Latimer was one of the first major AfricanAmerican inventors, responsible for items such as the first water closet (or toilet) for railroad cars in 1874, as well as the forerunner to the air conditioning in 1886. He was most noted for his work with Thomas Edison, and for making electric light, or the light bulb, available to the world.

Lewis Howard Latimer, the man who played an important role in Edison and Bell’s historic work and whose inventions have touched your life in more ways then you’ll know.

This is Lewis Howard Latimer Life Story Inventor and Innovator

Lewis Howard Latimer was born on the 4th September 1848 in Chelsea, Massachusetts and was the youngest of four children born to George and Rebecca Latimer.

Six years prior to Lewis’ birth, his parents had been slaves in Virginia. They managed to escape and sought freedom in Boston, Massachusetts, but shortly after arriving in Boston, George was recognized as a fugitive and jailed. There was a trial, and the attempts to recapture George and return him to Virginia caused considerable agitation in Boston. When the trial judge ruled that Latimer still belonged to his Virginia owner, an AfricanAmerican minister paid $400 for his release.

With this very humble background, Lewis Latimer’s family could only afford a few years of grammar school for him and his siblings. He developed a keen interest in the arts but especially in drawing, a skill that would benefit him hugely throughout his life. By the time of his adolescence, the Civil War had engulfed America, and in 1864, at the age of 16, Lewis enlisted in the Union Navy.

At the close of the war, Lewis was honourably discharged and secured employment as an office boy with the patent law firm, Crosby and Gould. Keen to advance himself and utilizing his interest in drawing Latimer taught himself mechanical drawing. His perseverance and passion paid off and Lewis eventually managed to become chief draftsman at the firm during his 11 years.

Lewis met and married Mary Wilson who he would also go on to father two daughters with.

Latimer and Bell
Lewis Latimer secured his first patent in 1874 for the Water Closet, an improved toilet system for railroad cars, and, in 1876, Lewis hired by Alexander Graham Bell.

Bell was working on his telephone invention and was in a race to get a patented design before anyone else registered a similar device. Latimer’s expertise in draftmanship meant that on 14th February 1876 Bell’s telephone patent was filed just a few hours earlier then Bell’s rival inventor Elisha Gray. If it had not been for Latimer’s expertise and knowledge; Bell may not have the fame that he still holds in the world to this day.

Light Bulb Invention
In 1880, Latimer began to work as a mechanical draftsman for Hiram Maxim, founder of the U.S. Electric Lighting Company and fierce competitor to Thomas Edison. Here, Latimer learnt so much about lightbulbs that by 1881, along with Joseph Nichols, he registered a patent for a light bulb with a carbon filament. Shortly afterwards, he received another patent for ‘the process of manufacturing carbons’ which was an improvement on the method for the production of the carbon filaments in light bulbs.

Latimer and Edison
With his knowledge and expertise in this field, he was eventually hired by The Edison Electric Light Company in 1884. Here he worked closely with Edison and become his patent investigator and expert witness, protecting Edison’s patent and inventions of imitators.

Impressed with Latimer’s technical knowledge, Edison encouraged Latimer to write his first book ‘Incandescent Electric Lighting: A Practical Description of the Edison System’. Latimer would also go one to become one of the charter members of the Edison’s Pioneers where he was the only AfricanAmerican member of the highly prestigious group.

Latimer’s inventing talents weren’t limited to light bulbs, in January 1886, he invented an ‘early air conditioning unit seen as the grandfather of the modern air conditioning unit.

Latimer stayed with in Edison’s company throughout the years as it merged with other companies to form General Electric, the same company that is active to this day.

Lewis Latimer came from so little and at a time in history where he was a 2nd class citizen, but through his hard work and determination, he managed to rise up and make important advancements in many technologies that we use today. Although not as much of household name as his contemporaries or colleagues, he truly deserves a place alongside them.

Lewis Latimer inventions:

Light Bulb Invention
Air Conditioning Inventor
Helped Alexander Graham Bell who invented the telephone (patent provider)
Water Closet for Railroad Cars
Locking rack for hats, coats, and umbrellas