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Artist

Samuel Finley Breese Morse

Samuel Finley Breese Morse (April 27, 1791 – April 2, 1872) was an American inventor and painter. After establishing his reputation as a portrait painter, Morse, in his middle age, contributed to the invention of a single-wire telegraph system based on European telegraphs. He was a co-developer and the namesake of Morse code in 1837 and helped to develop the commercial use of telegraphy.

Also recorded as Samuel F. B. Morse · Samuil Morze · Samuel Finley Breeze Morse · Brutus

Samuel Finley Breese Morse

Samuel F. B. Morse (between 1855 and 1865) Photoportrait by Mathew Brady

Mathew Benjamin Brady · This image is available from the United States Library of Congress 's Prints and Photographs division under the digital ID cwpbh.00853. This tag does not indicate the copyright status of the attached · Public domain

Name
Samuel Morse
Birth Name
Samuel Finley Breese Morse
Born
27 April 1791
Birthplace
Charlestown, Massachusetts, U.S.
Died
2 April 1872
Place of death
New York City, U.S.
Education
* Yale College (grad. graduated 1810)
Occupation
* Inventor
Known for
Morse code
Nationality
United States
Fields
portrait painting · landscape painting · history painting

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Documentary summary

Samuel Finley Breese Morse (April 27, 1791 – April 2, 1872) was an American inventor and painter. After establishing his reputation as a portrait painter, Morse, in his middle age, contributed to the invention of a single-wire telegraph system based on European telegraphs. He was a co-developer and the namesake of Morse code in 1837 and helped to develop the commercial use of telegraphy.

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bnf · getty · gnd · loc · wikidata · Q75698

In this article

  1. 01Biography
  2. 02Reception, influence and legacy
  3. 03Archives and collections
  4. 04Honours and memberships
  5. 05Notes, references and evidence

The Encyclopedia exists whether or not anything is for sale. Corrections are recorded rather than overwritten, and every version of this record is kept. Published 14 August 2026.

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