Who invented the telephone and when?
Born just a year after Edison in 1848, Latimer was an inventor known for working closely with Alexander Graham Bell, who invented the telephone (though some claim that invention is actually Latimer's). According to the Massachusetts Institute of Technology, Latimer improved upon Edison's original design.
What did Lewis Howard Latimer invent?
Lewis Howard Latimer Biography. Lewis Howard Latimer was an inventor and draftsman best known for his contributions to the patenting of the light bulb and the telephone. Synopsis. Lewis Howard Latimer was born in Chelsea, Massachusetts, on September 4, 1848, to parents who had fled slavery.
How did Alexander Latimer help Bell patent the telephone?
Working late into the evenings, Latimer labored to complete the patent application. It was submitted on Feb. 14, 1876, just hours before another application was made for a similar device. With Latimer's help, Bell won the patent rights to the telephone.
Did a black man invent the light bulb and telephone?
Fake news claims: News shared by African website claims that a Black Man Who Invented The Light Bulb And Telephone [Lewis Latimer]. Growing up as a young Black child, very little is thought to you about Black inventors like Lewis Latimer and magnificent Black civilizations.
See more
When did Lewis Latimer invent the telephone?
February 14, 1876By working with him late at night, Latimer was able to provide Bell with the blueprints and expertise in submitting applications that allowed him to file his telephone patent on February 14, 1876, just a few hours earlier than that of a rival inventor.
What all did Lewis Latimer invent?
Lewis Howard Latimer (September 4, 1848 – December 11, 1928) was an African-American inventor and patent draftsman. His inventions included an evaporative air conditioner, an improved process for manufacturing carbon filaments for light bulbs, and an improved toilet system for railroad cars.
Who invented the telephone?
Alexander Graham BellAntonio MeucciJohann Philipp ReisAmos DolbearCharles A. CheeverJohn PeirceTelephone/Inventors
What was one of Lewis Latimer's most important discovery?
Lewis Howard Latimer was an inventor and draftsman best known for his contributions to the patenting of the light bulb and the telephone.
Who invented the light bulb and telephone?
Thomas Alva Edison (February 11, 1847 – October 18, 1931) was an American inventor and businessman. He developed many devices in fields such as electric power generation, mass communication, sound recording, and motion pictures.
When was the telephone invented?
7 March 1876On 7 March 1876, Bell was granted US patent 174465A, for a method of transmitting speech by telegraphy—the telephone.
Who invented telephone before Bell?
engineer Antonio MeucciFor example, some historians point out that Italian engineer Antonio Meucci and German inventor Philipp Reis independently invented telephone-like devices that achieved the key breakthrough of turning sound into electric signals over a decade before Bell.
Who invented the telephone and why?
Alexander Graham Bell is most well known for inventing the telephone. He came to the U.S as a teacher of the deaf, and conceived the idea of "electronic speech" while visiting his hearing-impaired mother in Canada.
Why do we say hello?
The dictionary says it was Thomas Edison who put hello into common usage. He urged the people who used his phone to say "hello" when answering. His rival, Alexander Graham Bell, thought the better word was "ahoy."
What are three interesting facts about Lewis Latimer?
Birthplace: Chelsea, Mass. Born in Chelsea, Mass., Latimer learned mechanical drawing while working for a Boston patent attorney. He later invented an electric lamp and a carbon filament for light bulbs (patented 1881, 1882). Latimer was the only African-American member of Thomas Edison's engineering laboratory.
Who invented the lightbulb before Edison?
Humphry DavyIn 1802, Humphry Davy invented the first electric light. He experimented with electricity and invented an electric battery. When he connected wires to his battery and a piece of carbon, the carbon glowed, producing light. His invention was known as the Electric Arc lamp.
Who invented electronic control devices?
Boykin patented as many as 26 devices. He is best known for inventing multiple different electronic control devices in guided missiles, IBM computers, and in the pacemaker.
What was Lewis Howard Latimer famous for?
Lewis Howard Latimer Maxim, and Thomas Alva Edison. He played a critical role in the development of the telephone, significantly improved the production of carbon filament, and made important contributions to the commercialization of the incandescent light bulb.
What are three interesting facts about Lewis Latimer?
Birthplace: Chelsea, Mass. Born in Chelsea, Mass., Latimer learned mechanical drawing while working for a Boston patent attorney. He later invented an electric lamp and a carbon filament for light bulbs (patented 1881, 1882). Latimer was the only African-American member of Thomas Edison's engineering laboratory.
Who invented the filament?
Alexander LodyginAlessandro CrutoElectrical filament/Inventors
How many patents did Lewis Latimer have?
Lewis Latimer received, singly or with other inventors, seven U.S. patents.
What was Lewis Latimer's most important invention?
11, 1928) is considered one of the most important Black inventors for the number of inventions he produced and patents he secured, but also for the importance of his best-known discovery: a longer-lasting filament for the electric light. He also helped Alexander Graham Bell obtain the patent for the first telephone.
Who invented the telephone?
The instructor was Alexander Graham Bell, and the device was the telephone.
What did Latimer do?
Latimer taught himself mechanical drawing and drafting by observing drafters at the firm. Recognizing his talent and promise, the partners promoted him to drafter and, eventually, head drafter.
What was Latimer's job?
Latimer was in charge of setting up an incandescent lamp department for the Maxim-Weston Electric Light Company in London. As part of this role, he supervised the production of his own invention of carbon filaments. Yet it was in London that Latimer suffered some of the greatest discrimination he faced during his career because English businessmen there were not used—or receptive—to being directed by a Black man. Of the experience, Latimer wrote in his diary:
Why did Latimer suffer discrimination?
Yet it was in London that Latimer suffered some of the greatest discrimination he faced during his career because English businessmen there were not used—or receptive—to being directed by a Black man. Of the experience, Latimer wrote in his diary: "In London, I was in hot water from the day I came until I returned.".
Why did Lewis Latimer lie about his age?
Then, In 1864, at age 15, Latimer lied about his age in order to enlist in the U.S. Navy during the Civil War. Latimer was assigned to the gunboat USS Massasoit and received an honorable discharge on July 3, 1865.
Why did George Latimer go underground?
Supreme Court ruled that Scott, an enslaved man, couldn't sue for his freedom. Possibly fearing a return to enslavement, Latimer went underground. It was a great hardship for the rest of the Latimer family.
What did Latimer believe about technology?
Latimer had no formal training in science, but believed technology and innovation could help advance the plight of African Americans still reeling from slavery. That whole “STEM will save people of color!” cause is nothing new. The important thing, though, is that unlike peers like Booker T. Washington, he didn’t believe that simply learning a trade or two would be black people’s ticket to freedom. He understood how power worked structurally to disenfranchise and disempower black people, immigrants, and the poor in general. This is evidenced in both the prose and poetry he wrote during his time about electricity and society.
Who is Lewis Latimer?
Meet Lewis Latimer, the African American who enlightened Thomas Edison. We’re interrupting your regularly scheduled programming on gentrification to bring you this Black History Month profile on Lewis H. Latimer, the African-American renaissance man who in the late 19th century helped not only invent the lightbulb, ...
What did Latimer write in support of the National Conference of Colored Men?
In a letter he wrote in 1895 in support of the National Conference of Colored Men, a “ My Brother’s Keeper ”-like initiative for that time, Latimer wrote:
Where was the first electric power station?
Become one. Edison created the first electric light power station: Pearl Street Central Power Station in lower Manhattan. #HappyBirthdayEdison. — EEI (@Edison_Electric) February 11, 2015. But while Edison got the patent on those, he got there with a lot of help from Latimer, who literally wrote the book on both.
Who invented the electric lamp?
Latimer holds the patents for the electric lamp, issued in 1881, and for the “process of manufacturing carbons” (the filament used in incandescent light bulbs), issued in 1882. It was roughly 1885 when he finally joined forces with Edison and began improving upon his boss’s invention. Latimer had no formal training in science, ...
Who was the first person to make carbon filaments for light bulbs?
In 1880, Latimer began working for the United States Electric Lighting Company, which was run by Edison’s rival Hiram S. Maxim. A biography on EEI’s site states that while working for Maxim, “Latimer invented and patented a process for making carbon filaments for light bulbs,” and helped install broad-scale lighting systems for New York City, ...
Did Latimer patent the telephone?
But Latimer had already been involved in a major invention, having helped Alexander Graham Bell patent the telephone in 1876.
What was Latimer's improvement?
Latimer's improvements. Around the same time Edison was experimenting with his bulb -- using carbonized filaments of bay wood, cedar, bamboo and other fibers -- so was Latimer.
Who invented the light bulb?
Latimer created a light bulb with a more durable filament made of carbon. He sold the patent to the US Electric Co. in 1881, and a year later patented a process for efficiently manufacturing the carbon filament. He even wrote a book in 1890 on electric lighting, the first of its kind.
How long did Edison's light bulb last?
But after years of experiments and thousands of tests of various filament materials, his longest-lasting light bulb could only last for about 15 hours before the filament burned out. The first electric light bulb, invented by ...
Did Black people invent the light bulb?
No, a Black man didn't invent the light bulb. But Lewis Latimer made it better - CNN
What were Latimer's inventions?
His other patented inventions included the first toilet for railroad cars and a forerunner of the air conditioner ( here ).
Who invented the lightbulb?
Although Edison is commonly credited with inventing the lightbulb, though that is still regularly challenged, as seen here , here , here and here .
Who stole the lightbulb?
The post ( here ) reads: “This is your daily reminder that Thomas Edison did NOT invent the lightbulb, he stole it from a black man named Lewis Latimer.”. U.S. President Joe Biden echoed the message at a community meeting in Kenosha, Wisconsin on the campaign trail on Sept. 3, 2020, when he said: “A Black man invented the lightbulb not ...
Who invented the carbon filament?
The website for the museum based in his old house says Latimer “invented the carbon filament, a significant improvement in the production of the incandescent light bulb” ( lewislatimerhouse.org/about/ ).
Did Latimer invent the lightbulb?
Latimer did not invent the lightbulb but did provide key improvements to the invention. This article was produced by the Reuters Fact Check team. Read more about our work to fact-check social media posts here . Our Standards: The Thomson Reuters Trust Principles.
Early Life
Early Career
- Lewis Latimer worked to help support his mother and siblings. Then, In 1864, at age 15, Latimer lied about his age in order to enlist in the U.S. Navy during the Civil War. Latimer was assigned to the gunboat USS Massasoitand received an honorable discharge on July 3, 1865. He returned to Boston and took a position as an office assistant with the patent law firm Crosby & Gould. Latim…
The Telephone
- In 1874, while at the firm, Latimer co-invented an improvement to the bathroom compartment of trains. Two years later, he was sought out as a drafter by an instructor of children who were hard of hearing; the man wanted drawings for a patent application on a device he had created. The instructor was Alexander Graham Bell, and the device was the tel...
Latimer and Maxim
- In 1880, after relocating to Bridgeport, Connecticut, Latimer was hired as assistant manager and drafter for the U.S. Electric Lighting Co., which was owned by Hiram Maxim. Maxim was the chief competitor of Edison, who had invented the electric light. Edison’s light consisted of a nearly airless glass bulb surrounding a carbon wire filament, typically made from bamboo, paper, or thr…
Collaboration with Edison
- Latimer started working for Edisonin 1884 and became involved in Edison's infringement lawsuits. He worked in the legal department of the Edison Electric Light Co. as the chief drafter and patent specialist. He drafted sketches and documents related to Edison patents, looked over plants in search of patent infringements, carried out patent searches, and testified in court on Edison’s be…
Later Innovations
- In subsequent years, Latimer continued to innovate. In 1894, he created a safety elevator, a vast improvement on existing elevators. Then he obtained a patent for “Locking Racks for Hats, Coats, and Umbrellas” that was used in restaurants, resorts, and office buildings. He also developed a method for making rooms more hygienic and climate-controlled, named an “Apparatus for Cooli…
Legacy
- Despite racism and discrimination and with unequal access to education and opportunity, Latimer played a major role in the development of two products that greatly impacted the lives of Americans: the light bulb and the telephone. The fact that he was a Black American born in the 19th century made his many successes even more impressive. Upon his death, the Edison Pione…
Sources
- Black Pioneers of Science and Invention. Paw Prints, 2008.
- "Lewis Latimer." Greatblackheroes.com.
- "Lewis Howard Latimer Biography." Biography.com.
- "Lewis Latimer." Famousinventors.org.