SCIENTIFIC AMERICAN, New York, March 4, 1876  

* Johann Philipp Reis
* German scientist & inventor
* Make-and-break telephone

The ftpg. shows: "An Australian Man-Of-War" with a related article. Inside print: "Professor Reuss' Telephone" with article; "the Invention of  the Telephone" , a crane mounted on a railroad car, and various other articles with prints.
Sixteen pages, some light staining on the front page, otherwise very nice.

Background: This exceptional 16-page issue of the Scientific American Supplement from March 4, 1876, stands as a monumental artifact from the absolute dawn of the telecommunications age, uniquely capturing the fierce global debate over the invention of the telephone at a pivotal historic crossroads. Published just three days before Alexander Graham Bell was officially granted his groundbreaking U.S. patent on March 7, 1876, the newspaper features an in-depth article and schematics detailing "Professor Reuss' Telephone"—a contemporary misspelling of Johann Philipp Reis, the German inventor who had successfully constructed a "make-and-break" acoustic transmitter as early as 1861. The inclusion of Reis's work at this precise date underscores a profound moment in technological history when the scientific community was actively evaluating whether Reis's interrupted-current device, which could transmit musical tones but struggled with intelligible human speech, constituted the true origin of telephony. Complemented by a striking front-page feature on an ironclad Australian Man-Of-War (HMVS Cerberus) and advanced industrial machinery like a railroad-mounted crane, this rare, well-preserved supplement serves as a vivid time capsule; it documents the exact week the world transitioned from acoustic experimentation into the modern era of electronic communication, making it an invaluable piece of social and industrial history.