Louis Howard Latimer
By
John C Abercrombie
Lewis Latimer was the draftsman who drafted the patent drawings for Alexander Graham Bell’s application for the telephone. He spent nights with Bell working on the technical aspects, therefore being able to rush the patent application to the patent office only hours ahead of the competition, winning the rights for Bell.
Latimer’s parents were escaped slaves from Virginia when he was born in Chelsea, Massachusetts in 1848. As a young boy, his father George was arrested and tried as a slave fugitive. He was defended by Frederick Douglass and William Lloyd Garrison. When the judge ordered his return to Virginia and hence being thrown back into slavery, the community raised enough money to buy his freedom.
George disappeared after the Dred Scott decision in 1857 because he feared being returned to the cruel life of a slave in the South. Dred Scott was taken to a free state and sued for his freedom. The United States Supreme Court ruled that no Black person had any rights under the law.
Latimer altered his birth certificate and was able to enlist in the UNION Navy at the age of 15. After completion of his military service, he went back to Boston, Massachusetts and got employment with Crosby & Gould patent attorneys by accepting a menial job.
While working at Crosby & Gould he taught himself mechanical drawing and drafting by observing the work of draftsmen at the firm. When the partners of the firm recognized Latimer’s talent, he was promoted from office boy to draftsman.
In addition to working on drawings for patents, he designed some of his own inventions. To show the diversity of his talent, the list included an improved railroad car bathroom and an early air conditioning unit.
In 1879 to Bridgeport, Connecticut with his entire family. He was employed by “The U.S. Electric Light Company of Bridgeport” owned by Hiram S Maxim. Maxim was a direct competitor of Thomas Edison. He worked as an assistant manager and draftsman. At the same time, he invented a method of making a better, longer lasting carbon filament for the incandescent light, receiving a patent for it in 1881.
In 1884, he was hired by “The Edison Electric Light Company” as an expert draftsman. He was also a key witness in the patent litigation that Edison was involved in. Opportunities were so limited for Blacks that he was the only Black in the 24-member engineering division.
In 1890, Latimer published a book “Incandescent Electrical Lighting – A Practical Description of the Edison System”.
Latimer continued working with the company after the name was changed to General Electric in 1892. By 1911, he had started working as a patent consultant for various law firms and continued until 1922.
Latimer had many interests outside of work. He was active in his church, showed an active interest in music, was a talented flute player, wrote theater productions and poetry. He worked with immigrants teaching them English and of course drawing.
Lewis Howard Latimer died on December 11, 1928, in Flushing, Queens, New York.
We strive to provide you with quality and depth of information on the subjects that have been largely ignored in the history of Black People. Not you are able to study some of the most remarkable people in depth. They serve as an example of what YOU can do if you put forth the effort.
As you scroll down through the books and videos, you will encounter some value offers. These take you directly to Amazon where you can do all your shopping. We encourage you to use our links as we receive a small royalty without cost to you. These funds help us continue to provide you with quality information.
To see the full listing of posts, click on our Blog list .
For Black History Month 2020, we posted daily. To see the posts, click here
To comment or make suggestions on future posts, use Contact Us
We encourage you to share the site on social media.
Use our links to Amazon anytime you shop Amazon. We receive a small royalty without cost to you. Continue to scroll for fascinating Videos and Books to enhance your learning experience.
Continue scrolling down for more amazing information, videos, books and value items.
**
Video – schoolteacher talking
**
Science and Math
We have seen what one man can do. All he needed was access to material. His inquisitive mind helped him change the world. You also have gifts that can be developed if you will follow your curiosity or help someone else follow theirs, using the Amazon affiliate link below
**
Lewis Howard Latimer (My Itty-Bitty Bio)
Lewis Howard Latimer in The My Itty-Bitty Bio series is a biography for the earliest readers. This book examines the life of Lewis Howard Latimer in a simple, age-appropriate way that will help children develop word recognition and reading skills. The series celebrates diversity, covering women and men from a range of backgrounds and professions. Includes a timeline, primary sources, glossary, and index.
**
Engineering and Transportation
We have seen the value of science and math; engineering and transportation are enhanced using it. Don’t let the opportunity to change the world pass you by, be proactive using our Amazon affiliate link below
ABH – Engineering and Transportation
**
Short but good
**
Toys and Games – Learning and Education
There are ways to learn that are fun. Use toys and games that stimulate the mind and probe the greatness that lies within. Shop for yourself or others using the great Amazon affiliate link below
**
Illumination: Lewis Howard Latimer:
Thank A Black Man Series – 1 (1) Illumination: Lewis Henry Latimer [a bio poem]. Latimer, born in 1884 to runaway slaves, had very little formal education, yet during his lifetime he obtained numerous patents; and was renown worldwide. for his electrical lightning expertise. Award winning Children’s Book author, Dr. Little’s love of “Black History” and “poetry” was her motivation for writing the “THANK A BLACK MAN SERIES”. A tribute to her father and daughter, Darnell H. Hawkins, Sr. and Lisa Little, who used their time, talent and energies to make a difference for others, the series honors “Black Difference’s Makers”—Black men and women who through the years used their ingenuity, time and energies to make life better for everyone. Many times, they didn’t receive credit for their efforts.
**
Kids Electronics
The mind of kids is marvelous and has no limits. They have not yet learned the meaning of no or it can’t be done, resultnig in boundless possibilities. Don’t let other people determine what your kids or even you can do. Stimulate the mind and find endless possibilities, using our link below
**
Brother man
**
Household Supplies
With the changes taking place in the way we shop for household items, including the availability can b E put to rest from the convenience of your home. Safe and prompt delivery using our Amazon affiliate link below. Remember using these links does not cost you anything and it helps fund our research so we can provide you the best information available.
**
Black Inventors in the Age of Segregation:
Granville T. Woods, Lewis H. Latimer, and Shelby J. Davidson (Johns Hopkins Studies in the History of Technology) According to the stereotype, late-nineteenth and early-twentieth-century inventors, quintessential loners and supposed geniuses, worked in splendid isolation and then unveiled their discoveries to a marveling world. Most successful inventors of this era, however, developed their ideas within the framework of industrial organizations that supported them and their experiments. For African American inventors, negotiating these racially stratified professional environments meant not only working on innovative designs but also breaking barriers. In this pathbreaking study, Rayvon FouchZ examines the life and work of three African Americans: Granville Woods (1856-1910), an independent inventor; Lewis Latimer (1848-1928), a corporate engineer with General Electric; and Shelby Davidson (1868-1930), who worked in the U.S. Treasury Department. Detailing the difficulties and human frailties that make their achievements all the more impressive, FouchZ explains how each man used invention for financial gain, as a claim on entering adversarial environments, and as a means to technical stature in a Jim Crow institutional setting. Describing how Woods, Latimer, and Davidson struggled to balance their complicated racial identities-as both black and white communities perceived them-with their hopes of being judged solely on the content of their inventive work, FouchZ provides a nuanced view of African American contributions to-and relationships with-technology during a period of rapid industrialization and mounting national attention to the inequities of a separate-but-equal social order.
**
Some of the greatest values anywhere. So great they are changed every day. Use this outstanding link below
**
Who Invented The Lightbulb? | Black Inventors + Scientists In History | THE FAB LAB
Most people think that Thomas Edison invented the lightbulb and that’s only KIND of true. The lightbulb has a LOT going on and it took a whole team of people to make it come together. In this episode of The Fab Lab, we learn more about it and Lewis Latimer, the person responsible for the
**
Television and Video
We all use them, use our Amazon affiliate link below to make your experience easy
**
Black Pioneers of Science and Invention
A readable, perceptive account of the lives of fourteen gifted innovators who have played important roles in scientific and industrial progress. The achievements of Benjamin Banneker, Granville T. Woods, George Washington Carver, and others have made jobs easier, saved countless lives, and in many cases, altered the course of history. Includes a bibliography and an index.
**
Headphones
**
Best 9 Lewis Howard Latimer Quotes – The American inventor & draftsman
**
Office Electronics
Get an extensive array of office electronics using our Amazon affiliate link for your office electronics
**
Lewis Latimer (Black Americans of Achievement)
Discusses the inventor’s career, life, and times.
**
Beauty and Grooming
**
What Color Is My World?
The Lost History of African-American Inventors “Get ready to have your mind blown with this fun book.” — The Washington Post Kareem Abdul-Jabbar, basketball legend and the NBA’s all-time leading scorer, champions a lineup of little-known African-American inventors in this lively, kid-friendly book. Offering profiles with fast facts and framed by a funny contemporary story featuring two feisty twins, here is a tribute to black inventors whose ingenuity and perseverance against great odds made our world safer, better, and brighter. Back matter includes an authors’ note and sources.
**
Amazon Business Account
Many have great ideas for inventions and business. Now is the time for action not procrastination. You have ideas that you have not taken action on. Act now and open a Business Account. Explore using our Amazon link below
**
Tourist in Your Own Town #61 – Lewis Latimer House Museum
The Lewis Latimer House Museum in Flushing Queens was home to one of the United States’ greatest African American inventors. Lewis H. Latimer lived in this house from 1902 until his death in 1928.
**
We see a level of genius that we miss if we only view Blacks as slaves, incapable of advancing civilization. The focus of this post is a man who destroyed that myth. He worked with some of the greatest minds of the time and even advanced their knowledge. He was sought out by the likes of Thomas Edison and Alexander Graham Bell for his talents. They even offered to employ him (making his discoveries theirs) an offer which he refused. It is further proof that Blacks were as capable as anyone else. The story of Latimer should stand as inspiration to ALL. People are capable of more than people give them credit for and the only person that can limit you is YOU. Believe in yourself and what you are capable of doing!