Samuel F. B. Morse began his career as an artist and produced a series of highly acclaimed paintings, including portraits of the most celebrated people of the day. While working as a painter, he labored to instill in his fellow Americans the idea of the vital role of the arts in the development of the United States. Because of a lack of steady patronage, Morse ultimately abandoned art and devoted his time to developing the electromagnetic telegraph he unveiled in 1837.

The Great American Hall of Wonders, 2011