Black History Month: Lewis Howard Latimer
I learned about this black inventor no one’s ever heard of from Preservation, the quarterly magazine of the National Trust for Historic Preservation. For the past year, each issue includes an article about an historic site in black culture, one that benefitted from their grants.
Lewis Latimer was an inventor who helped Thomas Edison perfect his light bulb. Lewis developed the carbon filament, replacing Edison’s original bamboo filaments, which lasted only a few days. Latimer was also instrumental in the invention of evaporative air conditioning and an improved toilet for trains.
Before inventing, Latimer was a draftsman for a patent office. He learned both excellent drafting skill, or technical drawings, and how to draft a good patent application. He used these skills with his future employers, including Alexander Graham Bell in developing the telephone.
To learn about this inventor, born of a freed slave in 1848, view this 6:45 minute video at:
Or, check out this website:
https://www.lewislatimerhouse.org/about
In addition to his technical skills, Latimer was a Unitarian who helped found the Unitarian Church of Flushing, NY, which is now the Unitarian Universalist Congregation of Queens.
Submitted by Teresa Wilmot