Georges-Louis Le Sage (1724-1803), Swiss physicist. Le Sage attempted to use static electricity in 1774 for signalling, part of early experiments on wire telegraphy. He used an electrostatic generator to generate the charge. Electric pulses were sent down wires and measured with an electroscope. Le Sage used 24 wires, each representing a letter of the alphabet. Le Sage's system worked, but was impractical and not adopted. Practical electric telegraphy was invented in 1837. Artwork from 'Electricite' (1911) by French civil engineer Max de Nansouty (1854-1913), part of the 'Les merveilles de la science' series of 1867-1891 by Louis Figuier.