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{{Short description|American inventor}}
{{Short description|African American inventor (1848–1928)}}
{{use mdy dates|date=March 2023}}
{{Infobox person
{{Infobox person
| name = Lewis Howard Latimer
| name = Lewis Howard Latimer
| image = Lewis latimer.jpg
| image = Lewis latimer.jpg
| caption = Latimer in 1882
| caption = Latimer in 1882

| birth_date = {{birth date|1848|9|4}}
| birth_date = {{birth date|1848|9|4}}
| birth_place = [[Chelsea, Massachusetts]], U.S.
| birth_place = [[Chelsea, Massachusetts]], U.S.
Line 10: Line 10:
| death_place = [[Flushing, Queens|Flushing, Queens, New York City]], U.S.
| death_place = [[Flushing, Queens|Flushing, Queens, New York City]], U.S.
| occupation = Inventor, patent consultant, author, engineer, draftsman, Navy Landsman (Rank)
| occupation = Inventor, patent consultant, author, engineer, draftsman, Navy Landsman (Rank)
| spouse = {{marriage|Mary Wilson Lewis|November 15, 1873}}
| spouse = {{marriage|Mary Wilson Lewis Latimer|November 15, 1873}}
| parents = [[George Latimer (escaped slave)|George Latimer]] (1818–1897)<br/>Rebecca Smith (1823–1910)
| children = 2
| parents = [[George Latimer (escaped slave)|George Latimer]] (1818–1897)<br />Rebecca Latimer (1823–1910)
| children = Jeanette Latimer (married Gerald F. Norman)<br/>Louise Latimer
}}
}}
'''Lewis Howard Latimer''' (September 4, 1848 – December 11, 1928) was a inventor and patent draftsman. His inventions included an [[evaporative cooler|evaporative air conditioner]], an improved process for manufacturing [[Incandescent light bulb#Filament|carbon filaments]] for [[incandescent light bulb|light bulbs]], and an improved [[toilet]] system for railroad cars. In 1884, he joined the [[Edison Electric Light Company]] where he worked as a draftsman and wrote the first book on electric lighting. His house is located near the Latimer Projects and is a historic house located at 34-41 137th Street in [[Flushing, Queens|Flushing]], [[Queens]], [[New York City]].
''' Lewis Howard Latimer''' (September 4, 1848 – December 11, 1928) was an American inventor and patent draftsman. His inventions included an [[evaporative cooler|evaporative air conditioner]], an improved process for manufacturing [[Incandescent light bulb#Filament|carbon filaments]] for [[light bulb]]s, and an improved [[toilet]] system for [[railroad cars]]. In 1884, he joined the [[Edison Electric Light Company]] where he worked as a draftsman. The [[Lewis H. Latimer House]], his landmarked former residence, is located near the Latimer Projects at 34–41 137th Street in [[Flushing, Queens|Flushing]], [[Queens]], [[New York City]].


== Early life and family ==
== Early life and family ==


Lewis Howard Latimer was born in [[Chelsea, Massachusetts]], on September 4, 1848, the youngest of the four children of Rebecca Latimer (1823–1910) and [[George Latimer (escaped slave)|George Latimer]] (1818–1897).<ref name="Fouché">Fouché, Rayvon, ''[[iarchive:blackinventorsin00rayv|Black Inventors in the Age of Segregation: Granville T. Woods, Lewis H. Latimer, and Shelby J. Davidson]]'', Baltimore & London: The Johns Hopkins University Press, 2003, {{ISBN|0-8018-7319-3}}.</ref> Before Lewis was born, his mother and father escaped from slavery in Virginia and fled to Chelsea, Massachusetts on October 4, 1842. The day they arrived in Boston, George was recognized by a colleague of his former fortnight and was arrested a few days later, on October 20, 1842. George's trial received great notoriety, he was represented by [[Frederick Douglass]] and [[William Lloyd Garrison]]. He was eventually able to purchase his freedom and live with his family in Chelsea, Massachusetts.<ref>{{Cite web|title=Lewis Howard Latimer - Inventions, Facts & Accomplishments - Biography|url=https://www.biography.com/inventor/lewis-howard-latimer|access-date=2020-10-16|website=www.biography.com}}</ref>
Lewis Howard Latimer was born in [[Chelsea, Massachusetts]], on September 4, 1848, the youngest of the four children of Rebecca Latimer (1823–1910) and [[George Latimer (escaped slave)|George Latimer]] (1818–1897).<ref name="maop">{{cite book|last=Fouché|first=Rayvon|title=[[iarchive:blackinventorsin00rayv|Black Inventors in the Age of Segregation: Granville T. Woods, Lewis H. Latimer, and Shelby J. Davidson]]|location=Baltimore & London|publisher=The Johns Hopkins University Press|year=2003|isbn=0-8018-7319-3}}</ref> Before Lewis was born, his mother and father escaped from slavery in Virginia and fled to Chelsea, Massachusetts on October 4, 1842. The day they arrived in Boston, George was recognized by a colleague of his former slave owner and was arrested a few days later, on October 20, 1842. George's trial received great notoriety; he was represented by [[Frederick Douglass]] and [[William Lloyd Garrison]]. He was eventually able to purchase his freedom and live with his family in Chelsea, Massachusetts.<ref>{{Cite web|title=Lewis Howard Latimer – Inventions, Facts & Accomplishments – Biography|url=https://www.biography.com/inventor/lewis-howard-latimer|access-date=2020-10-16|website=www.biography.com}}</ref>


When Latimer was young he spent time (before his father left) helping his father in his barbershop.<ref>{{Cite web|date=17 September 2011|title=Lewis H. Latimer|url=http://blackhistorynow.com/lewis-h-latimer/|access-date=15 October 2011|website=Black History Now}}</ref> Lewis Latimer also spent time at night hanging wallpaper with his father.<ref name=":5">{{Cite book|last=Koolakian|first=Robert|title=A Biography of Lewis Latimer|publisher=Edison Electric Institute|year=1993|location=United States of America|pages=5}}</ref>
When Latimer was young he spent time helping his father in his barbershop.<ref>{{Cite web|date=17 September 2011|title=Lewis H. Latimer|url=http://blackhistorynow.com/lewis-h-latimer/|access-date=15 October 2011|website=Black History Now}}</ref> Lewis Latimer also spent time at night hanging wallpaper with his father.<ref name=":5">{{Cite book|last=Koolakian|first=Robert|title=A Biography of Lewis Latimer|publisher=Edison Electric Institute|year=1993|location=United States of America|pages=5}}</ref>


When Latimer was 10, his mother decided to split the family after the [[Dred Scott Case|Dred Scott case]] ruled individual slaves needed to prove they had the consent of their owner in order to legally become free; many slaves at the time such as the Latimers had lived free by escaping into free states and becoming state citizens who often would not be sent back to their owners if apprehended by [[Fugitive Slave Act of 1850|interstate slave catchers]].{{what|reason=confusing wording|date=February 2021}} This caused Lewis's father, George Latimer, to flee for his family's safety because he had nothing to prove he was free from enslavement. So, he fled in order to protect his family.<ref name=":1" />
When Latimer was 10, his mother decided to split the family after the [[Dred Scott Case|Dred Scott case]] ruled individual slaves needed to prove they had the consent of their owner to legally become free; prior to this ruling, many slaves had attained freedom by escaping into free states and becoming state citizens, which gave them some protection from the efforts of [[Fugitive Slave Act of 1850|interstate slave catchers]].{{what|reason=confusing wording|date=February 2021}} Lewis's father, George Latimer, had no proof of his emancipation and likely fled to protect his family.<ref name=":1" />


After his father had to flee and his mother had to split the family, Lewis and his brothers were sent to a farm school, and his sisters were sent to stay with a family friend.<ref name=":1">{{Cite web|last=Center|first=Smithsonian Lemelson|date=1999-02-01|title=Innovative Lives: Lewis Latimer (1848-1928): Renaissance Man|url=https://invention.si.edu/innovative-lives-lewis-latimer-1848-1928-renaissance-man|access-date=2020-11-06|website=Lemelson Center for the Study of Invention and Innovation|language=en}}</ref>
After his father had to flee and his mother had to split the family, Lewis and his brothers were sent to a farm school, and his sisters were sent to stay with a family friend.<ref name=":1">{{Cite web|last=Center|first=Smithsonian Lemelson|date=1999-02-01|title=Innovative Lives: Lewis Latimer (1848–1928): Renaissance Man|url=https://invention.si.edu/innovative-lives-lewis-latimer-1848-1928-renaissance-man|access-date=2020-11-06|website=Lemelson Center for the Study of Invention and Innovation|language=en}}</ref>


Lewis Howard Latimer joined the [[U.S. Navy]] at the age of 15 on September 16, 1863, and served as a [[Landsman (rank)|Landsman]] on the [[USS Massasoit (1863)|USS ''Massasoit'']]. After receiving an honorable discharge from the U.S. Navy on July 3, 1865, he gained employment as an office boy with a [[Patent attorney|patent law]] firm, ''Crosby Halstead and Gould'', with a $3.00 per week salary. He learned how to use a [[set square]], ruler, and other drafting tools. Later, after his boss recognized his talent for sketching patent drawings, Latimer was promoted to the position of head draftsman earning $20.00 a week by 1872 ($438.59 today).<ref name="Fouché" />
Lewis Howard Latimer joined the [[U.S. Navy]] at the age of 16 on September 16, 1864, and served as a [[Landsman (rank)|Landsman]] on the [[USS Massasoit (1863)|USS ''Massasoit'']]. After receiving an honorable discharge from the U.S. Navy on July 3, 1865, he gained employment as an office boy with a [[Patent attorney|patent law]] firm, ''Crosby Halstead and Gould'', with a $3.00 per week salary. He learned how to use a [[set square]], ruler, and other drafting tools. Later, after his boss recognized his talent for sketching patent drawings, Latimer was promoted to the position of head draftsman earning $20.00 a week by 1872 ($438.59 today).<ref name="maop" />


Latimer married Mary Wilson Lewis on November 15, 1873, in [[Fall River]], Massachusetts. She was born in [[Providence, Rhode Island]], the daughter of Louisa M. and William Lewis.<ref name="Massachusetts Marriages">Massachusetts Marriages 253:121, Massachusetts Archives, Columbia Point, Boston</ref> The couple had two daughters, Emma Jeanette (1883–1978) and Louise Rebecca (1890–1963). Jeanette married Gerald Fitzherbert Norman, the first black person hired as a high school teacher in the New York City public school system,<ref name="Russell">{{cite book|author=Dick, Russell|title=Black Genius: Inspirational Portraits of America's Black Leaders|date=2009|publisher=Skyhorse Publications|isbn=978-1-60239-369-1|location=New York}}</ref> and had two children: [[Winifred Latimer Norman]] (1914–2014), a social worker who served as the guardian of her grandfather's legacy, and Gerald Latimer Norman (1911–1990), who became an administrative law judge.
Lewis H. Latimer married Mary Wilson Lewis on November 15, 1873, in [[Fall River, Massachusetts|Fall River]], Massachusetts. Mary was born in [[Providence, Rhode Island]], the daughter of Louisa M. and William Lewis.<ref name="Massachusetts Marriages">Massachusetts Marriages 253:121, Massachusetts Archives, Columbia Point, Boston</ref> The couple had two daughters, Emma Jeanette (1883–1978) and Louise Rebecca (1890–1963). Jeanette married Gerald Fitzherbert Norman, the first black person hired as a high school teacher in the New York City public school system,<ref name="Russell">{{cite book|last=Dick|first=Russell|title=Black Genius: Inspirational Portraits of America's Black Leaders|date=2009|publisher=Skyhorse Publications|isbn=978-1-60239-369-1|location=New York}}</ref> and had two children: [[Winifred Latimer Norman]] (1914–2014), a social worker who served as the guardian of her grandfather's legacy, and Gerald Latimer Norman (1911–1990), who became an administrative law judge.


In 1879, Latimer and his wife, Mary, moved to [[Bridgeport, Connecticut]], along with his mother, Rebecca, and his brother, William. They settled in a neighborhood called "Little Liberia," which had been established in the early 19th century by [[free blacks]]. (The landmarked [[Mary and Eliza Freeman Houses]] are the last surviving buildings on their original foundations of this community.) Other family members already living there were his brother, George A. Latimer, and his wife, Jane, and his sister, Margaret, and her husband, Augustus T. Hawley, and their children. Mary died in Bridgeport in 1924.
In 1879, Latimer and his wife, Mary, moved to [[Bridgeport, Connecticut]], along with his mother, Rebecca, and his brother, William. They settled in a neighborhood called "Little Liberia," which had been established in the early 19th century by [[free blacks]]. (The landmark [[Mary and Eliza Freeman Houses]] are the last surviving buildings on their original foundations of this community.) Other family members already living there were his brother, George A. Latimer, his wife, Jane, his sister, Margaret, and her husband, Augustus T. Hawley, and their children. Mary died in Bridgeport in 1924.


== Career ==
== Career ==
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In 1874, Latimer co-patented (with Charles M. Brown) an improved toilet system for railroad cars called the Water Closet for Railroad Cars (U.S. Patent 147,363).<ref>{{Cite web|title=Patent Improvement in water-closets for railroad-cars (US147363A)|url=https://patents.google.com/patent/US147363A/en?oq=147%2c363|via=US Patent – Google Patent}}</ref>
In 1874, Latimer co-patented (with Charles M. Brown) an improved toilet system for railroad cars called the Water Closet for Railroad Cars (U.S. Patent 147,363).<ref>{{Cite web|title=Patent Improvement in water-closets for railroad-cars (US147363A)|url=https://patents.google.com/patent/US147363A/en?oq=147%2c363|via=US Patent – Google Patent}}</ref>


In 1876, [[Alexander Graham Bell]] employed Latimer, then a draftsman at Bell's patent law firm, to draft the necessary drawings required to receive a patent for Bell's telephone.<ref>{{cite book |last1=Jenkins Jr |first1=Everett |title=Pan-African Chronology III: A Comprehensive Reference to the Black Quest for Freedom in Africa, the Americas, Europe and Asia, 1914-1929 |date=14 February 2011 |publisher=McFarland |isbn=978-0-7864-4507-3 |page=473 |edition=1996 |url=https://www.google.co.uk/books/edition/Pan_African_Chronology_III/SXMwCgAAQBAJ?hl=en&gbpv=1&dq=Lewis+Howard+Latimer+Alexander+graham+bell+drawings&pg=PA473&printsec=frontcover |access-date=16 November 2021 |language=en}}</ref>
In 1876, [[Alexander Graham Bell]] employed Latimer, then a draftsman at Bell's patent law firm, to draft the necessary drawings required to receive a patent for Bell's telephone.<ref>{{cite book |last1=Jenkins Jr |first1=Everett |title=Pan-African Chronology III: A Comprehensive Reference to the Black Quest for Freedom in Africa, the Americas, Europe, and Asia, 1914–1929 |date=2011 |publisher=McFarland |isbn=978-0-7864-4507-3 |page=473 |orig-date=1996 |url=https://books.google.com/books?id=SXMwCgAAQBAJ&dq=Lewis+Howard+Latimer+Alexander+graham+bell+drawings&pg=PA473 |access-date=16 November 2021 |language=en}}</ref>


In 1879, he moved to [[Bridgeport, Connecticut]], and was hired as assistant manager and draftsman for the U.S. Electric Lighting Company, a company owned by [[Hiram Maxim]], a rival of [[Thomas A. Edison]].<ref name=":1" /> While Latimer was there he invented a modification to the process for making carbon filaments which aimed to reduce breakages during the carbonization process. This modification consisted of placing filament blanks inside a cardboard envelope during carbonization.<ref>{{Cite web|title=Patent Process of manufacturing carbons (US252386)|url=https://edison.rutgers.edu/latimer/252386.pdf}}</ref> While in England on behalf of the Maxim light company he taught the entire process for making Maxim lights, including glassblowing in 9 months in order to get the factory up and running.<ref name=":5" />
In 1879, he moved to [[Bridgeport, Connecticut]], and was hired as assistant manager and draftsman for the [[United States Electric Lighting Company|US Electric Lighting Co.]], a company owned by [[Hiram Maxim]], a rival of [[Thomas Edison]].<ref name=":1" /> While Latimer was there he invented a modification to the process for making carbon filaments which aimed to reduce breakages during the carbonization process.<ref>{{cite magazine|url=https://grist.org/climate-energy/meet-lewis-latimer-the-african-american-who-enlightened-thomas-edison/|title=Meet Lewis Latimer, the African American who enlightened Thomas Edison|first=Brentin|last=Mock|date=February 11, 2015|magazine=[[Grist (magazine)|Grist]]|access-date=March 15, 2023}}</ref> This modification consisted of placing filament blanks inside a cardboard envelope during [[carbonization]].<ref>{{Cite web|title=Patent Process of manufacturing carbons (US252386)|url=https://edison.rutgers.edu/latimer/252386.pdf}}</ref> While in England on behalf of the Maxim light company he taught the entire process for making Maxim lights, including glassblowing in 9 months to get the factory up and running.<ref name=":5" />


In 1884, he was invited to work with [[Thomas Edison]]. Along with the work he did with Edison, he was also responsible for translating data into German and French, as well as gathering that information.<ref name=":1" />
In 1884, he was invited to work with Thomas Edison. Along with the work he did with Edison, he was also responsible for translating data into German and French, as well as gathering that information.<ref name=":1" />


Latimer also developed a forerunner of the air conditioner called "Apparatus for cooling and disinfecting".<ref>{{Cite web|title=Lewis Howard Latimer - EnchantedLearning.com|url=https://www.enchantedlearning.com/inventors/page/l/latimer.shtml|access-date=2020-12-11|website=www.enchantedlearning.com}}</ref>
Latimer also developed a forerunner of the air conditioner called "Apparatus for cooling and disinfecting".<ref>{{Cite web|title=Lewis Howard Latimer |url=https://www.enchantedlearning.com/inventors/page/l/latimer.shtml|access-date=2020-12-11|website=www.enchantedlearning.com}}</ref>


In 1894, Latimer pursued a patent on a safety elevator which prevented the riders from falling out and into the shaft.<ref name=":4" />
In 1894, Latimer pursued a patent on a safety elevator that prevented the riders from falling out and into the shaft.<ref name=":4" />


In 1924, after the Board of Patent Control dissolved Latimer went on to work with Hammer and Schwartz until he retired.<ref name=":2">{{Cite news|date=1995|title=Lewis H. Latimer House|work=Landmarks Preservation Commission|url=http://neighborhoodpreservationcenter.org/db/bb_files/95-LATIMER-HOUSE.pdf}}</ref>
In 1924, after the Board of Patent Control dissolved Latimer went on to work with Hammer and Schwartz until he retired.<ref name=":2">{{Cite news|date=1995|title=Lewis H. Latimer House|work=Landmarks Preservation Commission|url=http://neighborhoodpreservationcenter.org/db/bb_files/95-LATIMER-HOUSE.pdf}}</ref>


=== Edison Pioneers ===
=== Edison Pioneers ===
On February 11, 1918 Latimer joined the [[Edison Pioneers]]. Lewis Latimer was the first person of color to join this group of 100.<ref name=":1" />
On February 11, 1918, Latimer joined the [[Edison Pioneers]]. Lewis Latimer was the first person of color to join this group of 100.<ref name=":1" />


=== Light bulb ===
=== Light bulb ===
[[File:Light bulb by Lewis Latimer, 1883 - Museum of Science and Industry (Chicago) - DSC06448.JPG|thumb|172x172px]]
[[File:Light bulb by Lewis Latimer, 1883 - Museum of Science and Industry (Chicago) - DSC06448.JPG|thumb|172x172px]]
Latimer received a patent on September 13th, 1881, for the "Electric Lamp",<ref>{{Cite web|title=patent for electric lamp|url=https://patentimages.storage.googleapis.com/1f/31/78/14a56753515fe0/US247097.pdf|url-status=live}}</ref> an improved design for producing light using electricity, and another on January 17, 1882, for the "Process of Manufacturing Carbons", an improved method for the production of carbon filaments for lightbulbs.<ref>{{cite web|title=Lewis Howard Latimer|url=http://www.nps.gov/edis/forkids/the-gifted-men-who-worked-for-edison.htm|access-date=2007-06-10|publisher=[[Nat \ Service]]}}</ref><ref>{{US patent|252386|U.S. Patent 252,386''Process Of Manufacturing Carbons.'' by Lewis H. Latimer. Application filed on Feb 19, 1881, Specified on Jan 17, 1882}}</ref>
Latimer received a patent on September 13, 1881, along with Joseph V. Nichols, for a method of attaching carbon filaments to conducting wires within an electric lamp,<ref>{{Cite web |title=patent for electric lamp |url=https://patentimages.storage.googleapis.com/1f/31/78/14a56753515fe0/US247097.pdf }}</ref> and another patent on January 17, 1882, for a "process of manufacturing carbons", a method for the production of carbon filaments for light bulbs which reduced breakages during the production process by wrapping the filaments in a cardboard envelope.<ref>{{cite web |title=Lewis Howard Latimer |url=http://www.nps.gov/edis/forkids/the-gifted-men-who-worked-for-edison.htm |access-date=2007-06-10 |publisher=[[National Park Service]]}}</ref><ref>{{US patent|252386|U.S. Patent 252,386''Process Of Manufacturing Carbons.'' by Lewis H. Latimer. Application filed on Feb 19, 1881, Specified on Jan 17, 1882}}</ref>


The [[Edison Electric Light Company]] in New York City hired Latimer in 1884 as a draftsman and an expert witness in patent litigation on electric lights. While at Edison, Latimer wrote the first book on electric lighting, entitled ''Incandescent Electric Lighting'' (1890),<ref name="1890 book">[https://catalog.hathitrust.org/Record/000563758 Catalog Record: Incandescent electric lighting. A practical description of the Edison system], Hathi Trust Digital Library. Retrieved 2018-12- 25.</ref> and supervised the installation of public electric lights throughout New York, Philadelphia, Montreal, and London.<ref name="MITbio">{{cite web|title=Historical Inventors: Lewis H. Latimer: The carbon-filament light bulb|url=https://lemelson.mit.edu/resources/lewis-h-latimer|work=MIT bio}}, MIT Lemelson program</ref>
The [[Edison Electric Light Company]] in New York City hired Latimer in 1884 as a draftsman and an expert witness in patent litigation on electric lights. While at Edison, Latimer wrote the first book on electric lighting, entitled ''Incandescent Electric Lighting'' (1890),<ref name="1890 book">Latimer, L. H., Howell, J. W. (John White), Field, C. J. (1890), [https://catalog.hathitrust.org/Record/000563758 ''Incandescent electric lighting. A practical description of the Edison system''], Hathi Trust Digital Library, Catalog Record. Retrieved 2018-12-25.</ref> and supervised the installation of public electric lights throughout New York, Philadelphia, Montreal, and London.<ref name="MITbio">{{cite web|title=Historical Inventors: Lewis H. Latimer: The carbon-filament light bulb|url=https://lemelson.mit.edu/resources/lewis-h-latimer|work=MIT bio}}, MIT Lemelson program</ref>


When that company was combined in 1892 with the [[Thomson-Houston Electric Company]] to form [[General Electric]], he continued to work in the legal department.
When that company was combined in 1892 with the [[Thomson-Houston Electric Company]] to form [[General Electric]], he continued to work in the legal department.


In 1911, he became a patent consultant to law firms.<ref>[[Henry Louis Gates|Gates, Henry Louis]], and Evelyn Brooks Higginbotham, ''[[iarchive:africanamericanl00gate|African American Lives]]'', Oxford University Press, 2004, pp. [[iarchive:africanamericanl00gate/page/515|515–516]]. {{ISBN|0-19-516024-X}}</ref>
In 1911, he became a patent consultant to law firms.<ref>[[Henry Louis Gates|Gates, Henry Louis]], and [[Evelyn Brooks Higginbotham]], ''[[iarchive:africanamericanl00gate|African American Lives]]'', Oxford University Press, 2004, pp. [[iarchive:africanamericanl00gate/page/515|515–516]]. {{ISBN|0-19-516024-X}}.</ref>


=== Patents ===
=== Patents ===
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* {{US patent|968787}} "Lamp fixture" (with Norton, William Sheil), August 30, 1910
* {{US patent|968787}} "Lamp fixture" (with Norton, William Sheil), August 30, 1910


=== Military and draftsman ===
=== Writing and other activities ===
⚫
* A book of poetry called ''Poems of Love and Life''.<ref name=":3">{{Cite journal|last=Judd|first=Michael|date=1998|title=Lewis Latimer: African American Inventor, Poet and Activist|journal=Organization of Historians|volume=12|pages=25–30}}</ref>
Lewis Howard Latimer joined the [[U.S. Navy]] at the age of 15 on September 16, 1863, and served as a [[Landsman (rank)|Landsman]] on the [[USS Massasoit (1863)|USS ''Massasoit'']]. After receiving an honorable discharge from the U.S. Navy on July 3, 1865, he gained employment as an office boy with a [[patent]] law firm, ''Crosby Halstead and Gould'', with a $100.00 per week salary. He learned how to use a [[set square]], ruler, and other drafting tools. Later, after his boss recognized his talent for sketching patent drawings, Latimer was promoted to the position of head draftsman earning $20.00 a week by 1872.<ref name="Fouché" />
⚫
* A technical book, ''Incandescent Electric Lighting'' (1890).<ref name="1890 book" /><ref>{{cite book|author1=Lewis Howard Latimer|url=https://archive.org/details/bub_gb_RlY4AAAAMAAJ|title=Incandescent Electric Lighting: A Practical Description of the Edison System|author2=C. J. Field|author3=John W. Howell|publisher=New York: D. Van Nostrand Company|year=1890}}</ref>
⚫
* Various pieces for African-American journals.<ref name=":2" />
⚫
* A petition to Mayor [[Seth Low]] to restore a member to the Brooklyn School Board.<ref name=":4">{{Cite book|last=Singer|first=Bayla|title=Inventing a Better Life: Latimer's Technical Career, 1880–1928|publisher=Queens Borough Public Library|year=1995|isbn=0-9645337-0-7|location=New York}}</ref><ref name=":2" />


⚫
=== Teaching ===
⚫
Even though Latimer was no longer active military he remained patriotic. He was an early and active member in the veteran organization, [[Grand Army of the Republic]].<ref name=":1" /> He acted as secretary and adjutant.<ref name=":5" />
⚫
Latimer taught English and drafting courses to immigrants at the [[Henry Street Settlement]] in New York.<ref name=":3" />


=== Writing ===
=== Other activities ===


⚫
Latimer played the violin and flute, painted portraits, and wrote plays.<ref name=":2" />
⚫
* A book of poetry called ''Poems of Love and Life''.<ref name=":3">{{Cite journal|last=Judd|first=Michael|date=1998|title=Lewis Latimer: African American Inventor, Poet and Activist|journal=Organization of Historians|volume=12|pages=25–30|via=JSTOR}}</ref>
⚫
* A technical book, ''Incandescent Electric Lighting'' (1890).<ref name="1890 book" /><ref>{{cite book|author1=Lewis Howard Latimer|url=https://archive.org/details/bub_gb_RlY4AAAAMAAJ|title=Incandescent Electric Lighting: A Practical Description of the Edison System|author2=C. J. Field|author3=John W. Howell|publisher=New York: D. Van Nostrand company|year=1890}}</ref>
⚫
* Various pieces for African-American journals.<ref name=":2" />
⚫
* A petition to Mayor [[Seth Low]] to restore a member to the Brooklyn School Board.<ref name=":4">{{Cite book|last=Singer|first=Bayla|title=Inventing a Better Life: Latimer's Technical Career, 1880-1928|publisher=Queens Borough Public Library|year=1995|isbn=0-9645337-0-7|location=United States}}</ref><ref name=":2" />

⚫
Latimer played the violin and flute, painted portraits and wrote plays.<ref name=":2" />


He was an early advocate of civil rights. In 1895 Lewis wrote a statement in connection with the National Conference of Colored Men about equality, security, and opportunity.<ref name=":2" />
He was an early advocate of civil rights. In 1895 Lewis wrote a statement in connection with the National Conference of Colored Men about equality, security, and opportunity.<ref name=":2" />


⚫
In later life, even though Latimer was no longer active military, he remained patriotic. He was an early and active member of the veteran organization, [[Grand Army of the Republic]].<ref name=":1" /> He acted as secretary and adjutant.<ref name=":5" />
⚫
=== Teaching ===
⚫
Latimer taught English and drafting courses to immigrants at the [[Henry Street Settlement]] in New York.<ref name=":3" />


== Death and legacy ==
== Death and legacy ==
For 25 years, from 1903 until his death in 1928, Latimer lived with his family in a home on Holly Avenue in what is known now as [[Flushing, Queens|East Flushing]] section of Queens, New York.<ref name=":0" /> Latimer died on December 11, 1928, at the age of 80.<ref name="obit">{{cite news|date=December 13, 1928|title=Lewis H. Latimer Dead. Member of Edison Pioneers. Drew Original Plans for Bell Phone|newspaper=[[New York Times]]|url=https://www.nytimes.com/1928/12/13/archives/lewis-h-latimer-dead-member-of-edison-pioneersdrew-original-plans.html}}</ref> Approximately sixty years after his death, his home was [[Structure relocation|moved]] from Holly Avenue to 137th Street in [[Flushing, Queens]], which is about 1.4 miles northwest of its original location.<ref name=":0" />
For 25 years, from 1903 until he died in 1928, Latimer lived with his family in a home on Holly Avenue in what is known now as [[Flushing, Queens|East Flushing]] section of Queens, New York.<ref name=":0" /> Latimer died on December 11, 1928, at the age of 80.<ref name="obit">{{cite news|date=December 13, 1928|title=Lewis H. Latimer Dead. Member of Edison Pioneers. Drew Original Plans for Bell Phone|newspaper=[[New York Times]]|url=https://www.nytimes.com/1928/12/13/archives/lewis-h-latimer-dead-member-of-edison-pioneersdrew-original-plans.html}}</ref> Approximately sixty years after his death, his home was [[Structure relocation|moved]] from Holly Avenue to 137th Street in [[Flushing, Queens]], which is about 1.4 miles northwest of its original location.<ref name=":0" />
* Latimer is an inductee of the [[National Inventors Hall of Fame]] for his work on electric filament manufacturing techniques.<ref>{{cite web|work=Invent.org|url=http://www.invent.org/2006Induction/historical2006.asp|title=List of 2006 NIHF inductees|url-status=dead|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20080513143652/http://www.invent.org/2006Induction/historical2006.asp|archive-date=2008-05-13}}</ref>
* Latimer is an inductee of the [[National Inventors Hall of Fame]] for his work on electric filament manufacturing techniques.<ref>{{cite web|work=Invent.org|url=http://www.invent.org/2006Induction/historical2006.asp|title=List of 2006 NIHF inductees|url-status=dead|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20080513143652/http://www.invent.org/2006Induction/historical2006.asp|archive-date=2008-05-13}}</ref>
* The Latimer family house is on Latimer Place in Flushing, Queens. It was moved from the original location to a nearby small park and turned into the [[Lewis H. Latimer House]] Museum in honor of the inventor.<ref name=":0">{{cite web|work=Historichousetrust.org|url=http://www.historichousetrust.org/item.php?i_id=39|title=Historic House Trust NYC|url-status=dead|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20080216045018/http://www.historichousetrust.org/item.php?i_id=39|archive-date=2008-02-16}}</ref><ref>{{cite news |title=A Campaign To Remember An Inventor |url=https://www.nytimes.com/1988/08/06/nyregion/a-campaign-to-remember-an-inventor.html |newspaper=[[New York Times]] |date=August 6, 1988 }}</ref><ref>{{cite news |title=An Inventor Who Kept Lights Burning |url=https://www.nytimes.com/1995/01/29/nyregion/playing-in-the-neighborhood-jamaica-an-inventor-who-kept-lights-burning.html |newspaper=[[New York Times]] |date=January 29, 1995 }}</ref>
* The Latimer family house is on Latimer Place in Flushing, Queens. It was moved from the original location to a nearby small park and turned into the [[Lewis H. Latimer House]] Museum in honor of the inventor.<ref name=":0">{{cite web|work=Historichousetrust.org|url=http://www.historichousetrust.org/item.php?i_id=39|title=Historic House Trust NYC|url-status=dead|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20080216045018/http://www.historichousetrust.org/item.php?i_id=39|archive-date=2008-02-16}}</ref><ref>{{cite news |title=A Campaign To Remember An Inventor |url=https://www.nytimes.com/1988/08/06/nyregion/a-campaign-to-remember-an-inventor.html |newspaper=[[New York Times]] |date=August 6, 1988 }}</ref><ref>{{cite news |title=An Inventor Who Kept Lights Burning |url=https://www.nytimes.com/1995/01/29/nyregion/playing-in-the-neighborhood-jamaica-an-inventor-who-kept-lights-burning.html |newspaper=[[New York Times]] |date=January 29, 1995 }}</ref>
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* P.S. 56 in Clinton Hill, Brooklyn, is named Lewis H. Latimer School.
* P.S. 56 in Clinton Hill, Brooklyn, is named Lewis H. Latimer School.
* An invention program at the [[Massachusetts Institute of Technology]], MIT, is named after him.<ref name="web.mit.edu">{{cite web|work=Mit.edu|url=http://web.mit.edu/invent/iow/latimer.html|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20030628220934/http://web.mit.edu/invent/iow/latimer.html|url-status=dead|archive-date=2003-06-28|title=Lemelson-MIT}}</ref>
* An invention program at the [[Massachusetts Institute of Technology]], MIT, is named after him.<ref name="web.mit.edu">{{cite web|work=Mit.edu|url=http://web.mit.edu/invent/iow/latimer.html|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20030628220934/http://web.mit.edu/invent/iow/latimer.html|url-status=dead|archive-date=2003-06-28|title=Lemelson-MIT}}</ref>
*On May 10, 1968 a school in Brooklyn, New York was rededicated to The Lewis H. Latimer School in his memory.<ref>{{Cite book|last=Sertima|first=Ivan|title=Blacks in Science|publisher=Transaction Publishers|year=1998|isbn=0-87855-941-8|location=United States|pages=236}}</ref>
* On May 10, 1968, a school in Brooklyn, New York was rededicated to The Lewis H. Latimer School in his memory.<ref>{{Cite book|last=Van Sertima|first=Ivan|author-link=Ivan Van Sertima|title=Blacks in Science|publisher=Transaction Publishers|year=1998|isbn=0-87855-941-8|location=US|page=236}}</ref>
*In 1988, a committee was formed, the Lewis H. Latimer Committee, in order to save his home in Flushing, New York.<ref name=":5" />
* In 1988, a committee was formed, the Lewis H. Latimer Committee, to save his home in Flushing, New York.<ref name=":5" />
* On September 23, 2023, a gravestone was dedicated to him at his grave in Fall River, Massachusetts.<ref>{{cite news |title=Black light bulb inventor Lewis Latimer gets overdue recognition |url=https://www.heraldnews.com/story/news/local/2023/09/24/lewis-latimer-black-inventor-who-worked-with-edison-given-memorial/70949726007/ |newspaper=[[The Herald News]] |date=September 24, 2023 }}</ref>


==See also==
==See also==
Line 117: Line 116:
* [http://invention.si.edu/sites/default/files/Lewis_Latimer_Educational_Materials_by_Luvenia_George.pdf Teachers' guide by Luvenia George on Latimer, published by the Smithsonian Institution's Lemelson Center for the Study of Invention and Innovation]
* [http://invention.si.edu/sites/default/files/Lewis_Latimer_Educational_Materials_by_Luvenia_George.pdf Teachers' guide by Luvenia George on Latimer, published by the Smithsonian Institution's Lemelson Center for the Study of Invention and Innovation]
* [http://edison.rutgers.edu/latimer/blueprnt.htm "Blueprint for Change", a 1995 exhibition honoring Latimer at the which holds a collection of his papers and artifacts.]
* [http://edison.rutgers.edu/latimer/blueprnt.htm "Blueprint for Change", a 1995 exhibition honoring Latimer at the which holds a collection of his papers and artifacts.]
* [http://inventors.about.com/library/inventors/bllatimer.htm Lewis Latimer biography at About.com]
* [https://archive.today/20130116030129/http://inventors.about.com/library/inventors/bllatimer.htm Lewis Latimer biography at About.com]
* [https://web.archive.org/web/20110505005833/http://www.blackinventor.com/pages/lewislatimer.html Profile of Lewis Latimer] – The Black Inventor Online Museum
* [https://web.archive.org/web/20110505005833/http://www.blackinventor.com/pages/lewislatimer.html Profile of Lewis Latimer] – The Black Inventor Online Museum
* {{Find a Grave|10420881}}
* {{Find a Grave|10420881}}
* [https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Qh0hI9WMqOI A video tour by New York Landmarks of the Louis Latimer House Museum, where he lived from 1902 to 1928.]
* [https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Qh0hI9WMqOI A video tour by New York Landmarks of the Lewis Latimer House Museum, where he lived from 1902 to 1928.]


{{Authority control}}
{{Authority control}}
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[[Category:African-American inventors]]
[[Category:African-American inventors]]
[[Category:Grand Army of the Republic officials]]
[[Category:Grand Army of the Republic officials]]
[[Category:19th-century African-American scientists]]
[[Category:20th-century African-American people]]
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Latest revision as of 00:45, 8 December 2024

Lewis Howard Latimer
Latimer in 1882
Born(1848-09-04)September 4, 1848
Chelsea, Massachusetts, U.S.
DiedDecember 11, 1928(1928-12-11) (aged 80)
Flushing, Queens, New York City, U.S.
Occupation(s)Inventor, patent consultant, author, engineer, draftsman, Navy Landsman (Rank)
Spouse
Mary Wilson Lewis Latimer
​
​
(m. 1873)​
Children2
Parent(s)George Latimer (1818–1897)
Rebecca Latimer (1823–1910)

Lewis Howard Latimer (September 4, 1848 – December 11, 1928) was an American inventor and patent draftsman. His inventions included an evaporative air conditioner, an improved process for manufacturing carbon filaments for light bulbs, and an improved toilet system for railroad cars. In 1884, he joined the Edison Electric Light Company where he worked as a draftsman. The Lewis H. Latimer House, his landmarked former residence, is located near the Latimer Projects at 34–41 137th Street in Flushing, Queens, New York City.

Early life and family

[edit]

Lewis Howard Latimer was born in Chelsea, Massachusetts, on September 4, 1848, the youngest of the four children of Rebecca Latimer (1823–1910) and George Latimer (1818–1897).[1] Before Lewis was born, his mother and father escaped from slavery in Virginia and fled to Chelsea, Massachusetts on October 4, 1842. The day they arrived in Boston, George was recognized by a colleague of his former slave owner and was arrested a few days later, on October 20, 1842. George's trial received great notoriety; he was represented by Frederick Douglass and William Lloyd Garrison. He was eventually able to purchase his freedom and live with his family in Chelsea, Massachusetts.[2]

When Latimer was young he spent time helping his father in his barbershop.[3] Lewis Latimer also spent time at night hanging wallpaper with his father.[4]

When Latimer was 10, his mother decided to split the family after the Dred Scott case ruled individual slaves needed to prove they had the consent of their owner to legally become free; prior to this ruling, many slaves had attained freedom by escaping into free states and becoming state citizens, which gave them some protection from the efforts of interstate slave catchers.[clarification needed] Lewis's father, George Latimer, had no proof of his emancipation and likely fled to protect his family.[5]

After his father had to flee and his mother had to split the family, Lewis and his brothers were sent to a farm school, and his sisters were sent to stay with a family friend.[5]

Lewis Howard Latimer joined the U.S. Navy at the age of 16 on September 16, 1864, and served as a Landsman on the USS Massasoit. After receiving an honorable discharge from the U.S. Navy on July 3, 1865, he gained employment as an office boy with a patent law firm, Crosby Halstead and Gould, with a $3.00 per week salary. He learned how to use a set square, ruler, and other drafting tools. Later, after his boss recognized his talent for sketching patent drawings, Latimer was promoted to the position of head draftsman earning $20.00 a week by 1872 ($438.59 today).[1]

Lewis H. Latimer married Mary Wilson Lewis on November 15, 1873, in Fall River, Massachusetts. Mary was born in Providence, Rhode Island, the daughter of Louisa M. and William Lewis.[6] The couple had two daughters, Emma Jeanette (1883–1978) and Louise Rebecca (1890–1963). Jeanette married Gerald Fitzherbert Norman, the first black person hired as a high school teacher in the New York City public school system,[7] and had two children: Winifred Latimer Norman (1914–2014), a social worker who served as the guardian of her grandfather's legacy, and Gerald Latimer Norman (1911–1990), who became an administrative law judge.

In 1879, Latimer and his wife, Mary, moved to Bridgeport, Connecticut, along with his mother, Rebecca, and his brother, William. They settled in a neighborhood called "Little Liberia," which had been established in the early 19th century by free blacks. (The landmark Mary and Eliza Freeman Houses are the last surviving buildings on their original foundations of this community.) Other family members already living there were his brother, George A. Latimer, his wife, Jane, his sister, Margaret, and her husband, Augustus T. Hawley, and their children. Mary died in Bridgeport in 1924.

Career

[edit]

Inventions and technical work

[edit]

In 1874, Latimer co-patented (with Charles M. Brown) an improved toilet system for railroad cars called the Water Closet for Railroad Cars (U.S. Patent 147,363).[8]

In 1876, Alexander Graham Bell employed Latimer, then a draftsman at Bell's patent law firm, to draft the necessary drawings required to receive a patent for Bell's telephone.[9]

In 1879, he moved to Bridgeport, Connecticut, and was hired as assistant manager and draftsman for the US Electric Lighting Co., a company owned by Hiram Maxim, a rival of Thomas Edison.[5] While Latimer was there he invented a modification to the process for making carbon filaments which aimed to reduce breakages during the carbonization process.[10] This modification consisted of placing filament blanks inside a cardboard envelope during carbonization.[11] While in England on behalf of the Maxim light company he taught the entire process for making Maxim lights, including glassblowing in 9 months to get the factory up and running.[4]

In 1884, he was invited to work with Thomas Edison. Along with the work he did with Edison, he was also responsible for translating data into German and French, as well as gathering that information.[5]

Latimer also developed a forerunner of the air conditioner called "Apparatus for cooling and disinfecting".[12]

In 1894, Latimer pursued a patent on a safety elevator that prevented the riders from falling out and into the shaft.[13]

In 1924, after the Board of Patent Control dissolved Latimer went on to work with Hammer and Schwartz until he retired.[14]

Edison Pioneers

[edit]

On February 11, 1918, Latimer joined the Edison Pioneers. Lewis Latimer was the first person of color to join this group of 100.[5]

Light bulb

[edit]

Latimer received a patent on September 13, 1881, along with Joseph V. Nichols, for a method of attaching carbon filaments to conducting wires within an electric lamp,[15] and another patent on January 17, 1882, for a "process of manufacturing carbons", a method for the production of carbon filaments for light bulbs which reduced breakages during the production process by wrapping the filaments in a cardboard envelope.[16][17]

The Edison Electric Light Company in New York City hired Latimer in 1884 as a draftsman and an expert witness in patent litigation on electric lights. While at Edison, Latimer wrote the first book on electric lighting, entitled Incandescent Electric Lighting (1890),[18] and supervised the installation of public electric lights throughout New York, Philadelphia, Montreal, and London.[19]

When that company was combined in 1892 with the Thomson-Houston Electric Company to form General Electric, he continued to work in the legal department.

In 1911, he became a patent consultant to law firms.[20]

Patents

[edit]

Writing and other activities

[edit]
  • A book of poetry called Poems of Love and Life.[21]
  • A technical book, Incandescent Electric Lighting (1890).[18][22]
  • Various pieces for African-American journals.[14]
  • A petition to Mayor Seth Low to restore a member to the Brooklyn School Board.[13][14]

Teaching

[edit]

Latimer taught English and drafting courses to immigrants at the Henry Street Settlement in New York.[21]

Other activities

[edit]

Latimer played the violin and flute, painted portraits, and wrote plays.[14]

He was an early advocate of civil rights. In 1895 Lewis wrote a statement in connection with the National Conference of Colored Men about equality, security, and opportunity.[14]

In later life, even though Latimer was no longer active military, he remained patriotic. He was an early and active member of the veteran organization, Grand Army of the Republic.[5] He acted as secretary and adjutant.[4]

Death and legacy

[edit]

For 25 years, from 1903 until he died in 1928, Latimer lived with his family in a home on Holly Avenue in what is known now as East Flushing section of Queens, New York.[23] Latimer died on December 11, 1928, at the age of 80.[24] Approximately sixty years after his death, his home was moved from Holly Avenue to 137th Street in Flushing, Queens, which is about 1.4 miles northwest of its original location.[23]

  • Latimer is an inductee of the National Inventors Hall of Fame for his work on electric filament manufacturing techniques.[25]
  • The Latimer family house is on Latimer Place in Flushing, Queens. It was moved from the original location to a nearby small park and turned into the Lewis H. Latimer House Museum in honor of the inventor.[23][26][27]
  • Latimer was a founding member of the Flushing, New York, Unitarian Church.[28]
  • A set of apartment houses in Flushing are called "Latimer Gardens".[29]
  • P.S. 56 in Clinton Hill, Brooklyn, is named Lewis H. Latimer School.
  • An invention program at the Massachusetts Institute of Technology, MIT, is named after him.[30]
  • On May 10, 1968, a school in Brooklyn, New York was rededicated to The Lewis H. Latimer School in his memory.[31]
  • In 1988, a committee was formed, the Lewis H. Latimer Committee, to save his home in Flushing, New York.[4]
  • On September 23, 2023, a gravestone was dedicated to him at his grave in Fall River, Massachusetts.[32]

See also

[edit]

References

[edit]
  1. ^ a b Fouché, Rayvon (2003). Black Inventors in the Age of Segregation: Granville T. Woods, Lewis H. Latimer, and Shelby J. Davidson. Baltimore & London: The Johns Hopkins University Press. ISBN 0-8018-7319-3.
  2. ^ "Lewis Howard Latimer – Inventions, Facts & Accomplishments – Biography". www.biography.com. Retrieved October 16, 2020.
  3. ^ "Lewis H. Latimer". Black History Now. September 17, 2011. Retrieved October 15, 2011.
  4. ^ a b c d Koolakian, Robert (1993). A Biography of Lewis Latimer. United States of America: Edison Electric Institute. p. 5.
  5. ^ a b c d e f Center, Smithsonian Lemelson (February 1, 1999). "Innovative Lives: Lewis Latimer (1848–1928): Renaissance Man". Lemelson Center for the Study of Invention and Innovation. Retrieved November 6, 2020.
  6. ^ Massachusetts Marriages 253:121, Massachusetts Archives, Columbia Point, Boston
  7. ^ Dick, Russell (2009). Black Genius: Inspirational Portraits of America's Black Leaders. New York: Skyhorse Publications. ISBN 978-1-60239-369-1.
  8. ^ "Patent Improvement in water-closets for railroad-cars (US147363A)" – via US Patent – Google Patent.
  9. ^ Jenkins Jr, Everett (2011) [1996]. Pan-African Chronology III: A Comprehensive Reference to the Black Quest for Freedom in Africa, the Americas, Europe, and Asia, 1914–1929. McFarland. p. 473. ISBN 978-0-7864-4507-3. Retrieved November 16, 2021.
  10. ^ Mock, Brentin (February 11, 2015). "Meet Lewis Latimer, the African American who enlightened Thomas Edison". Grist. Retrieved March 15, 2023.
  11. ^ "Patent Process of manufacturing carbons (US252386)" (PDF).
  12. ^ "Lewis Howard Latimer". www.enchantedlearning.com. Retrieved December 11, 2020.
  13. ^ a b Singer, Bayla (1995). Inventing a Better Life: Latimer's Technical Career, 1880–1928. New York: Queens Borough Public Library. ISBN 0-9645337-0-7.
  14. ^ a b c d e "Lewis H. Latimer House" (PDF). Landmarks Preservation Commission. 1995.
  15. ^ "patent for electric lamp" (PDF).
  16. ^ "Lewis Howard Latimer". National Park Service. Retrieved June 10, 2007.
  17. ^ U.S. Patent 252,386Process Of Manufacturing Carbons. by Lewis H. Latimer. Application filed on Feb 19, 1881, Specified on Jan 17, 1882
  18. ^ a b Latimer, L. H., Howell, J. W. (John White), Field, C. J. (1890), Incandescent electric lighting. A practical description of the Edison system, Hathi Trust Digital Library, Catalog Record. Retrieved 2018-12-25.
  19. ^ "Historical Inventors: Lewis H. Latimer: The carbon-filament light bulb". MIT bio., MIT Lemelson program
  20. ^ Gates, Henry Louis, and Evelyn Brooks Higginbotham, African American Lives, Oxford University Press, 2004, pp. 515–516. ISBN 0-19-516024-X.
  21. ^ a b Judd, Michael (1998). "Lewis Latimer: African American Inventor, Poet and Activist". Organization of Historians. 12: 25–30.
  22. ^ Lewis Howard Latimer; C. J. Field; John W. Howell (1890). Incandescent Electric Lighting: A Practical Description of the Edison System. New York: D. Van Nostrand Company.
  23. ^ a b c "Historic House Trust NYC". Historichousetrust.org. Archived from the original on February 16, 2008.
  24. ^ "Lewis H. Latimer Dead. Member of Edison Pioneers. Drew Original Plans for Bell Phone". New York Times. December 13, 1928.
  25. ^ "List of 2006 NIHF inductees". Invent.org. Archived from the original on May 13, 2008.
  26. ^ "A Campaign To Remember An Inventor". New York Times. August 6, 1988.
  27. ^ "An Inventor Who Kept Lights Burning". New York Times. January 29, 1995.
  28. ^ "Who We Are".
  29. ^ "Latimer Gardens Apartments". Nyc.gov. Archived from the original on February 24, 2009.
  30. ^ "Lemelson-MIT". Mit.edu. Archived from the original on June 28, 2003.
  31. ^ Van Sertima, Ivan (1998). Blacks in Science. US: Transaction Publishers. p. 236. ISBN 0-87855-941-8.
  32. ^ "Black light bulb inventor Lewis Latimer gets overdue recognition". The Herald News. September 24, 2023.
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