Holograph Letter Unsigned and dated in 1879 on the Letterhead of the National Telephonic Exchange

Holograph Letter Unsigned on the printed letterhead of the National Telephonic Exchange, Geo. C. Maynard, General Manager, dated 24 February 1879 (with two slightly later notes). Old vertical fold, near fine. Alexander Graham Bell invented the telephone in 1876, and Maynard was charged with setting up an exchange in Washington, DC in 1877. It wasn't until December of 1878 that he could construct a central exchange that would directly connect phones in the District. By the end of 1879 Maynard would publish a broadside - essentially a phone book - listing all 190 subscribers in the District; President Hayes' phone number was "1." Just two months after the exchange was created the 40-year old Maynard writes to his wife Lucy in three short notes dated over a period of two weeks, on various subjects, mostly romantic. On 24 February he writes about his lonely lunches and ponders how soon until he gets to lunch with her: "I'm thinking dear, how soon I shall have another place to get my lunches. What do you think about it Lucy? I don't suppose I shall get home very regularly though & shall probably keep friends with this good-natured African who knows that it is a pot of coffee, and not a bottle of champagne I want." On 25 February he expresses disappointment in not getting a letter from her. In the final note on 9 March he teases her: "I just found this in my table drawer. You'll have to search through my papers for any other unfinished notes to you - when you come - (please come darling). I shall rely on your discretion not to read letters I have from other girls, especially those from Alpharetta (I've been thinking of making a bonfire of 'em but guess I'll wait till you can look 'em over & see which are worth preserving.)." The 1880 census lists Maynard as an electrician, living with Lucy in Washington. By 1910 the census indicates that Maynard was still married to Lucy and working as a Curator at the "Nat. Museum." According to another source, he was the "Electrical Director" of the Smithsonian where he delivered lectures on the history of the telephone. A nice early artifact from the infancy of the telephonic age, with amusing content.…