Latimer, Lewis Howard
Published: August 21, 2008, 7:18 pm
Updated: August 21, 2008, 7:18 pm
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Peter SaundryLewis Howard Latimer (1848-1928), an American inventor and engineer who invented the first incandescent light bulb with a carbon filament, which gave light bulbs a longer life and made them less expensive and more efficient. Before these developments, filaments were either made out of bamboo, paper, or thread, and lasted only a few days. Latimer had the distinction of being the only African American member of the Edison Pioneers. While with the engineering division of the Edison Company, he published Incandescent Electric Lighting: A Practical Description of the Edison System, the first technical engineering book on lighting systems. Because of his improvement to light bulb technology, he was asked to supervise the installation of electric lights in New York, Philadelphia, Montreal, and London, and helped install the first electric plants in Philadelphia, New York City, and Montreal. Prior to his work with Edison, Latimer assisted Alexander Graham Bell with his patent drawing for the telephone. Latimer's first patent in 1874 was for a water closet (toilet) on railway cars.
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Citation
Cutler J. Cleveland (Lead Author);Peter Saundry (Topic Editor) "Latimer, Lewis Howard". In: Encyclopedia of Earth. Eds. Cutler J. Cleveland (Washington, D.C.: Environmental Information Coalition, National Council for Science and the Environment). [First published in the Encyclopedia of Earth August 21, 2008; Last revised Date August 21, 2008; Retrieved May 25, 2013 <http://www.eoearth.org/article/Latimer,_Lewis_Howard>
The Author
Cutler J. Cleveland is Professor of Earth and Environment at Boston University, where he also is on the faculty of the Center for Energy and Environmental Studies. Professor Cleveland is Editor-in-Chief of the Encyclopedia of Energy (Elsevier, 2004), winner of an American Library Association award, the Dictionary of Energy (Elsevier, 2005), Handbook of Energy (Elsevier, forthcoming), and is the Founding Editor-in-Chief of the Encyclopedia of Earth. He is the recipient of the Adelma ... (Full Bio)
Lewis Howard Latimer (1848-1928), an American inventor and engineer who invented the first incandescent light bulb with a carbon filament, which gave light bulbs a longer life and made them less expensive and more efficient. Before these developments, filaments were either made out of bamboo, paper, or thread, and lasted only a few days. Latimer had the distinction of being the only African American member of the Edison Pioneers. While with the engineering division of the Edison Company, he published Incandescent Electric Lighting: A Practical Description of the Edison System, the first technical engineering book on lighting systems. Because of his improvement to light bulb technology, he was asked to supervise the installation of electric lights in New York, Philadelphia, Montreal, and London, and helped install the first electric plants in Philadelphia, New York City, and Montreal. Prior to his work with Edison, Latimer assisted Alexander Graham Bell with his patent drawing for the telephone. Latimer's first patent in 1874 was for a water closet (toilet) on railway cars.
Further Reading
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Lewis Howard Latimer. (Source: Merrimack Education Center - Newton Public Schools, Newton, Massachusetts)
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