Inventor, Electrical Engineer, Patent Draftsman1884 - Present
Lewis Howard Latimer
Inventor, Electrical Engineer, Patent Draftsman at Edison Electric Light Company
Son of escaped slaves who invented the carbon filament for the incandescent light bulb, making electric lighting practical for home use. Latimer drafted patent drawings for Bell's telephone and was the only Black member of the 'Edison Pioneers.'
Notable Achievements
- Invented and patented the carbon filament for light bulbs, U.S. Patent No. 252,386
- Drafted patent drawings for Alexander Graham Bell's telephone
- Created an improved railroad car bathroom and an early air conditioning unit
- Authored 'Incandescent Electric Lighting: A Practical Description of the Edison System'
- Only African American member of the 'Edison Pioneers'
- Inducted into the National Inventors Hall of Fame in 2006
Expertise & Topics
Carbon Filament
Light Bulb
Electrical Engineering
Edison
Patent Draftsman
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