How Lewis Latimer Electrified the 19th Century World

Modern conveniences like the light bulb, telephone, and air conditioner owe much to the innovative mind of Lewis H. Latimer, a 19th-century African American draftsman, inventor, and self-taught engineer.

 

Latimer improved the filament for the incandescent bulb. Image used courtesy of Wikimedia Commons

 

Like his contemporaries, Alexander Graham Bell and Thomas Edison, Latimer worked at the cutting edge of electronics. He succeeded in patenting or co-patenting inventions ranging from light fixtures to carbon fiber manufacturing processes. 

 

Latimer’s Path to Invention

Born in Massachusetts a few years after his parents escaped slavery, young Lewis had little formal education but a strong passion for learning and a talent for drawing. As a child, he worked with his father, a barber and wallpaper hanger. After his father fled to escape fugitive slave hunters, Lewis was sent to live on a farm.

In 1865, after serving a year in the Union Navy during the Civil War, Latimer secured a position as an office helper with a patent attorney’s office in Boston. There, he taught himself drafting skills and worked his way up to head draftsman.

 

Lewis H. Latimer in 1882. Image used courtesy of Wikimedia Commons

 

Latimer also learned about electrical engineering and the patent process, knowledge that led him to work with Alexander Graham Bell on his telephone invention in 1876.

Collaborating with Bell, Latimer perfected the drawings for the telephone patent, allowing Bell to file his telephone design just hours before his rival, Elisha Gray.

 

Carbon and Light

In 1879, Latimer moved to Bridgeport, Connecticut to work for the U.S. Electric Light Company, owned by Hiram Maxim, a competitor of Thomas Edison. There, Latimer made significant improvements to the existing models of incandescent lights. 

Edison’s light bulb used carbon filaments, but they tended to burn out quickly. In 1881, Latimer and his colleague Joseph Nichols modified the filament to encase them in cardboard and position them to make direct contact with the electrical source. The result was a longer-lasting filament.

 

Latimer’s drawing for his carbon manufacturing patent. Image used courtesy of U.S. Patents

 

The following year, Latimer patented an innovative process of manufacturing carbon for filaments. 

 

Working for Edison

Thomas Edison was impressed with Latimer’s expertise with light bulbs and hired him in 1884 as a draftsman. 

In 1890, Latimer and Edison co-wrote a book titled “Incandescent Lighting: A Practical Description of the Edison System.” 

 

Edison Pioneers. Latimer is second from left in the first row. Thomas Edison is standing front row, center, with a cane. Image used courtesy of Wikimedia Commons

 

Latimer was the only African American member of the Edison Pioneers, an elite group who had worked with Edison during his early years.

 

Latimer’s Other Inventions and Achievements

Latimer’s work with electricity extended beyond the laboratory and draft table. In 1881, he traveled to New York, Philadelphia, Montreal, and London to supervise the installation of electric light systems.

His other patented creations of Latimer include:

• Improved toilet system for railroad cars (with Charles W. Brown, 1874)
• Support system for electric lamps (with John Tregoning, 1882)
• Device for cooling and disinfecting the air, a precursor to the air conditioner 1886)
• Locking rack for coats, hats, and umbrellas (1896)
• Book support for books on shelves (1905)
• Lamp fixture reducing vibrations and noise (1910)

Later, Latimer taught English and drafting to immigrants in New York. He wrote poetry, played the violin and flute, and actively participated in community and church groups. 

 

Latimer’s Legacy

Latimer died in 1928 at age 80 in Flushing, New York, where he and his wife raised two daughters. His house is now a museum and education center for STEAM (science, technology, engineering, arts, and mathematics). His story continues to inspire others, especially aspiring engineers and inventors.