A Man of Science & Poetry
The Life of Lewis Howard Latimer
By Danusia H. Danko
Science 8
Table of Contents
• Overview
• His Parents
• His Childhood
• His Career
• His Death
• Bibliography
Overview
• “Lewis Howard Latimer was a pioneer in
the development of the electric light
bulb. He was the son of a former slave,
and was the only Black member of
Thomas Edison's research team of
noted scientists. While Edison invented
the incandescent bulb, it was Latimer
who developed and patented the
process for manufacturing the carbon
filaments within the bulb.”
“The Living may our praise proclaim,
…To keep alive fond memory’s flame.”
• Mr. Latimer is remembered for
his many electrical inventions and his
talent in poetry.
• He was also a musician
• He was proud of his color as he
professed in his poem, Ebon Venus
– “… Each to his taste, but as for me,
My Venus shall be ebony.”
His Parents
• Father – George
Latimer
• Mother - Rebecca
• Runaway slaves
from Virginia
• Father was light-
skinned and posed
as Rebecca’s slave
owner
His Parents
• Went to Boston and
became one of several
famous fugitive slave
cases when the owner
came looking for him.
• Frederick Douglass and
William Garrison
defended them
• Minister paid $400 to
buy George’s freedom
after a judge ruled him
still property
His Childhood
• Born 1848 in
Chelsea,
Massachusetts
• Two brothers and a
sister
Chelsea: An inner urban suburb of Boston
Worked to support family
• Before the Civil War,
Lewis sold
newspapers
• written by William
Lloyd Garrison, an
abolitionist
• Father was barber,
paper hanger, and
did other odd jobs
• Lewis often worked
with him
Lewis’s father deserts the family
• Dred Scott decision frightened Mr.
Latimer since he had no proof that
minister bought his freedom
• Leaves family so as not to endanger
their freedom
• Lewis, at age of ten had to work to help
support the family
Civil War
• Lewis joined the
Navy at 16 years old
• Served as a
“landsman” on the
U.S.S. Massasoit
• Honorably
discharged in 1865
and returned to
Boston
His Family
• Married Mary Wilson,
Dec. 10, 1873
• Wrote a poem, “Ebon
Venus” for the occasion
(translated as “Black is
Beautiful”)
• Published book, Poems
of Love & Life
• Lewis and Mary had two
daughters
His Career: A Talent for Drawing
• Worked in patent
office as office boy
• Hired due to his
drawing abilities
• Self-taught drafting
since patents had to
be accompanied by
detailed drawings
• Worked up to
chief draftsman
Works with Bell on phone patents
• Alexander Bell asked
Latimer to help with the
patent applications
• Latimer ended up
creating the drawings
and prepared the
descriptions of the
telephone invention
• Patent issued in 1876
Develops his own inventions
• Feb 10, 1874: Water
Closets for Railway
Cars; had a special
closed, pivoted
bottom that closed
automatically by
raising of seat cover
and opened by
closing of seat cover
Latimer’s
drawing
of an
incandescent
light fixture
Latimer’s drawings of arc light
components
Part of the Electric Industry
• 1880: Hired as
draftsman for U.S.
Electric Lighting Co.
• Studied electricity,
conducted
experiments to
improve the Edison
incandescent lamp
• 1881: Received
patent for “Electric
Lamp”
Part of the Electric Industry
• Basically improved
the method of
mounting the
carbons in lamp
• 1882: Most
important patent, “
Process of
Manufacturing
Carbons”
Lighting up New York City & Beyond
• Responsible for
installing electric light
plants
• Wired lamps in parallel
circuits instead of series
circuits as had been the
custom
– Lit up Philadelphia
– Toronto, as well (so had
to learn French to be
able to teach the
Canadian workers)
– London
Meeting with Edison
• 1884 hired by Edison
with the engineering
dept. of the Edison
Electric Co., NY City
• 1886, became
invaluable to Edison in
being his expert legal
witness in number
patent disputes
• 1896, when Edison Co.
became General Electric
Co, Latimer became
chief draftsman and
expert witness
Beyond Edison
• 1890: Latimer
wrote the
standard book on
electric lighting
Just Inventive
• 1886, patent for
“Apparatus for
Cooling and
Disinfecting”
• 1896, Locking Rack
for Hats, Coats, and
Umbrellas
• 1905, Book Supports
His Death
• 1924, December 11
• …Broadmindedness,
versatility in the
accomplishment of
things intellectual and
cultural, a linguist,a
devoted husband and
father…his genial
presence will be missed
from our gatherings.
Mr. Latimer was a full
member, and an
esteemed one, of the
Edison Pioneers”
Further Tribute
• 1968, Brooklyn, New
York, public school
named after Latimer
• Grandson &
granddaughter present
at dedication
• NY State legislature,
member of NYC Board
of Ed. & President of
the Borough of Brooklyn
Bibliography
• www.edisonkids.com/heroexb/lewis
• www.fplsafetyworld.com/science/pionee
rs.