure that no thought escaped him. Yet, he understood balance very well as he said:

“Every now and then go away, have a little relaxation, for when you come back to your work your judgement will be surer; since to remain constantly at work will cause you to lose power of judgement.”

Dr. Wayne Dyer explores the subject of Balance in his book “Wisdom of the Ages,” where he further explains the words of da Vinci: “The great Renaissance master is telling us to let go, relax, don’t try so hard, remove the struggle and allow our natural divine guidance to assist us.” One of the ways is to meditate before undertaking any pursuit. Meditation creates space or gap in our mind, allowing ideas or answers come to us. Thus, becoming more productive in less time.