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Invention Stories

Explore the stories of inventors, both famous and little-known.

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Kwolek behind a table full of Kevlar products, including gloves, helmets, rope, and spools of the Kevlar fiber.
Invention Stories

Inspiring Inventor: Stephanie Kwolek (1923-2014)

Monica Smith pays homage to Stephanie Kwolek, inventor of Kevlar® and a great friend to the Lemelson Center, who recently passed away.

A moka pot.
Invention Stories

The Elusive Perfectly Roasted Cup

The proliferation of specialty coffee shops has fundamentally changed how the world consumes coffee. But can there really ever be a perfect cup of coffee?

Copper scepter with Grooved Shaft and Four Horned Animal-Head Finials.
Invention Stories

Concerned About Inequality? Blame the Ancient Coppersmiths

Did mastery of metallurgy open the door to ancient, and thus modern, inequality?

Close up of manicured hand with tiny green bug perched on one finger.
Invention Stories

Inventing a No-Chip Manicure

Like many successful inventions, the shellac manicure has made my life easier and is a vast improvement from easily chipping nail polish.

Box Chronometer without Case circa 1825
Invention Stories

Invention, Time, and Navigation

How the sea clock changed navigation and timekeeping.

Invention Stories

From the Collections: Charles Brannock

Charles Brannock (1903-1992) was born into the shoe business--his father Otis Brannock and Ernest Park had founded the Park-Brannock Shoe Store in Syracuse, New York, in 1906. The business was remarkably successful.

Stock image of insect repellent products on a store shelf.
Invention Stories

Buzz... Swat: Mosquito Repellents

It’s the time of year when mosquitos are hatching in preparation to swarm us, bite us, and make us itch.

Charlotte Cramer Sachs
Invention Stories

Charlotte Cramer Sachs

Charlotte Cramer Sachs invented many things throughout her life, including instant mixes for muffins, frostings, puddings, and breads.

Invention Stories

Charles F. Brannock

In 1925, Charles F. Brannock invented the Brannock Device to measure feet and determine shoe size.

Invention Stories

The Invention of the Electric Guitar

The electric guitar may be the most important and popular instrument of the last half-century in American music. Certainly its introduction brought a major change to American musical technology and has shaped the sound and direction of modern musical styles.

Trade card, Skandia Plow Company, 1887. (AC0060-0000026-01) (front-apple)
Invention Stories

How 'Bout That Apple?

An anthropomorphic apple wearing slippers, printed in bright yellow, orange, and blue tones, promoted the iron lever harrow sold by Skandia Plow Company in the 1890s.

Invention Stories

Newman Darby: Sailboard Inventor

Commercial artist Newman Darby's personal, lifelong passion for boatbuilding led to his invention of the first sailboard, better known as a windsurfer. The Lemelson Center notes with sadness his passing on 3 December 2016.

Invention Stories

George de Mestral: Velcro® Inventor

A walk in the woods leads to Velcro®.

Close-up of Stephanie Kwolek
Invention Stories

Stephanie Kwolek: Kevlar® Inventor

The ubiquitous fiber that had an unlikely beginning.

Art Fry, Inventor of the Post-It
Invention Stories

Art Fry: Post-it® Note Inventor

Art Fry turned a failed experiment into a new way to communicate or organize information.

Inventor Krysta Morlan uses her Waterbike in the pool
Invention Stories

Krysta Morlan: Waterbike Inventor

While still in high school, Krysta Morlan invented the Waterbike—a semi-submersible, fin-propelled vehicle powered by the rider’s legs.

Photo of Matt Capozzi and Nathan Connelly with a prototype accessible snowboard
Invention Stories

Matt Capozzi and Nathan Connolly: Accessible Snowboard Inventors

While in college, these inventors designed a snowboard that works for people who can't use their legs.

Rear view of a cyclist traveling downhill on Augspurger’s handcycle
Invention Stories

Mike Augspurger: Handcycle Inventor

Mike Augspurger—a mountain biker and bicycle builder—created an innovative all-terrain handcycle for wheelchair athletes.

Patent model for tabletop portable printing press invented by JJ C Smith
Invention Stories

Conserving the Patent Model Collection

The National Museum of American History's collection of patent models offers an endless repository of yet-untold stories of American technological history.

Invention Stories

The Cell Phone's True Magic

Of all the devices that surround us, the cell phone may qualify as the most magical.

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