Harry Grindell Matthews
17 March 1880
11 September 1941 (aged 61)
Inventor
Ganna Walska (m. 1938–1941; his death)
Earlier life and inventions[edit]
Harry Grindell Matthews was born on 17 March 1880 in Winterbourne, Gloucestershire. Matthews studied at the Merchant Venturers' School in Bristol and became an electronic engineer. During the Second Boer War, Matthews served in the South African Constabulary and was twice wounded.[2]
In 1911, Matthews claimed that he had invented an Aerophone device, a radiotelephone, and transmitted messages between a ground station and an aeroplane from a distance of 2 miles (3.2 km). His experiments attracted government attention, and on 4 July 1912, Matthews visited Buckingham Palace. However, when the British Admiralty requested a demonstration of the Aerophone, Matthews demanded that no experts be present at the scene. When four observers dismantled part of the apparatus before the demonstration began and took notes, Matthews cancelled the demonstration and drove observers away.
Newspapers rushed to Matthews' defence. The War Office denied tampering and claimed the demonstration was a failure. The government later stated that the affair was just a misunderstanding.
In 1914, after the outbreak of the First World War, the British government announced an award of £25,000 to anyone who could create a weapon against zeppelins or remotely control uncrewed vehicles. Matthews claimed he had developed a remote control system using selenium cells. Matthews successfully demonstrated it with a remotely controlled boat to representatives of the Admiralty at Richmond Park's Penn Pond. Matthews received his £25,000, but the Admiralty never used the invention.
Next, Matthews appeared in public in 1921 and claimed to have invented the world's first talking picture, a farewell interview of Ernest Shackleton recorded on 16 September 1921, shortly before Shackleton's last expedition. The film was not commercially successful. Other talking-picture processes had been developed before that of Matthews, including processes by William K. L. Dickson, Photokinema (Orlando Kellum) and Phonofilm (Lee DeForest). However, Matthews claimed his process was the first sound-on-film.
Further inventions[edit]
In 1925, Matthews invented what he called the "luminaphone".[8]
On 24 December 1930, Matthews was back in England with his new creation – a Sky Projector that projected pictures onto clouds. Matthews demonstrated it in Hampstead by projecting an angel, the message "Happy Christmas", and a reportedly "accurate" clock face. Matthews demonstrated it again in New York. This invention was unsuccessful, and by 1931, Matthews faced bankruptcy. Matthews used most of his investors' money to live in expensive hotels.
In 1934, Matthews had a new set of investors and relocated to Tor Clawdd, Betws, South Wales. Matthews built a fortified laboratory and airfield. In 1935, Matthews claimed that he worked on aerial mines and, in 1937, invented a system for detecting submarines. In 1938, Matthews married Ganna Walska, a Polish-American opera singer, perfumer, and feminist, whose four previous husbands had owned fortunes totalling $125,000,000.[9]
In 1935, Matthews became involved with the right-wing Lucy, Lady Houston, and intended to conduct experiments in French naval submarine detection from her luxury yacht, the Liberty. In 2010, new research[10] chronicled the episode, explaining how Matthews was frustrated in carrying out his aims.
Later, Matthews propagated the idea of the "stratoplane" and joined the British Interplanetary Society. His reputation preceded him, and the British Government was no longer interested in his ideas.
Personal life[edit]
Harry Grindell Matthews was the fifth husband of singer Ganna Walska; they married in 1938.[11] Matthews died of a heart attack on 11 September 1941.[12]
