Who Were Key to Modern Society
Mary Beatrice Davidson Kenner is responsible for an array of inventions that made everyday life easier along with her sister Mildred Davidson Austin Smith.
Mary came up with the innovative idea of the sanitary belt during a time where available sanitary products were scarce, expensive or frowned upon. Because of this women mainly had to use pieces of cloth for their menstrual cycle. Many women look back on the belt with, well, not the fondest of memories but it was definitely a precursor to our modern day options and better than cloth that’s for sure. A few years later Mary created a moisture resistant pocket for the belt to protect against leakage. Mary was always thinking of ways to improve everyday life and went on to receive 5 patents for her ideas, including the toilet tissue holder (which…I mean really, imagine life without that for a second), she is a hygiene hero.
Her invention was patented 30 years after she invented it, because the company who was initially interested in her creation rejected it when they learned that Kenner was African American.
Fun fact: Mary and Mildred’s father and maternal grandfather always encouraged their creativity. Their grandfather actually invented a tricolour train light.
Lewis Latimer is the innovator behind our modern-day light bulb. Thomas Edison is credited with the actual invention of the modern light bulb but there some that argue it was actually Latimer. One thing we know for sure is the light bulb certainly wouldn’t work efficiently without Latimer’s carbon filament. Latimer’s improvement on the production of the carbon filament allowed for light bulbs to last much longer and be introduced into homes and streets worldwide. He received a patent for his process of making carbons in 1882.
Over time Latimer became well known for his abilities in electric lighting and was sought after to continue to improve on incandescent lighting as well as arc lighting. He helped with installations in Philadelphia, New York City, Canada, New England and London. In 1890 he authored a book called: “Incandescent Electric Lighting: A Practical Description Of The Edison System”
Over a span of his life, Latimer contributed his creative talents to a vast amount of ventures. Even pre-dating his work on the light bulb he helped with the patents for improved toilets for railroad-cars, the electric lamp and the telephone. His later inventions included a safety elevator and a method of making rooms more sanitary and temperature controlled which worked wonders in hospitals, preventing dust and particles from circulating within patients’ rooms and public areas. Latimer was passionate about improving everyday living for the public and the civil rights of Black citizens within the United States.
Fun fact: There is surfacing evidence to support the idea that older civilizations had electric forms of lighting so keep your eyes peeled for that.
Sarah Boone is a dressmaker and inventor most known for improvements on the ironing board which led to the modern one we see today.
Boone designed her ironing board to be effective at ironing sleeves and the bodies of ladies’ garments. She patented it on April 26th 1892 and was one of the first black women to receive a patent in the US. Boone’s board came at a time when people were mostly using tables covered with cloth or a plank of wood held up by two chairs to iron. Her invention was a narrow, curved board that was able to flip to make ironing each side of the garment easy.
There were other patented ironing board designs but Boone’s was the most innovative and intricate. Her ironing board also had padding to eliminate the impressions produced by a wooden board and was able to fold away for easy storage. In her patent application, she wrote that the purpose of her invention was “to produce a cheap, simple, convenient and highly effective device, particularly adapted to be used in ironing the sleeves and bodies of ladies’ garments.” Boone’s ironing board is recognized as the prototype for what has become an essential item in our households.
Fun fact: Boone was one of four African American women inventors of her time who developed new technology for the home.
