{"id":25771,"date":"2017-10-05T11:41:16","date_gmt":"2017-10-05T15:41:16","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/blog.genealogybank.com\/?p=25771"},"modified":"2017-10-20T11:45:35","modified_gmt":"2017-10-20T15:45:35","slug":"the-inventiveness-of-women-our-female-ancestor-inventors","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.genealogybank.com\/blog\/the-inventiveness-of-women-our-female-ancestor-inventors.html","title":{"rendered":"The Inventiveness of Women: Our Female Ancestor Inventors"},"content":{"rendered":"

Introduction<\/em><\/strong>: In this article, Mary Harrell-Sesniak searches old newspapers to learn about women inventors, whose inventions have played important roles throughout our nation\u2019s history. Mary is a genealogist, author and editor with a strong technology background.<\/em><\/p>\n

Many history books give the impression that the important inventors of the past were white males. It\u2019s unfortunate that less than adequate attention has been paid to women inventors who accomplished much as well.<\/p>\n

To help remedy this, I searched in GenealogyBank\u2019s Historical Newspaper Archives<\/a> to learn more about our female ancestor inventors. This article will share some of the interesting inventors and inventions I discovered \u2013 as well as provide some search tips on how to find news about women inventors in the newspapers.<\/p>\n

A Boon to All Shoppers: Grocery Bags<\/strong><\/p>\n

This newspaper article recognizes Martha Knight\u2019s contribution to grocery shopping: she was \u201cthe inventor of a machine to manufacture paper bags.\u201d<\/p>\n

\"An<\/a>
San Francisco Chronicle (San Francisco, California), 9 December 1872, page 2<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n

Sarah Breedlove Walker, aka Madam C. J. Walker (1867-1919)<\/strong><\/p>\n

There\u2019s also Madam C. J. Walker, perhaps the most famous of African American female inventors, reputed to be the first woman self-made millionaire in U.S. history. Known for her hot comb and beauty preparations, you\u2019ll find her mentioned in numerous newspaper articles. (Note: in these articles, the term \u201ctoilet\u201d refers to grooming, not a commode.)<\/p>\n

In 1913, you could learn the art of growing hair for a \u201csmall\u201d sum of $25, which included an outfit valued at $12.50 and her hand-made steel comb.<\/p>\n

\"An<\/a>
Washington Bee (Washington, D.C.), 9 August 1913, page 4<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n

Some Articles Don\u2019t Name the Woman Inventor\u2026<\/strong><\/p>\n

However, you\u2019ll also find newspaper reports that, sadly, neglect to name our female innovators.<\/p>\n

\"An<\/a>
Milwaukee Journal-Sentinel (Milwaukee, Wisconsin), 5 May 1891, page 4<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n

The good news is: there are techniques to help us find and celebrate the inventiveness of women, and even to put names to their products. (To learn the name of the woman who invented the ice cream freezer in 1843, please read to the end of this article.)<\/p>\n

Search Using Appropriate Keywords<\/strong><\/p>\n

While researching this article, I went through a variety of searches to find women inventors and their inventions. Some of the keywords I used included: \u201cfemale inventions\u201d; \u201cwomen inventors\u201d; and \u201cshe invented.\u201d After a few searches, I found a term no longer in vogue: the female equivalent of inventor, which is \u201cinventress.\u201d<\/p>\n

\"An<\/a>
People\u2019s Gazette (East Saint Louis, Illinois), 18 January 1873, page 2<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n

Obituaries Mention Inventions<\/strong><\/p>\n

Often an innovation will be mentioned in a death notice or obituary. For instance, Mrs. Macie King Fairley, of Raleigh, North Carolina, was such an avid fan of bridge that she invented a teaching device for the game, the bridge wheel, which provided correct bidding responses.<\/p>\n

\"An<\/a>
Philadelphia Inquirer (Philadelphia, Pennsylvania), 4 February 1983<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n

Newspaper Articles about Women as Inventors<\/strong><\/p>\n

Female lecturers, including Mrs. Ada C. Bowles, often gave talks on the ingenuity of women \u2013 and you can find newspaper articles reporting on these lectures. During one of Bowles\u2019 talks in 1899, she pointed out that:<\/p>\n

\u201cMary Kees is spoken of as the first woman in the country to take out a patent (1808), and this was for weaving straw with silk or thread.\u201d<\/p><\/blockquote>\n

Bowles also observed that during times of war, women replaced the men on farms and in workshops, and were often inventive. Some accomplishments were camp beds, bandages and canteens. Beyond that, we can thank (or not) Mrs. Harriet Strong for the painful shape-altering corset.<\/p>\n

\"An<\/a>
New York Tribune (New York, New York), 19 June 1899, page 5<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n

Don\u2019t you love the anecdote Bowles tells at the end of this article!<\/p>\n

\"An<\/a>
New York Tribune (New York, New York), 19 June 1899, page 5<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n

Reports about Patents<\/strong><\/p>\n

In this newspaper article, we see that Henrietta G. Batty, of Springfield, Massachusetts, received a patent for an improved spring egg cup.<\/p>\n

\"An<\/a>
Boston Traveler (Boston, Massachusetts), 20 February 1860, page 2<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n

Want to Learn More? Try Using Google Patents<\/strong><\/p>\n

When you find an interesting invention, or even an unnamed inventress, you may learn more by querying Google Patents<\/a>. By doing this, I was able to determine that the inventor of the ice cream freezer (known as an artificial freezer) was Nancy M. Johnson of Philadelphia, Pennsylvania.<\/p>\n

The Google Patents search found this drawing of her freezer.<\/p>\n

\"Illustration:<\/a>
Credit: Google Patents; U.S. Patent Office<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n

The drawing was accompanied by this text, in which I discovered that her first name was Nancy.<\/p>\n

\"The<\/a>
Credit: Google Patents; U.S. Patent Office<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n

Missing Patents<\/strong><\/p>\n

If you can\u2019t find a particular patent application, don\u2019t give up on your search. It\u2019s possible it is among the many missing ones. In December 1836, many patents were burned in a fire while in temporary storage. (See the Wikipedia page X-Patent<\/a>.) Just keep searching, as it\u2019s possible a newspaper article will describe it in further detail. It\u2019s also possible that a patent was refiled at a later date, as was provided for by a law passed that year.<\/p>\n

\"An<\/a>
Alexandria Gazette (Alexandria, Virginia), 17 July 1837, page 3<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n

Test Your Knowledge<\/strong><\/p>\n