Photo: Alexander Graham Bell National Historic Site Baddeck Cape Breton Canada

The Alexander Graham Bell National Historic Site in the village of Baddeck, Cape Breton in Nova Scotia, Canada showcases the amazing inventions and experiments of the Scottish genius.

Alexander Graham Bell was born in Edinburgh, Scotland in 1847 and from an early age was a seeker after knowledge. His mother started to lose her hearing when he was only 12 years old, and his interest in helping the deaf became a lifelong ambition. He married his benefactor's daughter, Mabel Hubbard in 1877, who had been stricken with scarlet fever at age 5, which also left her hearing impaired.

The Bell family did not come to Baddeck, Cape Breton until the summer of 1885, they loved the area and returned the next year to create an estate on a point facing the Bras d'Or Lakes (a salt-water lake). 'Beinn Bhreagh' was the name given to the estate, meaning 'beautiful mountain' in Gaelic. Alexander Graham Bell, the Scottish genius, not only invented the telephone and taught the deaf, he had a vision of 'flying machines' ... continue below the picture...

This picture is part of the photo album "Nova Scotia Pictures" - there are more beautiful images waiting for you.

... so in February 1909, Bell and friends 'Casey' Baldwin, Thomas Selfridge and Glenn Curtis launched the 'Silver Dart', with Douglas McCurdy flying the machine 9 meters into the air for a distance of a kilometre and a half over the frozen Bras d'Or Lakes.

The Centennial Celebration of the Flight of the Silver Dart was held at Baddeck, February 20-23, 2009. Bell died in 1922 and his wife, Mabel Bell died in 1923, their graves are at Beinn Bhreagh. Although the estate is not open to the public it is close to the Alexander Graham Bell National Historic Site, in fact, it can be seen from the roof gardens of the complex. As one can imagine, this National Site in Baddeck, Cape Breton, Nova Scotia has a wealth of exhibits and artifacts as well as the opportunity to participate in workshops and experiments. The Site is open from May to October and the entrance fee is quite reasonable.

Exterior of the Alexander Graham Bell National Historic Site in the town of Baddeck at the start of the Cabot Trail, Bras d'Or Lakes, Cape Breton, Nova Scotia, Canada. Bell was a famous inventor who among many other things invented the telephone.