1 00:00:01,320 --> 00:00:04,240 Speaker 1: Welcome to Stuff You Missed in History Class, a production 2 00:00:04,400 --> 00:00:13,920 Speaker 1: of iHeartRadio. Hello, and welcome to the podcast. I'm Holly 3 00:00:13,960 --> 00:00:17,639 Speaker 1: Frye and I'm Crazy B. Wilson. I don't fully know 4 00:00:17,680 --> 00:00:20,880 Speaker 1: how I came across this person as a topic today, 5 00:00:21,040 --> 00:00:24,840 Speaker 1: this happens to me sometimes. I was noodling around for things, 6 00:00:26,280 --> 00:00:28,720 Speaker 1: as I often do, because I'm trying to make like 7 00:00:28,720 --> 00:00:31,520 Speaker 1: a pretty comprehensive list, which I don't always do for 8 00:00:31,600 --> 00:00:33,400 Speaker 1: the next couple of months because both of us have 9 00:00:33,520 --> 00:00:37,280 Speaker 1: travel and we're heading into holiday season and like autumn 10 00:00:37,360 --> 00:00:39,479 Speaker 1: is my crazy time anyway, So I'm trying to, you know, 11 00:00:39,560 --> 00:00:42,040 Speaker 1: come up with my list that's the go to's will 12 00:00:42,040 --> 00:00:45,760 Speaker 1: be ready. And I somehow came across this newspaper photo 13 00:00:46,720 --> 00:00:49,599 Speaker 1: while I was probably looking at something else, and it 14 00:00:49,640 --> 00:00:53,040 Speaker 1: was this woman named Beulah Henry, and I was captivated. 15 00:00:53,800 --> 00:00:57,600 Speaker 1: She had this gorgeous wide brim black hat on and 16 00:00:57,640 --> 00:01:00,560 Speaker 1: the headline was about her being an inventor, and like, what, 17 00:01:01,680 --> 00:01:04,240 Speaker 1: this is clearly my kind of lady. Then I was 18 00:01:04,360 --> 00:01:09,000 Speaker 1: very chagrined to discover that that write up speaks ill 19 00:01:09,040 --> 00:01:11,920 Speaker 1: of her style and says that she's got an old 20 00:01:11,959 --> 00:01:14,880 Speaker 1: fashioned mode of dress. And I was like, oh, she's 21 00:01:14,920 --> 00:01:18,319 Speaker 1: got style. It's never old fashion. But anyway, I then 22 00:01:18,360 --> 00:01:22,400 Speaker 1: became fixated on Beulah Henry. And Beulah was such a 23 00:01:22,400 --> 00:01:26,000 Speaker 1: prolific inventor in the twentieth century, in the early twentieth 24 00:01:26,040 --> 00:01:29,640 Speaker 1: century that the press actually nicknamed her Lady Edison, which 25 00:01:29,640 --> 00:01:34,320 Speaker 1: was a name she didn't actually like. She was an outlier, 26 00:01:34,480 --> 00:01:38,480 Speaker 1: and that she was an unmarried woman who truly got 27 00:01:38,480 --> 00:01:41,560 Speaker 1: her foot in the door as an inventor by pounding 28 00:01:41,600 --> 00:01:44,200 Speaker 1: the pavement in nineteen twenties New York trying to find 29 00:01:44,200 --> 00:01:48,840 Speaker 1: fabricators who could help her bring her sometimes seemingly outlandish 30 00:01:48,840 --> 00:01:52,040 Speaker 1: ideas to life. And once she did find people that 31 00:01:52,080 --> 00:01:54,560 Speaker 1: she could work with, she maintained a lot of those 32 00:01:54,560 --> 00:01:57,560 Speaker 1: relationships long term, and she kind of ran her operation 33 00:01:58,000 --> 00:02:01,840 Speaker 1: of being a full time inventor like a well oiled machine. 34 00:02:01,920 --> 00:02:04,240 Speaker 1: And she always claimed that she just couldn't help it. 35 00:02:04,320 --> 00:02:07,240 Speaker 1: She once told a reporter quote, I invent because I 36 00:02:07,280 --> 00:02:11,040 Speaker 1: cannot help it. New things just thrust themselves upon me. 37 00:02:11,960 --> 00:02:15,200 Speaker 1: So we're going to talk about Beulah Henry today. Beulah 38 00:02:15,240 --> 00:02:18,560 Speaker 1: Louise Henry was born on September twenty eighth, eighteen eighty 39 00:02:18,600 --> 00:02:22,880 Speaker 1: seven in Raleigh, North Carolina. Her family is often described 40 00:02:22,919 --> 00:02:26,160 Speaker 1: as living in Charlotte, North Carolina. That's about one hundred 41 00:02:26,200 --> 00:02:30,120 Speaker 1: and seventy miles away, although her grandmother did live in Raleigh, 42 00:02:30,160 --> 00:02:32,280 Speaker 1: and it seems like she spent some time in both 43 00:02:32,360 --> 00:02:36,160 Speaker 1: places as a kid. Her father, Walter Henry, was an 44 00:02:36,200 --> 00:02:39,960 Speaker 1: attorney and her mother, Beulah Holden Henry, was a homemaker. 45 00:02:40,720 --> 00:02:43,000 Speaker 1: Some accounts say that her mother was an artist, but 46 00:02:43,160 --> 00:02:47,480 Speaker 1: that's not fully clear. Beulah is always described as an 47 00:02:47,520 --> 00:02:52,480 Speaker 1: observant and creative child, although it's worth noting that most 48 00:02:52,480 --> 00:02:55,760 Speaker 1: of those accounts are based on descriptions she gave of 49 00:02:55,800 --> 00:02:59,640 Speaker 1: herself to the press later in her life. Her first 50 00:02:59,639 --> 00:03:02,400 Speaker 1: idea that hinted at her having a future as an 51 00:03:02,440 --> 00:03:05,600 Speaker 1: inventor came when she was just six years old. She 52 00:03:05,720 --> 00:03:09,200 Speaker 1: was watching a flag being lowered from a post office flagpole. 53 00:03:10,040 --> 00:03:14,400 Speaker 1: She noticed that sometimes the flag grazed the ground, and 54 00:03:14,800 --> 00:03:18,120 Speaker 1: the US Flag Code states that quote the flag should 55 00:03:18,160 --> 00:03:22,040 Speaker 1: never touch anything beneath it, such as the ground, the floor, water, 56 00:03:22,280 --> 00:03:25,720 Speaker 1: or merchandise. Talk about this a bit more on Friday. 57 00:03:26,280 --> 00:03:28,640 Speaker 1: So Beulah came up with an idea to prevent the 58 00:03:28,680 --> 00:03:31,600 Speaker 1: flag from touching the ground. Quote, there should be a 59 00:03:31,639 --> 00:03:34,440 Speaker 1: hole right through that pole, so the flag could drop 60 00:03:34,480 --> 00:03:38,400 Speaker 1: through and never touch the ground. I have to confess, 61 00:03:38,520 --> 00:03:41,800 Speaker 1: I don't understand how this would work. I have to 62 00:03:41,840 --> 00:03:45,600 Speaker 1: confess I spent a long time really puzzling over this myself, 63 00:03:45,800 --> 00:03:47,960 Speaker 1: and I don't know one hundred percent. But I think 64 00:03:48,000 --> 00:03:51,200 Speaker 1: what she's getting at is that the pole should somehow 65 00:03:51,240 --> 00:03:55,040 Speaker 1: be hollows so the flag could be pulled in. But 66 00:03:55,120 --> 00:03:58,360 Speaker 1: I'm not positive about that. And again she's relaying what 67 00:03:58,480 --> 00:04:02,480 Speaker 1: she remembered her six year old self saying. So nobody 68 00:04:02,480 --> 00:04:04,560 Speaker 1: ever seemed to follow up, like, what do you mean, Beulah. 69 00:04:04,720 --> 00:04:09,120 Speaker 1: They're like, oh, inventive six year old, hooray. So we 70 00:04:09,200 --> 00:04:12,520 Speaker 1: don't know. I can't. If you out there in our 71 00:04:12,560 --> 00:04:15,800 Speaker 1: audience can think of a way that this would function 72 00:04:16,279 --> 00:04:20,320 Speaker 1: that is not a hollow pole, bring it home, Send 73 00:04:20,400 --> 00:04:25,000 Speaker 1: us a sketch. She continued to sketch things allegedly as 74 00:04:25,000 --> 00:04:27,479 Speaker 1: a kid, but when she was nine years old, Beulah 75 00:04:27,480 --> 00:04:31,119 Speaker 1: created her first invention, and this was a hands free 76 00:04:31,120 --> 00:04:34,600 Speaker 1: device that would enable the wearer to do various things 77 00:04:34,680 --> 00:04:38,400 Speaker 1: like maintain social decorum by tipping their hat, or carry 78 00:04:38,440 --> 00:04:41,720 Speaker 1: groceries even if their hands were full because they were 79 00:04:41,760 --> 00:04:45,000 Speaker 1: carrying a newspaper, which seems like a sort of charming 80 00:04:45,320 --> 00:04:47,720 Speaker 1: problem for a nine year old to think needs solving. 81 00:04:48,240 --> 00:04:51,839 Speaker 1: Beulah's solution was a belt that had a paper holder 82 00:04:51,880 --> 00:04:55,160 Speaker 1: attached to it. Again, we don't know exactly how this 83 00:04:55,240 --> 00:04:59,599 Speaker 1: worked or what she was intending. I'm like, is there 84 00:04:59,640 --> 00:05:03,200 Speaker 1: a way? Does she think you just put the paper down? 85 00:05:04,080 --> 00:05:07,040 Speaker 1: Is she imagining you're holding it open to read? I 86 00:05:07,080 --> 00:05:10,039 Speaker 1: don't know. I had just kind of a go go 87 00:05:10,200 --> 00:05:14,799 Speaker 1: gadget arm maybe imagination where there would be a holder 88 00:05:14,839 --> 00:05:17,320 Speaker 1: holding the paper open while you were doing your other 89 00:05:17,480 --> 00:05:21,200 Speaker 1: things with your anatomical hands. Yeah, maybe, I don't know. 90 00:05:21,360 --> 00:05:24,000 Speaker 1: But also, if that's the case, you shouldn't be walking 91 00:05:24,040 --> 00:05:29,039 Speaker 1: around holding reading a paper. But listen, this never got 92 00:05:29,040 --> 00:05:32,160 Speaker 1: past the prototype stage for whatever her nine year old 93 00:05:32,240 --> 00:05:35,760 Speaker 1: build was. I would yearn to see what that looked like, 94 00:05:36,480 --> 00:05:40,560 Speaker 1: but it does evidence Beulah's inventive and creative approach to 95 00:05:40,640 --> 00:05:45,239 Speaker 1: solving what she considered to be everyday problems. After high school, 96 00:05:45,400 --> 00:05:49,440 Speaker 1: she attended Queen's College and Elizabeth College in Charlotte, North Carolina. 97 00:05:50,080 --> 00:05:53,599 Speaker 1: After she graduated, she and her family moved to Memphis, Tennessee. 98 00:05:54,160 --> 00:05:57,120 Speaker 1: While she was still a college student. Ula Henry applied 99 00:05:57,160 --> 00:06:01,800 Speaker 1: for and was granted her first patent four setup. This 100 00:06:01,880 --> 00:06:04,640 Speaker 1: is a time when ice was not as readily available 101 00:06:04,680 --> 00:06:07,880 Speaker 1: to consumers. You could not freeze your own ice. You 102 00:06:07,920 --> 00:06:10,520 Speaker 1: had to have it delivered. So if you wanted to 103 00:06:10,520 --> 00:06:13,920 Speaker 1: make ice cream at home, you could really blaze through 104 00:06:13,960 --> 00:06:18,320 Speaker 1: your ice supply, and Beulah wanted a more efficient way. 105 00:06:18,960 --> 00:06:22,719 Speaker 1: Per her patent quote, this invention relates to ice cream 106 00:06:22,760 --> 00:06:25,640 Speaker 1: freezers and has for an object to provide a freezer 107 00:06:26,040 --> 00:06:29,960 Speaker 1: which will include a freezing chamber surrounded by an insulating 108 00:06:30,080 --> 00:06:33,839 Speaker 1: walled structure so that a freezing temperature in the freezing 109 00:06:33,960 --> 00:06:37,760 Speaker 1: chamber can be effectively retained to affect a rapid freezing 110 00:06:37,880 --> 00:06:41,720 Speaker 1: of the cream with a minimum expenditure of ice. Another 111 00:06:41,760 --> 00:06:44,440 Speaker 1: object of the invention is to provide a freezer that 112 00:06:44,480 --> 00:06:47,800 Speaker 1: can be readily and effectively used as a water cooler. 113 00:06:48,960 --> 00:06:51,640 Speaker 1: This was a somewhat novel patent in that it could 114 00:06:51,680 --> 00:06:56,440 Speaker 1: be hand cranked or motor cranked if the user had 115 00:06:56,480 --> 00:06:59,680 Speaker 1: access to electricity. That was not actually common in most 116 00:06:59,720 --> 00:07:02,479 Speaker 1: homes at the time. In nineteen ten, only one in 117 00:07:02,680 --> 00:07:06,680 Speaker 1: seven homes in the US had electricity. That patent was 118 00:07:06,720 --> 00:07:10,440 Speaker 1: granted in nineteen twelve, so Beula was very forward thinking 119 00:07:10,520 --> 00:07:14,760 Speaker 1: with that motor option. She applied for another patent at 120 00:07:14,800 --> 00:07:18,240 Speaker 1: the same time, which was a multi use parasol. This 121 00:07:18,320 --> 00:07:20,280 Speaker 1: one is really kind of cool. I'm a little bit 122 00:07:20,320 --> 00:07:22,840 Speaker 1: in love with it. So the patent for it reads, 123 00:07:22,920 --> 00:07:25,920 Speaker 1: quote the general objects of the invention are to adapt 124 00:07:25,960 --> 00:07:29,720 Speaker 1: a sunshade or parasol to be folded into a comparatively 125 00:07:29,760 --> 00:07:33,440 Speaker 1: small compass when not in use, and to combine a 126 00:07:33,560 --> 00:07:37,360 Speaker 1: vanity case with the handle thereof. So in the tip 127 00:07:37,360 --> 00:07:39,400 Speaker 1: of the parasol, like the top tip of you held 128 00:07:39,400 --> 00:07:41,560 Speaker 1: it open, it's the part that's at the top was 129 00:07:41,600 --> 00:07:43,600 Speaker 1: a compass, so once you had it folded down, you 130 00:07:43,600 --> 00:07:46,600 Speaker 1: could just hold your thing and use that compass. And 131 00:07:46,680 --> 00:07:50,960 Speaker 1: then the handle contained quote a chamber formed in the 132 00:07:51,000 --> 00:07:55,520 Speaker 1: handle section of the stick. Said chamber being interiorly divided 133 00:07:55,600 --> 00:07:59,680 Speaker 1: into compartments adapted for the reception of coins of different 134 00:07:59,720 --> 00:08:05,000 Speaker 1: denial nations or sizes, and further subdivided into covered compartments 135 00:08:05,040 --> 00:08:08,840 Speaker 1: adapted to contain face, powder and the like. So the 136 00:08:08,920 --> 00:08:13,880 Speaker 1: handle of the parasol consisted of this beautiful at least 137 00:08:13,880 --> 00:08:18,040 Speaker 1: in the patent application drawings, little hinged box that was, 138 00:08:18,120 --> 00:08:21,680 Speaker 1: you know, kind of a rectangle, and when it opened 139 00:08:22,120 --> 00:08:25,640 Speaker 1: it was like a streamlined coin purse and makeup compact. 140 00:08:26,400 --> 00:08:28,760 Speaker 1: I'm in love with this thing. She received the patent 141 00:08:28,800 --> 00:08:31,200 Speaker 1: on this one a couple of months after the ice 142 00:08:31,240 --> 00:08:36,000 Speaker 1: maker patent. The following year she patented another invention having 143 00:08:36,040 --> 00:08:38,800 Speaker 1: to do with style, and that was a handbag. The 144 00:08:38,840 --> 00:08:41,800 Speaker 1: goal of this invention was to enable people who carried 145 00:08:41,880 --> 00:08:46,240 Speaker 1: handbags to always match their purse to their style. It 146 00:08:46,320 --> 00:08:49,040 Speaker 1: was described in the patent this way quote. This invention 147 00:08:49,240 --> 00:08:52,480 Speaker 1: relates to handbags, and one of the principal objects of 148 00:08:52,480 --> 00:08:55,199 Speaker 1: the invention is to provide a device of this character 149 00:08:55,320 --> 00:08:59,320 Speaker 1: having interchangeable covers, whereby the same may be used with 150 00:08:59,440 --> 00:09:04,000 Speaker 1: gowns of different shades, thereby avoiding the necessity of having 151 00:09:04,040 --> 00:09:07,560 Speaker 1: a number of handbags and of using a handbag of 152 00:09:07,600 --> 00:09:10,840 Speaker 1: some color that does not match with the gown being worn. 153 00:09:11,640 --> 00:09:14,240 Speaker 1: A further object of the invention is to provide a 154 00:09:14,280 --> 00:09:17,680 Speaker 1: handbag of this character which consists of a frame having 155 00:09:17,679 --> 00:09:20,800 Speaker 1: an ordinary bag secured there too in the usual manner, 156 00:09:21,120 --> 00:09:25,440 Speaker 1: and a covering adapted to be removably attached to said bags, 157 00:09:25,480 --> 00:09:29,000 Speaker 1: so that coverings of different color or material may be used, 158 00:09:29,440 --> 00:09:32,640 Speaker 1: and so that a removable cover is provided for toilet 159 00:09:32,679 --> 00:09:35,920 Speaker 1: and shopping requisites, carried by the outside of the bag, 160 00:09:36,000 --> 00:09:39,120 Speaker 1: so as to leave the inside of the purse free 161 00:09:39,120 --> 00:09:42,800 Speaker 1: to receive other articles. This is one of those things 162 00:09:42,840 --> 00:09:44,880 Speaker 1: that was so novel at the time, and you still 163 00:09:44,920 --> 00:09:49,920 Speaker 1: see these kinds of handbags marketed today. After college, and 164 00:09:49,960 --> 00:09:52,800 Speaker 1: after spending a few years in Memphis, Beulah and her 165 00:09:52,840 --> 00:09:56,600 Speaker 1: mother moved to New York City. Some accounts of her life, 166 00:09:56,600 --> 00:09:59,760 Speaker 1: including one published online by the US Patent Office, state 167 00:09:59,800 --> 00:10:02,320 Speaker 1: that a whole family moved to New York, But it 168 00:10:02,440 --> 00:10:05,040 Speaker 1: was to me until this morning, a little unclear what 169 00:10:05,160 --> 00:10:08,640 Speaker 1: was going on regarding her father. Tracy had access to 170 00:10:08,679 --> 00:10:10,960 Speaker 1: some records that her father must have moved with them 171 00:10:11,320 --> 00:10:13,839 Speaker 1: because he died in New York in nineteen thirty five, 172 00:10:14,040 --> 00:10:17,400 Speaker 1: so he was there. But it's a little bit interesting 173 00:10:17,520 --> 00:10:22,120 Speaker 1: because even when he would have been there, there were 174 00:10:23,040 --> 00:10:26,520 Speaker 1: newspaper reports about Beulah, and they always referenced her and 175 00:10:26,559 --> 00:10:30,360 Speaker 1: her mother and never her father, So it's not clear. 176 00:10:30,480 --> 00:10:32,600 Speaker 1: Maybe he just didn't want to be in the public eye, 177 00:10:32,640 --> 00:10:34,960 Speaker 1: maybe he was getting older and just didn't feel up 178 00:10:35,000 --> 00:10:38,840 Speaker 1: to it. Unclear, but he was with them at least 179 00:10:38,840 --> 00:10:42,280 Speaker 1: for the first part of this move. Her mother ended 180 00:10:42,360 --> 00:10:44,400 Speaker 1: up living with Beulah for most of the rest of 181 00:10:44,400 --> 00:10:46,920 Speaker 1: her life, and she actually said to a reporter in 182 00:10:46,960 --> 00:10:49,760 Speaker 1: nineteen twenty three, quote, I don't know what to make 183 00:10:49,800 --> 00:10:52,400 Speaker 1: of her. She gets up at night and prowls around, 184 00:10:52,440 --> 00:10:55,800 Speaker 1: making experiments with the electric lights and the water system, 185 00:10:56,160 --> 00:10:58,840 Speaker 1: or hunting for sheets of brown paper to draw on 186 00:10:59,120 --> 00:11:03,760 Speaker 1: or cut up. In nineteen twenty one, Beulah revisited the parasol, 187 00:11:04,360 --> 00:11:08,920 Speaker 1: this time hearkening back to her customizable purse accessory. This 188 00:11:09,040 --> 00:11:12,559 Speaker 1: parasol had changeable covers so that it too, could match 189 00:11:12,600 --> 00:11:16,320 Speaker 1: your outfit. This particular invention, refined in the new patent, 190 00:11:16,520 --> 00:11:19,640 Speaker 1: was a bigger success in nineteen twenty one, when Beulah 191 00:11:19,640 --> 00:11:22,319 Speaker 1: had some experience than it had been back in nineteen 192 00:11:22,440 --> 00:11:25,079 Speaker 1: thirteen when she was still a student with no capital. 193 00:11:26,120 --> 00:11:29,360 Speaker 1: This time she was able to get her parasol into 194 00:11:29,400 --> 00:11:33,559 Speaker 1: production through her new business, the Henry Umbrella and Parasol Company, 195 00:11:33,600 --> 00:11:36,360 Speaker 1: and it was a hit, but she faced a lot 196 00:11:36,400 --> 00:11:40,280 Speaker 1: of resistance when trying to get fabricators to take her seriously. 197 00:11:41,360 --> 00:11:46,280 Speaker 1: She later described going to numerous umbrella manufacturers and explaining 198 00:11:46,320 --> 00:11:48,760 Speaker 1: her invention to them, only to be told that it 199 00:11:48,840 --> 00:11:51,800 Speaker 1: was going to be impossible to actually make it. She 200 00:11:51,920 --> 00:11:55,200 Speaker 1: later told a reporter quote, everyone said it wouldn't work 201 00:11:55,520 --> 00:11:58,560 Speaker 1: piercing steel ribs with the snaps necessary to hold the 202 00:11:58,600 --> 00:12:02,600 Speaker 1: covers in place. Even the model makers refused to try. 203 00:12:03,240 --> 00:12:06,000 Speaker 1: So she took matters into her own hands, and she 204 00:12:06,160 --> 00:12:09,680 Speaker 1: made her own rudimentary prototype to show one of the 205 00:12:09,720 --> 00:12:14,840 Speaker 1: manufacturers exactly what she wanted in this work. She got 206 00:12:14,880 --> 00:12:16,960 Speaker 1: it to work basically the way she wanted, at least 207 00:12:16,960 --> 00:12:20,079 Speaker 1: for demonstration, and the man that she spoke with when 208 00:12:20,120 --> 00:12:23,280 Speaker 1: she brought him this version of hers admitted that it 209 00:12:23,400 --> 00:12:25,679 Speaker 1: was something that could be done, and he said that 210 00:12:25,720 --> 00:12:28,520 Speaker 1: he wanted to be the one to make them. She 211 00:12:28,640 --> 00:12:31,360 Speaker 1: later said of this moment, quote, I knew then that 212 00:12:31,559 --> 00:12:35,640 Speaker 1: I had won. After it went into production, this parasol 213 00:12:36,160 --> 00:12:38,760 Speaker 1: was really popular. It got the interest of a lot 214 00:12:38,760 --> 00:12:41,360 Speaker 1: of large retailers. I read one account that said that 215 00:12:41,400 --> 00:12:43,280 Speaker 1: it was a whole window display. I think it like 216 00:12:43,280 --> 00:12:45,920 Speaker 1: a Lord and Taylor. Coming up, we'll talk about how 217 00:12:45,960 --> 00:12:49,960 Speaker 1: Bulip harleyed that success into a lifelong career, but first 218 00:12:49,960 --> 00:13:02,520 Speaker 1: we will pause for a sponsor break. The success of 219 00:13:02,679 --> 00:13:06,440 Speaker 1: the changeable cover parasol gave Beulah Henry the confidence to 220 00:13:06,480 --> 00:13:10,720 Speaker 1: make New York her permanent home. She wanted to establish 221 00:13:10,720 --> 00:13:12,480 Speaker 1: a place there in the city that could be both 222 00:13:12,520 --> 00:13:15,840 Speaker 1: a residence and a business office, so she rented hotel 223 00:13:15,920 --> 00:13:19,520 Speaker 1: suites to serve as temporary bases of operation, out of 224 00:13:19,559 --> 00:13:22,559 Speaker 1: which she ran the company that she established, the bl 225 00:13:22,600 --> 00:13:26,640 Speaker 1: Henry Company. And I call them temporary because even though 226 00:13:26,800 --> 00:13:29,839 Speaker 1: she lived in and decorated these suites as more or 227 00:13:29,920 --> 00:13:33,760 Speaker 1: less permanent residences, she did move from hotel to hotel 228 00:13:33,800 --> 00:13:36,720 Speaker 1: from time to time, and the biggest driver in the 229 00:13:36,760 --> 00:13:42,000 Speaker 1: selection of her hotel locations was proximity to manufacturers, also 230 00:13:42,200 --> 00:13:45,640 Speaker 1: engineers and attorneys that she would need because she was 231 00:13:45,679 --> 00:13:49,079 Speaker 1: patenting everything she invented, and she recognized that she did 232 00:13:49,080 --> 00:13:51,680 Speaker 1: not have the expertise to build all of the things 233 00:13:51,720 --> 00:13:54,480 Speaker 1: that she dreamed up. She didn't have any training as 234 00:13:54,520 --> 00:13:56,920 Speaker 1: an engineer or a fabricator. We'll talk about that some 235 00:13:56,960 --> 00:13:59,959 Speaker 1: more later, and she certainly did not know anything about 236 00:14:00,120 --> 00:14:03,600 Speaker 1: patent law. So she assembled a team of people who 237 00:14:03,640 --> 00:14:06,360 Speaker 1: had the skills that she did not to execute her 238 00:14:06,440 --> 00:14:10,560 Speaker 1: visions and to protect her interests. Henry was also interested 239 00:14:10,640 --> 00:14:13,360 Speaker 1: in diversifying. It was not as though she wanted to 240 00:14:13,400 --> 00:14:17,439 Speaker 1: make her whole living from umbrellas only. And her next 241 00:14:17,520 --> 00:14:21,840 Speaker 1: area of interest was toys. In nineteen twenty five, she 242 00:14:21,880 --> 00:14:25,520 Speaker 1: received a patent for an improvement to plush toys that 243 00:14:25,640 --> 00:14:29,640 Speaker 1: added springs to them. The invention was the core of 244 00:14:29,680 --> 00:14:33,040 Speaker 1: the toy, which was intended to be licensed to manufacturers 245 00:14:33,120 --> 00:14:36,000 Speaker 1: so that they could make toys that children could pose, 246 00:14:36,680 --> 00:14:39,320 Speaker 1: and then those toys would spring back to their original 247 00:14:39,400 --> 00:14:44,560 Speaker 1: neutral position. Choosing to market her ideas to manufacturers instead 248 00:14:44,560 --> 00:14:47,160 Speaker 1: of trying to make a consumer goods item was a 249 00:14:47,280 --> 00:14:51,320 Speaker 1: very lucrative move, and from these early inventions on she 250 00:14:51,440 --> 00:14:54,040 Speaker 1: was very smart about how she used the money that 251 00:14:54,120 --> 00:14:58,080 Speaker 1: she made from these deals. She invested her profits into 252 00:14:58,120 --> 00:15:01,440 Speaker 1: herself and her business and into paying her team and 253 00:15:01,560 --> 00:15:06,160 Speaker 1: into funding the next invention or series of them. Always 254 00:15:06,800 --> 00:15:10,800 Speaker 1: and she ran her hotel suite operation on this rolling basis. 255 00:15:10,840 --> 00:15:13,400 Speaker 1: This way, so she would have a new idea, she 256 00:15:13,400 --> 00:15:17,160 Speaker 1: would pass it off to you draftsmen and prototype fabricators 257 00:15:17,480 --> 00:15:19,680 Speaker 1: as soon as they had finished the previous thing she 258 00:15:19,720 --> 00:15:22,440 Speaker 1: had them working on, and then that project would move 259 00:15:22,480 --> 00:15:24,840 Speaker 1: on to the patent attorney once they had finished with it. 260 00:15:24,920 --> 00:15:27,680 Speaker 1: For right up and filing, and all the while Beulah 261 00:15:27,800 --> 00:15:30,520 Speaker 1: was coming up with new ideas and feeding those draftsmen 262 00:15:30,560 --> 00:15:32,680 Speaker 1: and fabricators again, and it just kept going in this 263 00:15:32,840 --> 00:15:36,960 Speaker 1: ongoing loop. Okay, these were not always easy handoffs, though. 264 00:15:37,760 --> 00:15:41,360 Speaker 1: Beula once told a reporter quote, I say to the engineers, 265 00:15:41,400 --> 00:15:43,960 Speaker 1: build me such and such, and they say to me, 266 00:15:44,040 --> 00:15:47,400 Speaker 1: Miss Henry, it couldn't possibly work. And I say to them, 267 00:15:47,720 --> 00:15:50,080 Speaker 1: I don't know if it will work, but I'm looking 268 00:15:50,120 --> 00:15:52,760 Speaker 1: at it. And so they build it and it works. 269 00:15:54,120 --> 00:15:56,600 Speaker 1: Just to be clear, when she said I'm looking at it, 270 00:15:56,640 --> 00:15:59,880 Speaker 1: she meant in her mind. So without trying to take 271 00:16:00,000 --> 00:16:01,920 Speaker 1: away from her ability to come up with the good 272 00:16:01,960 --> 00:16:05,880 Speaker 1: and creative ideas, a lot of the heavy lifting was 273 00:16:05,960 --> 00:16:08,720 Speaker 1: being done by the team that she trusted to figure 274 00:16:08,760 --> 00:16:12,240 Speaker 1: out how to make those ideas actually exist after being 275 00:16:12,280 --> 00:16:15,720 Speaker 1: formed with really no understanding of what kind of engineering 276 00:16:15,760 --> 00:16:19,840 Speaker 1: they might require. And she managed to patent about two 277 00:16:20,000 --> 00:16:23,400 Speaker 1: patents a year with this team. Yeah, there was one year. 278 00:16:23,440 --> 00:16:25,400 Speaker 1: I think she got as many as four, but they 279 00:16:25,400 --> 00:16:28,160 Speaker 1: were really like, you want to do what now, Okay, 280 00:16:28,160 --> 00:16:29,680 Speaker 1: We're going to go figure out how to try to 281 00:16:29,720 --> 00:16:33,440 Speaker 1: make this work. Staying in the realm, of toys. Henry 282 00:16:33,520 --> 00:16:36,560 Speaker 1: invented a doll that was also a radio, and she 283 00:16:36,640 --> 00:16:39,240 Speaker 1: received a patent for that in late nineteen twenty five. 284 00:16:40,040 --> 00:16:43,520 Speaker 1: Her invention describes quote a doll within which is supported 285 00:16:43,560 --> 00:16:47,520 Speaker 1: a part or all of a complete radio apparatus. It 286 00:16:47,560 --> 00:16:51,160 Speaker 1: also specifies that the radio apparatus is hidden from view 287 00:16:51,280 --> 00:16:55,359 Speaker 1: but remains quote capable of ready manipulation for the purposes 288 00:16:55,400 --> 00:16:59,240 Speaker 1: of adjusting the set. Additional features were that the radio 289 00:16:59,320 --> 00:17:02,440 Speaker 1: could be quote readily mounted within the doll and removed 290 00:17:02,480 --> 00:17:06,040 Speaker 1: therefrom at will, that it had to quote fulfill all 291 00:17:06,080 --> 00:17:08,800 Speaker 1: the functions of a high class radio set, and that 292 00:17:08,880 --> 00:17:13,080 Speaker 1: it had to be quote exceedingly attractive to children. In 293 00:17:13,160 --> 00:17:16,240 Speaker 1: nineteen twenty six, Bulla invented an item which you could 294 00:17:16,359 --> 00:17:20,200 Speaker 1: argue was maybe not all that necessary. I went and 295 00:17:20,240 --> 00:17:21,879 Speaker 1: looked at the patent for this because I was like, 296 00:17:21,880 --> 00:17:24,040 Speaker 1: what is she actually describing here? So this was her 297 00:17:24,160 --> 00:17:27,920 Speaker 1: indicator top. This was the spinning top that was meant 298 00:17:27,920 --> 00:17:31,119 Speaker 1: to replace dice in games of chance, So instead of 299 00:17:31,200 --> 00:17:34,240 Speaker 1: rolling a die, you would spin this top. And there 300 00:17:34,240 --> 00:17:40,320 Speaker 1: were different colors, different numbers in this six part top. 301 00:17:40,920 --> 00:17:44,520 Speaker 1: Apparently there were little the balls that made the colors. 302 00:17:44,560 --> 00:17:47,239 Speaker 1: You could swap them out, but this would be in 303 00:17:47,359 --> 00:17:51,280 Speaker 1: lieu of the pips that represented numerical values on dice. 304 00:17:52,840 --> 00:17:55,359 Speaker 1: The reason that this honestly seems kind of needless to 305 00:17:55,400 --> 00:17:58,160 Speaker 1: me is that it was still six instead of six 306 00:17:58,240 --> 00:18:02,600 Speaker 1: faces of a die, You've had six different color options. 307 00:18:03,480 --> 00:18:06,960 Speaker 1: Maybe it could be cool for like specific games manufacturers 308 00:18:07,000 --> 00:18:11,440 Speaker 1: making some kind of customizable thing, but still at the core, 309 00:18:12,160 --> 00:18:15,639 Speaker 1: incredibly similar to the six faces of a die. With 310 00:18:15,800 --> 00:18:20,119 Speaker 1: this six colors on the faces of a top. Yeah, 311 00:18:20,200 --> 00:18:24,679 Speaker 1: if it will help you to visualize it for anybody listening, like, 312 00:18:25,640 --> 00:18:27,919 Speaker 1: it was like a six sided dradle kind of but 313 00:18:28,000 --> 00:18:30,520 Speaker 1: in the nature, and so you would spin it where 314 00:18:30,520 --> 00:18:33,800 Speaker 1: it landed face it just I'd like Tracy was reading 315 00:18:33,800 --> 00:18:36,159 Speaker 1: through the patent and going, why would you select this 316 00:18:36,359 --> 00:18:41,600 Speaker 1: over a die unless you just prefer colors to pips. Yeah, 317 00:18:41,760 --> 00:18:44,440 Speaker 1: you could also make a die with six different colors 318 00:18:44,480 --> 00:18:47,800 Speaker 1: on the faces. I'm gonna say, knowing a friend who 319 00:18:47,880 --> 00:18:53,680 Speaker 1: is both involved in creating games and color blind colors 320 00:18:53,720 --> 00:18:56,159 Speaker 1: on the faces is not the most accessible way to 321 00:18:56,240 --> 00:19:00,639 Speaker 1: do it. Yeah. Uh. Another patent, which was granted on 322 00:19:00,720 --> 00:19:04,600 Speaker 1: August sixteenth, nineteen twenty seven, was what she called simply 323 00:19:04,920 --> 00:19:08,840 Speaker 1: water sport apparatus, which her patent described this way, quote 324 00:19:09,240 --> 00:19:13,160 Speaker 1: a watersport apparatus which is buoyant to sustain a person afloat, 325 00:19:13,440 --> 00:19:17,439 Speaker 1: the apparatus having novel structural features permitting a person to 326 00:19:17,560 --> 00:19:20,840 Speaker 1: assume a sitting posture, and while in the sitting posture, 327 00:19:20,960 --> 00:19:24,880 Speaker 1: to use the legs to propel the apparatus. Another object 328 00:19:24,880 --> 00:19:27,320 Speaker 1: of the invention is to provide an apparatus of the 329 00:19:27,359 --> 00:19:32,120 Speaker 1: indicated character for youngsters unable to swim, to safely sustain 330 00:19:32,160 --> 00:19:35,840 Speaker 1: a youngster afloat for enjoying the pleasurable benefits of being 331 00:19:35,920 --> 00:19:39,359 Speaker 1: in the water. That description all sounds kind of dry, 332 00:19:39,480 --> 00:19:43,359 Speaker 1: but the diagrams are adorable. It's sort of like a 333 00:19:43,400 --> 00:19:47,280 Speaker 1: basic sling that's mounted on two poles, so a pole 334 00:19:47,320 --> 00:19:49,080 Speaker 1: would be on either side of your body if you're 335 00:19:49,119 --> 00:19:51,280 Speaker 1: sitting in it. But then it has a back little 336 00:19:51,359 --> 00:19:53,320 Speaker 1: ledge that you can kind of recline onto you, and 337 00:19:53,400 --> 00:19:57,840 Speaker 1: there are three inflatable balls attached to the back for buoyancy, 338 00:19:58,359 --> 00:20:01,359 Speaker 1: and then the front also has an inflatable ball, but 339 00:20:01,480 --> 00:20:03,840 Speaker 1: the top of that one extends upward out of the 340 00:20:03,840 --> 00:20:07,000 Speaker 1: water to look like a swan. It's so cute. I 341 00:20:07,080 --> 00:20:11,199 Speaker 1: kind of want one, so a user could sit in 342 00:20:11,240 --> 00:20:14,199 Speaker 1: the sling and kick their feet about without having to 343 00:20:14,200 --> 00:20:18,680 Speaker 1: worry about staying afloat and admiring their beautiful swan. As 344 00:20:18,760 --> 00:20:21,879 Speaker 1: her list of patents grew, so did her public profile. 345 00:20:22,359 --> 00:20:26,000 Speaker 1: Because of her unique life story and really self guided career, 346 00:20:26,240 --> 00:20:29,840 Speaker 1: reporters often asked to interview her. She gave a lot 347 00:20:29,880 --> 00:20:33,160 Speaker 1: of really good quotes. One thing that she frequently told 348 00:20:33,200 --> 00:20:37,840 Speaker 1: reporters was the explanation for her unique ability to envision 349 00:20:38,040 --> 00:20:42,520 Speaker 1: things that even she did not fully understand. She said 350 00:20:42,520 --> 00:20:46,000 Speaker 1: that she had synesthesia. That's a condition where the brain 351 00:20:46,200 --> 00:20:53,400 Speaker 1: processes sensory information from unrelated senses. So for someone with synesthesia, 352 00:20:53,560 --> 00:20:56,720 Speaker 1: a color might have a taste, or a number might 353 00:20:56,800 --> 00:21:00,960 Speaker 1: have a color. It's a sensory crossover phenomenon. But it's 354 00:21:01,000 --> 00:21:04,000 Speaker 1: not considered to be a medical condition. Yeah, a lot 355 00:21:04,000 --> 00:21:06,679 Speaker 1: of write ups about her describe her as you know, 356 00:21:06,760 --> 00:21:09,760 Speaker 1: having this condition or in some cases even suffering from 357 00:21:09,760 --> 00:21:12,600 Speaker 1: this condition, and that's not medically how it's ever talked about. 358 00:21:12,760 --> 00:21:15,119 Speaker 1: So I wanted to make sure we noted that. And 359 00:21:15,160 --> 00:21:19,199 Speaker 1: in Beulah's case, she said that her synesthesia was something 360 00:21:19,200 --> 00:21:22,160 Speaker 1: that she had quote one million percent, and that her 361 00:21:22,160 --> 00:21:26,679 Speaker 1: brain's tendency to perceive seemingly unrelated and unconnected things in 362 00:21:26,720 --> 00:21:29,840 Speaker 1: a way that group them together was part of how 363 00:21:29,880 --> 00:21:33,920 Speaker 1: she could see finish solutions to common problems in the 364 00:21:33,960 --> 00:21:37,800 Speaker 1: form of a fully complete invention. She always described seeing 365 00:21:37,840 --> 00:21:41,320 Speaker 1: in her mind the full invention kind of in a flash. 366 00:21:41,800 --> 00:21:44,439 Speaker 1: She also stated in the nineteen thirties that she believed 367 00:21:44,440 --> 00:21:47,840 Speaker 1: in spirit control and that she thought a guiding spirit 368 00:21:48,040 --> 00:21:52,480 Speaker 1: often brought her these ideas. Beulah, like most people in 369 00:21:52,520 --> 00:21:55,960 Speaker 1: the nineteen thirties who ran businesses, faced a drop in 370 00:21:56,040 --> 00:21:59,199 Speaker 1: her revenue. So for me at least, it's easy to 371 00:21:59,240 --> 00:22:02,399 Speaker 1: wonder if she didn't start saying sort of outlandish things 372 00:22:02,760 --> 00:22:05,560 Speaker 1: as a way to bolster her name recognition and thus 373 00:22:05,600 --> 00:22:08,760 Speaker 1: her business. In addition to saying a lot of very 374 00:22:08,840 --> 00:22:13,600 Speaker 1: quotable things, the way Beulah lived also offered reporters a 375 00:22:13,640 --> 00:22:17,800 Speaker 1: lot of material for their pieces. Although she was living 376 00:22:17,840 --> 00:22:20,720 Speaker 1: in hotels, she would decorate them when she moved in, 377 00:22:21,280 --> 00:22:23,600 Speaker 1: and this was always in a style that was considered 378 00:22:23,600 --> 00:22:26,359 Speaker 1: to be hyper feminine. There was a lot of pink. 379 00:22:26,800 --> 00:22:32,040 Speaker 1: She also always had pets, turtles, parakeets, orioles, doves, cockatals, 380 00:22:32,160 --> 00:22:37,120 Speaker 1: and even a cat's maybe risky with all those birds around, 381 00:22:37,280 --> 00:22:40,720 Speaker 1: but maybe they were all secured from one another. She 382 00:22:40,840 --> 00:22:44,160 Speaker 1: told a reporter that she loved cats more than inventing 383 00:22:44,720 --> 00:22:48,520 Speaker 1: or any of her other pastimes. She also loved astronomy, 384 00:22:48,760 --> 00:22:51,720 Speaker 1: and there was a telescope always present in her rooms 385 00:22:51,760 --> 00:22:53,840 Speaker 1: near a window so that she could look at the 386 00:22:53,880 --> 00:22:58,040 Speaker 1: sky at night, which I love. I did too. One 387 00:22:58,040 --> 00:23:01,679 Speaker 1: of the interesting things about Beulah and public persona is 388 00:23:01,720 --> 00:23:06,080 Speaker 1: how the media chose to photograph her. She was often 389 00:23:06,119 --> 00:23:09,719 Speaker 1: photographed with a baby doll, one of her inventions, in 390 00:23:09,760 --> 00:23:12,760 Speaker 1: her lap, and some of these photos even look, if 391 00:23:12,760 --> 00:23:15,040 Speaker 1: you just glance at them, as though she is a 392 00:23:15,080 --> 00:23:18,280 Speaker 1: mother with a baby, and this may have been an 393 00:23:18,320 --> 00:23:21,440 Speaker 1: effort to make her more relatable to the general public, 394 00:23:21,720 --> 00:23:25,159 Speaker 1: because Beulah was not a mother. She was not married. 395 00:23:25,600 --> 00:23:28,040 Speaker 1: She was a single woman who at that point was 396 00:23:28,119 --> 00:23:33,280 Speaker 1: quite wealthy and undeniably successful. But instead of characterizing her 397 00:23:33,320 --> 00:23:36,280 Speaker 1: truthfully as a trailblazer who had made a space for 398 00:23:36,320 --> 00:23:39,520 Speaker 1: herself in industries where she was often the only woman, 399 00:23:40,160 --> 00:23:42,479 Speaker 1: the choice was made to try to make her appear 400 00:23:42,880 --> 00:23:46,600 Speaker 1: more like a homemaker, and it seemed almost like writers 401 00:23:46,600 --> 00:23:50,880 Speaker 1: wished to hyperfeminize her. In other ways, She was by 402 00:23:50,920 --> 00:23:55,480 Speaker 1: all accounts very stereotypically feminine, but one reporter commented that 403 00:23:55,600 --> 00:23:59,040 Speaker 1: her work suite looked quote more like a boudoir than 404 00:23:59,080 --> 00:24:04,760 Speaker 1: an office. One headlinedcouted Beulah Henry sits in Chiffon Laboratory 405 00:24:04,920 --> 00:24:09,280 Speaker 1: inventing almost everything but excuses, and that one actually referred 406 00:24:09,320 --> 00:24:14,760 Speaker 1: to her as being quote almost theatrically feminine. Articles often 407 00:24:14,840 --> 00:24:18,960 Speaker 1: commented on her soft spoken nature and her charming Southern accent, 408 00:24:19,400 --> 00:24:21,120 Speaker 1: and if you start to read a lot of these, 409 00:24:21,200 --> 00:24:23,520 Speaker 1: it really kind of seems as though there is this 410 00:24:23,680 --> 00:24:27,280 Speaker 1: all cap subtext of hey, you guys, she's a woman. 411 00:24:28,320 --> 00:24:32,120 Speaker 1: There's also a weird secondary aspect of this constant focus 412 00:24:32,160 --> 00:24:36,000 Speaker 1: on her womanhood that needs to be unpacked. Almost all 413 00:24:36,000 --> 00:24:38,639 Speaker 1: of the articles about her in the nineteen thirties comment 414 00:24:38,840 --> 00:24:41,560 Speaker 1: on the fact that she had no training in engineering 415 00:24:41,680 --> 00:24:44,960 Speaker 1: or mechanics, and she kind of played this up, claiming 416 00:24:45,000 --> 00:24:48,199 Speaker 1: that it was actually a benefit to her because she 417 00:24:48,400 --> 00:24:51,880 Speaker 1: never thought about the limitations that people who were educated 418 00:24:51,920 --> 00:24:55,879 Speaker 1: in those fields might consider. She also often stated that 419 00:24:56,000 --> 00:24:59,320 Speaker 1: a lot more women could be successful inventors if they 420 00:24:59,400 --> 00:25:03,600 Speaker 1: just had little confidence, sort of not really imagining the 421 00:25:03,760 --> 00:25:08,240 Speaker 1: structural barriers to women's successes inventors with that. So on 422 00:25:08,280 --> 00:25:11,520 Speaker 1: the one hand, there's kind of a level of encouragement 423 00:25:11,640 --> 00:25:14,600 Speaker 1: with that, but there's also definitely a tone throughout all 424 00:25:14,640 --> 00:25:18,280 Speaker 1: of the mentions about her lack of mechanical training, that 425 00:25:18,320 --> 00:25:21,800 Speaker 1: such things were actually for men, and that her ingenuity 426 00:25:22,000 --> 00:25:25,560 Speaker 1: was strictly because of her feminine outlooks. So all of 427 00:25:25,560 --> 00:25:30,320 Speaker 1: this is kind of a mixed bag. Yeah. Uh, we 428 00:25:30,359 --> 00:25:33,160 Speaker 1: are going to talk about one of our favorite subjects, 429 00:25:33,240 --> 00:25:36,200 Speaker 1: certainly one of my favorite subjects, which is sewing machines, 430 00:25:36,720 --> 00:25:39,080 Speaker 1: after we hear from the sponsors that keep stuff you 431 00:25:39,119 --> 00:25:51,399 Speaker 1: missed in history class going. In the second half of 432 00:25:51,440 --> 00:25:55,439 Speaker 1: the nineteen thirties, Beulah pivoted her creative problem solving to 433 00:25:55,560 --> 00:25:59,040 Speaker 1: sewing machines, and she actually kind of changed the way 434 00:25:59,160 --> 00:26:03,840 Speaker 1: the garment industry functioned. Any homesowist knows that home sewing 435 00:26:03,880 --> 00:26:06,800 Speaker 1: machines have an upper thread and a bobbin, and so 436 00:26:06,920 --> 00:26:10,879 Speaker 1: do a lot of industrial machines even still, and just 437 00:26:10,880 --> 00:26:13,359 Speaker 1: for listeners who do not sew, what that means is 438 00:26:13,400 --> 00:26:17,159 Speaker 1: that a stitcher has to periodically stop and replace or 439 00:26:17,200 --> 00:26:21,880 Speaker 1: refill the bobbin that's on the underside. Bobbins are notorious 440 00:26:21,920 --> 00:26:24,439 Speaker 1: for running out of thread right when you're zipping along 441 00:26:24,600 --> 00:26:27,000 Speaker 1: through the middle of a seam, and then you find 442 00:26:27,000 --> 00:26:29,879 Speaker 1: out when you complete that scene that half of your 443 00:26:29,920 --> 00:26:34,840 Speaker 1: work didn't even really happen. It's like, they know, yeah, 444 00:26:34,920 --> 00:26:36,879 Speaker 1: I have one. Now. My embroidery machine that I have 445 00:26:37,280 --> 00:26:39,679 Speaker 1: does a little like you're almost at a bobbin thread, 446 00:26:39,760 --> 00:26:42,560 Speaker 1: so I can stop and fix it before everything goes 447 00:26:42,600 --> 00:26:47,440 Speaker 1: to pot. But uh, Beulah, after gazing at a marquee 448 00:26:47,680 --> 00:26:50,360 Speaker 1: out of her window that had a unique frame, had 449 00:26:50,359 --> 00:26:52,840 Speaker 1: a vision for a new kind of sewing machine that 450 00:26:52,880 --> 00:26:56,399 Speaker 1: would solve this problem. So that frame to the sign 451 00:26:57,240 --> 00:27:00,200 Speaker 1: was described in a newspaper write up as quote a 452 00:27:00,280 --> 00:27:03,199 Speaker 1: ribbon of electric light that played back and forth in 453 00:27:03,240 --> 00:27:08,800 Speaker 1: a scallop pattern. So Beulah thought, after watching this light play, 454 00:27:09,080 --> 00:27:11,040 Speaker 1: that there was a way for a sewing machine to 455 00:27:11,119 --> 00:27:14,840 Speaker 1: operate without needing a bobbin if it kind of mimicked 456 00:27:14,880 --> 00:27:17,680 Speaker 1: the way that that frame seemed to twist onto itself. 457 00:27:17,880 --> 00:27:21,440 Speaker 1: I've also seen this frame described as being like chain link, 458 00:27:21,520 --> 00:27:24,119 Speaker 1: but those two descriptions are so very different that I 459 00:27:24,119 --> 00:27:27,720 Speaker 1: don't know what to do with it. But regardless of 460 00:27:27,760 --> 00:27:30,440 Speaker 1: which one was the inspiration, whether it was a ribbon 461 00:27:30,480 --> 00:27:34,200 Speaker 1: of light or chain link. Beulah claimed that she worked 462 00:27:34,240 --> 00:27:37,040 Speaker 1: out the basis of the design in her room after 463 00:27:37,080 --> 00:27:40,800 Speaker 1: looking at it, using hairpins in a thread to mimic 464 00:27:40,840 --> 00:27:43,399 Speaker 1: the movements that she thought the sewing machine would have 465 00:27:43,480 --> 00:27:46,440 Speaker 1: to make to get rid of the bobbin. Her resulting 466 00:27:46,480 --> 00:27:49,880 Speaker 1: patent was granted on April twenty first, nineteen thirty six, 467 00:27:49,960 --> 00:27:54,040 Speaker 1: and her double chain Stitch Sewing Machine was designed to 468 00:27:54,200 --> 00:27:57,280 Speaker 1: quote provide a double chain stitch sewing machine of a 469 00:27:57,400 --> 00:28:02,800 Speaker 1: novel construction, wherein rect al and early reciprocating needles operating 470 00:28:02,920 --> 00:28:07,320 Speaker 1: alternately in opposite directions produced the double chain stitch formation. 471 00:28:08,760 --> 00:28:12,000 Speaker 1: This machine had no bobbin, and, as the description states, 472 00:28:12,000 --> 00:28:15,240 Speaker 1: it used a locking chain stitch to sow the fabric. 473 00:28:15,680 --> 00:28:18,800 Speaker 1: This was a boon to women who worked in factories 474 00:28:18,840 --> 00:28:21,520 Speaker 1: who were often paid by the piece based on their 475 00:28:21,560 --> 00:28:25,479 Speaker 1: output volume. Without having to stop for bobbin changes, they 476 00:28:25,480 --> 00:28:29,520 Speaker 1: were able to stitch more quickly. This invention predated the 477 00:28:29,520 --> 00:28:33,600 Speaker 1: Fair Labor Standards Act in the US, which legally established 478 00:28:33,680 --> 00:28:38,040 Speaker 1: minimum wage and overtime pay for most workers by two years. 479 00:28:39,000 --> 00:28:43,520 Speaker 1: Today's chain stitch machines and chain stitch embroidery machines have 480 00:28:43,760 --> 00:28:47,520 Speaker 1: ULA's Machines, which she refined and updated several times as 481 00:28:47,560 --> 00:28:52,760 Speaker 1: their ancestor. Yeah, I am. You know. Chain stitch embroidery 482 00:28:52,800 --> 00:28:54,760 Speaker 1: machines are really popular right now. We can talk some 483 00:28:54,800 --> 00:28:57,040 Speaker 1: more about that on Friday, because there's an interesting thing. 484 00:28:57,440 --> 00:28:59,080 Speaker 1: But yeah, they all kind of go back to this 485 00:28:59,120 --> 00:29:01,200 Speaker 1: where she figured out to make it all work together. 486 00:29:02,120 --> 00:29:06,040 Speaker 1: But after the success of the chainstitch machine, Beulah Henry 487 00:29:06,120 --> 00:29:09,640 Speaker 1: went back to dolls for inspiration, and soon she was 488 00:29:09,640 --> 00:29:12,720 Speaker 1: working on dolls that could blink, make noise, and even 489 00:29:12,800 --> 00:29:17,160 Speaker 1: move their mouths to speak. As Henry's success grew, she 490 00:29:17,320 --> 00:29:21,200 Speaker 1: engaged in philanthropy and supported a number of causes, including 491 00:29:21,280 --> 00:29:24,560 Speaker 1: the American Museum of Natural History, the New York Women's 492 00:29:24,640 --> 00:29:29,600 Speaker 1: League for Animals, and the New York Microscopical Society. During 493 00:29:29,600 --> 00:29:33,720 Speaker 1: World War Two, she stopped inventing. She felt duty bound 494 00:29:33,720 --> 00:29:36,080 Speaker 1: to contribute to the war effort, which she did by 495 00:29:36,080 --> 00:29:39,600 Speaker 1: working in a machine shop. But when the war ended, 496 00:29:39,800 --> 00:29:43,280 Speaker 1: Beulah Henry was right back to work and her invention 497 00:29:43,480 --> 00:29:47,040 Speaker 1: to patent pipeline started back up. Yep, she went right 498 00:29:47,040 --> 00:29:49,400 Speaker 1: back to that cycle that she had established, and it 499 00:29:49,480 --> 00:29:52,840 Speaker 1: was during this post war time that she invented a 500 00:29:52,960 --> 00:29:57,080 Speaker 1: very unique and slightly entertaining but also gross, kind of 501 00:29:57,160 --> 00:30:00,800 Speaker 1: gross out toy if you're me, called the Milkamoo. This 502 00:30:00,960 --> 00:30:03,760 Speaker 1: was a toy cow that had rubber utters and an 503 00:30:03,880 --> 00:30:06,959 Speaker 1: internal liquid reservoir, so you could fill it with milk 504 00:30:07,040 --> 00:30:10,880 Speaker 1: and then milk your toy cow. In a statement to 505 00:30:10,960 --> 00:30:15,080 Speaker 1: a reporter, Beulah explained her inspiration by saying, quote, many 506 00:30:15,160 --> 00:30:17,560 Speaker 1: boys and girls in the city never have a chance 507 00:30:17,600 --> 00:30:20,040 Speaker 1: to see a real cow, and they think that milk 508 00:30:20,080 --> 00:30:23,520 Speaker 1: comes only from bottles. Why when the president of one 509 00:30:23,520 --> 00:30:26,160 Speaker 1: of the country's biggest doll companies looked at this toy 510 00:30:26,240 --> 00:30:28,720 Speaker 1: after I had made it, he didn't say a thing. 511 00:30:29,200 --> 00:30:32,840 Speaker 1: He just walked out with it under his arm. Listen, 512 00:30:32,880 --> 00:30:35,240 Speaker 1: you could interpret that as saying like he just wanted 513 00:30:35,280 --> 00:30:37,920 Speaker 1: it to go away, But in fact it went into 514 00:30:37,960 --> 00:30:40,880 Speaker 1: production and it was a very profitable toy for Henry. 515 00:30:41,440 --> 00:30:47,320 Speaker 1: I just have questions about how sanitation. Yeah, Like, I'm 516 00:30:47,360 --> 00:30:51,400 Speaker 1: just gonna say, let's say no child ever consumed this milk. 517 00:30:52,160 --> 00:30:54,760 Speaker 1: I'm like, that would get gross, and your toy cow 518 00:30:54,800 --> 00:30:59,040 Speaker 1: would smell disgusting. I will say, looking at diagrams, it 519 00:30:59,040 --> 00:31:01,280 Speaker 1: looks like the utters would come off so you could 520 00:31:01,320 --> 00:31:03,920 Speaker 1: clean them. I hope so, but I don't know how 521 00:31:03,960 --> 00:31:08,400 Speaker 1: many people were really giving them a proper scrub. Yeah yeah, 522 00:31:09,440 --> 00:31:12,360 Speaker 1: just imagining sour milk and it's not good. Yeah. No, 523 00:31:12,760 --> 00:31:15,120 Speaker 1: We're jumping backwards a little bit to set up this 524 00:31:15,320 --> 00:31:19,040 Speaker 1: next thing, because in nineteen thirty two, Henry had been 525 00:31:19,080 --> 00:31:22,200 Speaker 1: granted the patent for a device that the application called 526 00:31:22,480 --> 00:31:26,840 Speaker 1: duplicating attachment for typewriters. It also came to be known 527 00:31:26,880 --> 00:31:31,160 Speaker 1: as the protograph. But this invention, which was designed to 528 00:31:31,280 --> 00:31:35,360 Speaker 1: replace carbon paper, did not get a full scale commercial 529 00:31:35,440 --> 00:31:39,240 Speaker 1: launch for more than twenty years. In nineteen fifty five, 530 00:31:39,400 --> 00:31:42,000 Speaker 1: which is where we have caught up to on the timeline, 531 00:31:42,080 --> 00:31:45,320 Speaker 1: Jula's name was everywhere as she promoted this new product. 532 00:31:46,240 --> 00:31:49,480 Speaker 1: She told reporters quote, I invented it because I was 533 00:31:49,600 --> 00:31:52,720 Speaker 1: angry one day. I was typing a long letter with 534 00:31:52,800 --> 00:31:55,520 Speaker 1: a carbon copy and near the end I discovered it 535 00:31:55,560 --> 00:31:59,920 Speaker 1: was turned the wrong way. Crying with exasperation, I tugged 536 00:32:00,120 --> 00:32:02,240 Speaker 1: paper out of the machine and it fell on the 537 00:32:02,280 --> 00:32:05,840 Speaker 1: floor under the desk. Right then I was determined to 538 00:32:06,040 --> 00:32:09,360 Speaker 1: never use carbon paper again. By the time I got 539 00:32:09,440 --> 00:32:13,600 Speaker 1: up from under the desk, it was invented. That newspaper 540 00:32:13,600 --> 00:32:16,320 Speaker 1: write up, which was printed in papers all over the US, 541 00:32:16,440 --> 00:32:20,000 Speaker 1: described the invention as a swinging arm that locked into 542 00:32:20,040 --> 00:32:24,440 Speaker 1: place over the typewriter carriage and added two additional ribbons. 543 00:32:25,120 --> 00:32:27,960 Speaker 1: Additional sheets of paper could be threaded between those extra 544 00:32:28,040 --> 00:32:32,000 Speaker 1: ribbons to create multiple copies of a typewritten document at 545 00:32:32,040 --> 00:32:35,480 Speaker 1: once without the need for carbon paper. This is kind 546 00:32:35,520 --> 00:32:39,200 Speaker 1: of fascinating because my understanding is that this took a 547 00:32:39,200 --> 00:32:41,560 Speaker 1: long time because they had to figure out how it 548 00:32:41,600 --> 00:32:44,160 Speaker 1: could work with basically any model of typewriter on the 549 00:32:44,160 --> 00:32:46,400 Speaker 1: market at the time, which would be kind of tricky. 550 00:32:47,520 --> 00:32:50,240 Speaker 1: The article even touted quote, according to those who are 551 00:32:50,280 --> 00:32:53,680 Speaker 1: sponsoring the invention, I don't know who those were, it 552 00:32:53,720 --> 00:32:56,920 Speaker 1: would save the US government sixteen thousand dollars a day 553 00:32:57,120 --> 00:32:59,960 Speaker 1: for the Pentagon must burn tons of carbon paper daily 554 00:33:00,560 --> 00:33:05,800 Speaker 1: to keep information secret. This was no small investment. The 555 00:33:05,840 --> 00:33:08,960 Speaker 1: papers reported that Beula's protograph would go to market with 556 00:33:09,000 --> 00:33:11,959 Speaker 1: a retail price of sixty nine dollars and fifty cents. 557 00:33:12,560 --> 00:33:17,000 Speaker 1: According to the US Bureau of Labor Statistics inflation calculator, 558 00:33:17,080 --> 00:33:20,800 Speaker 1: that would be almost nine hundred dollars in twenty twenty six, 559 00:33:22,360 --> 00:33:26,440 Speaker 1: so a lot more than just a basic typewriter by itself. Yeah, 560 00:33:26,480 --> 00:33:29,640 Speaker 1: definitely another thing that she was marketing to businesses, not 561 00:33:29,880 --> 00:33:35,160 Speaker 1: to home consumers. In nineteen sixty two, Beula came up 562 00:33:35,200 --> 00:33:37,400 Speaker 1: with an idea that used the concept of how a 563 00:33:37,520 --> 00:33:41,400 Speaker 1: percolator worked to create a baster that would keep meats 564 00:33:41,440 --> 00:33:45,320 Speaker 1: moist as they roasted. That same year, she also patented 565 00:33:45,360 --> 00:33:47,800 Speaker 1: a two way envelope, which was featured in a New 566 00:33:47,920 --> 00:33:51,880 Speaker 1: York Time story titled A single unit serves for mailing 567 00:33:52,000 --> 00:33:56,080 Speaker 1: and also returning, and that article describes the mailer this 568 00:33:56,200 --> 00:33:59,800 Speaker 1: way quote. The invention is a combination mailing in return 569 00:34:00,080 --> 00:34:04,040 Speaker 1: envelope that can be manufactured in continuous strips and can 570 00:34:04,080 --> 00:34:07,959 Speaker 1: be stuffed and addressed by machine. Now that the patent 571 00:34:08,040 --> 00:34:11,200 Speaker 1: is out, Miss Henry expects to receive heavy orders from 572 00:34:11,360 --> 00:34:15,200 Speaker 1: utility companies and stores that build long lists of customers. 573 00:34:15,840 --> 00:34:19,480 Speaker 1: The recipient tears off one flap, takes out his statement, 574 00:34:19,719 --> 00:34:23,120 Speaker 1: inserts his check, pulls out another flap, and seals the 575 00:34:23,239 --> 00:34:28,799 Speaker 1: envelope for remailing. That was Henry's forty fifth patent. In 576 00:34:28,840 --> 00:34:32,080 Speaker 1: addition to that article, she was also interviewed for The 577 00:34:32,080 --> 00:34:34,680 Speaker 1: New York Times for another write up about it, and 578 00:34:34,719 --> 00:34:40,000 Speaker 1: That was her last personal appearance and personal interview given 579 00:34:40,040 --> 00:34:44,319 Speaker 1: for a large paper. Beulah Henry died on February first, 580 00:34:44,560 --> 00:34:48,319 Speaker 1: nineteen seventy three, at the age of eighty five. At 581 00:34:48,320 --> 00:34:51,640 Speaker 1: the time, she held more patents than any other woman, 582 00:34:51,800 --> 00:34:55,440 Speaker 1: and more than most male inventors did. That number of 583 00:34:55,480 --> 00:34:58,880 Speaker 1: patents was forty eight, but she was posthumously granted a 584 00:34:58,960 --> 00:35:02,600 Speaker 1: forty ninth. There are some newspaper mentions that state that 585 00:35:02,760 --> 00:35:05,840 Speaker 1: she had more than eighty patents, but that appears to 586 00:35:05,880 --> 00:35:09,160 Speaker 1: be how many inventions she said she had come up with, 587 00:35:09,239 --> 00:35:12,439 Speaker 1: not how many patents she was awarded. Yeah, and even 588 00:35:12,480 --> 00:35:15,640 Speaker 1: that number changes from account to account. I've seen some 589 00:35:15,719 --> 00:35:20,120 Speaker 1: that are north of one hundred. I'm not sure how 590 00:35:20,160 --> 00:35:22,000 Speaker 1: any of that was tracked. I think most people were 591 00:35:22,000 --> 00:35:24,799 Speaker 1: just going on whatever she said and they reported it 592 00:35:24,840 --> 00:35:28,040 Speaker 1: as fact. In two thousand and six, Beulah Henry was 593 00:35:28,040 --> 00:35:32,120 Speaker 1: inducted into the National Inventors Hall of Fame. In nineteen 594 00:35:32,160 --> 00:35:34,440 Speaker 1: thirty seven, during a period when there was a lot 595 00:35:34,440 --> 00:35:37,720 Speaker 1: of coverage of her in the press, a reporter asked 596 00:35:37,719 --> 00:35:39,960 Speaker 1: her to make some predictions about the future, and they're 597 00:35:40,000 --> 00:35:42,680 Speaker 1: pretty interesting and quite optimistic, so it seemed like a 598 00:35:42,680 --> 00:35:46,800 Speaker 1: good place to end her story. That section of the paper, 599 00:35:47,040 --> 00:35:50,400 Speaker 1: which is the Rock Island Argus from April eighth of 600 00:35:50,480 --> 00:35:53,880 Speaker 1: nineteen thirty seven, reads quote, there will be an express 601 00:35:54,000 --> 00:35:58,120 Speaker 1: highway from the Atlantic to the Pacific and an underground subway. 602 00:35:58,719 --> 00:36:01,040 Speaker 1: There will be a tube under the ocean to travel 603 00:36:01,080 --> 00:36:04,160 Speaker 1: from here to Europe. It will be suspended on a 604 00:36:04,200 --> 00:36:07,960 Speaker 1: swinging cable. The point was made that this might make 605 00:36:08,040 --> 00:36:12,640 Speaker 1: passengers more seasick than liners do. She dismissed that possibility. 606 00:36:12,719 --> 00:36:14,480 Speaker 1: There will be a way to take care of that. 607 00:36:15,120 --> 00:36:18,320 Speaker 1: She envisions trains of the future mounted on rubber tires. 608 00:36:18,520 --> 00:36:21,640 Speaker 1: Objection to the weight. Objection that the weight of the 609 00:36:21,680 --> 00:36:24,560 Speaker 1: trains couldn't be borne by the rubber tires makes her 610 00:36:24,560 --> 00:36:28,080 Speaker 1: insist away will be found. I feel like that was 611 00:36:28,160 --> 00:36:32,120 Speaker 1: like her life Ethos. Away will be found. Yeah, And 612 00:36:32,120 --> 00:36:37,760 Speaker 1: that's Pulah Henry, who is fascinating to me, very stylish, 613 00:36:38,200 --> 00:36:43,080 Speaker 1: quite funny, very creative. Sometimes even when you don't need 614 00:36:43,080 --> 00:36:46,320 Speaker 1: the thing. That top is gonna haunt me in my dreams. 615 00:36:46,400 --> 00:36:48,360 Speaker 1: But I have a listener mail that is not haunting 616 00:36:48,360 --> 00:36:52,200 Speaker 1: in the least. It is delightful and solves a thing 617 00:36:52,239 --> 00:36:54,719 Speaker 1: that was not clear to me. This is from our listener, Tim, 618 00:36:54,760 --> 00:36:57,319 Speaker 1: who writes high Ali and Tracy. I was listening to 619 00:36:57,440 --> 00:37:00,960 Speaker 1: your William Huxley episode and had a sudden realist when 620 00:37:00,960 --> 00:37:03,560 Speaker 1: you read the passage about the bees entering his room 621 00:37:03,800 --> 00:37:06,000 Speaker 1: and how he wished they had landed on his lips. 622 00:37:06,239 --> 00:37:08,880 Speaker 1: I realized that must be where the word malif lewis 623 00:37:08,960 --> 00:37:11,880 Speaker 1: comes from. Which is the word I'm having trouble saying today, 624 00:37:11,920 --> 00:37:14,880 Speaker 1: so apologies. I looked it up at malif Lewis indeed 625 00:37:14,960 --> 00:37:18,560 Speaker 1: means flowing with honey. A malif lewis voice belongs to 626 00:37:18,600 --> 00:37:21,920 Speaker 1: someone who is honey tongued or sweet lipped. Interestingly, it 627 00:37:21,960 --> 00:37:25,399 Speaker 1: has no connection to the word mellow. This explains why 628 00:37:25,440 --> 00:37:27,600 Speaker 1: young William would have wanted the bees to land on 629 00:37:27,680 --> 00:37:29,799 Speaker 1: his mouth. Just thought you'd like to know. I do 630 00:37:30,000 --> 00:37:33,320 Speaker 1: like to know. That's brilliant. Thank you for pet tax. 631 00:37:33,360 --> 00:37:36,120 Speaker 1: I have attached a photo of Leita. She came to 632 00:37:36,200 --> 00:37:38,520 Speaker 1: us with that name from the ARL, which I'm assuming 633 00:37:38,560 --> 00:37:41,279 Speaker 1: is the Animal Rescue League, which we later adapted to 634 00:37:41,400 --> 00:37:44,360 Speaker 1: Leeda Lou and then Luby Lou. She happily answers to 635 00:37:44,440 --> 00:37:47,680 Speaker 1: all three. Now in the second picture, she's demonstrating how 636 00:37:47,760 --> 00:37:50,200 Speaker 1: much she hates hugs, just like all dogs, or so 637 00:37:50,280 --> 00:37:53,680 Speaker 1: they say. Then there's little Lady Gray, looking a little 638 00:37:53,719 --> 00:37:57,640 Speaker 1: grumpy in both picks. This is not her normal look. Incidentally, 639 00:37:57,719 --> 00:38:00,400 Speaker 1: she's named after the Tea rather than the Nine Days Queen. 640 00:38:00,920 --> 00:38:02,920 Speaker 1: The second pick is the time she stowed away in 641 00:38:02,960 --> 00:38:05,160 Speaker 1: the car and we didn't know until we were miles 642 00:38:05,200 --> 00:38:08,080 Speaker 1: from home. Thanks for and keep up the great work. 643 00:38:08,160 --> 00:38:13,000 Speaker 1: Best regard to Tim. So little Lita is not that little. 644 00:38:13,040 --> 00:38:18,320 Speaker 1: She looks like maybe a border Collie mix, cute as pie, 645 00:38:18,560 --> 00:38:21,640 Speaker 1: super duper cute, probably smarter than the rest of us 646 00:38:21,640 --> 00:38:24,719 Speaker 1: put together. And of course little Lady Gray, as I 647 00:38:24,760 --> 00:38:27,120 Speaker 1: have said recently on the show, of such a soft 648 00:38:27,120 --> 00:38:30,120 Speaker 1: spot for a solid gray cat or any cat really, 649 00:38:30,160 --> 00:38:32,080 Speaker 1: but I really do like solid gray cats a lot. 650 00:38:32,360 --> 00:38:34,480 Speaker 1: So thank you, thank you, thank you for sharing your 651 00:38:34,520 --> 00:38:38,200 Speaker 1: babies with us, and for solving that puzzle for me. Yeah, 652 00:38:38,239 --> 00:38:40,960 Speaker 1: because I didn't that would never have occurred to me 653 00:38:41,000 --> 00:38:43,759 Speaker 1: in a million, billion, bazillion years, I would not have 654 00:38:43,840 --> 00:38:47,239 Speaker 1: landed there. So thank you for filling that gap that 655 00:38:47,320 --> 00:38:49,960 Speaker 1: I could not sure appreciate it. Tim, if you would 656 00:38:50,040 --> 00:38:52,520 Speaker 1: like to write to us and solve any questions that 657 00:38:52,800 --> 00:38:55,440 Speaker 1: I can't seem to figure out on my own. Maybe 658 00:38:55,440 --> 00:38:57,560 Speaker 1: that flagpole thing would be great. If you've got a 659 00:38:57,560 --> 00:39:00,000 Speaker 1: way that's figured out, you can do that at History 660 00:39:00,120 --> 00:39:04,239 Speaker 1: Podcast at iHeartRadio dot com. You can also find the 661 00:39:04,360 --> 00:39:07,600 Speaker 1: show notes for all of our episodes at mistinhistory dot com. 662 00:39:07,719 --> 00:39:09,759 Speaker 1: Click on any episode and you'll see all of the 663 00:39:09,800 --> 00:39:12,360 Speaker 1: things we used for reference for it. If you would 664 00:39:12,360 --> 00:39:14,600 Speaker 1: like to subscribe to the podcast, you could do so 665 00:39:14,719 --> 00:39:19,440 Speaker 1: on the iHeartRadio app or anywhere you listen to podcasts. 666 00:39:23,440 --> 00:39:26,520 Speaker 1: Stuff you Missed in History Class is a production of iHeartRadio. 667 00:39:26,880 --> 00:39:31,480 Speaker 1: For more podcasts from iHeartRadio, visit the iHeartRadio app, Apple Podcasts, 668 00:39:31,600 --> 00:39:33,640 Speaker 1: or wherever you listen to your favorite shows.