black history...lewis latimer (1848 - 1928)
electric lighting
Perhaps the easiest way to understand the significance and impact of Lewis Latimer is to imagine a person who has the qualities of John Logie Baird (the inventor of TV and video recording), William Henry Hoover (the inventor of the vacuum cleaner) and Duke Ellington (jazz pianist, composer and painter).
Like the inventions by John Logie Baird and William H Hoover, Latimer’s work on his light bulb and its successors are still in use in societies worldwide, and is every bit as important to the quality of modern life and societies. Like Duke Ellington, Latimer’s creativity included painting and the playing of a musical instrument, and he has touched the lives of millions on every continent.
Latimer’s contribution to the preparation of the patent application for the telephone, which was invented by Alexander Graham Bell, should be seen in the context of his profession as an experienced draughtsman. However, his creativity and inventiveness are best demonstrated in his many patents for the improvement of the reliability of the electric light bulb, or to make them longer lasting, and to improve their manufacturing process, along with many other unrelated patents throughout his lifetime.
Evidence of his cutting edge mastery of the application of electric lighting are: the publication of his book (Incandescent Electric Lighting: A Practical Description of the Edison System) in 1890, the supervision of the installation of electric street lighting on two continents – North America and Europe, and becoming one of the twenty eight Edison Pioneers, a distinguished group of inventors and engineers. On the forgoing evidence, Latimer deserves to be ranked in the same class as other brilliant inventors of modern times.
Dr D A Neil
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