scottish inventor alexander bain worked on chemical mechanical fax type devices and in 1846 was able to reproduce graphic signs in laboratory experiments. he received the first fax patent in 1843. frederick bakewell made several improvements on bain's design and demonstrated a telefax machine. the pantelegraph was invented by the italian physicist giovanni caselli he introduced the first commercial telefax service between paris and lyons in 1865, some 11 years before the invention of telephones.