Two Ohioans filed patents for devices to deter grave robbers in the late 19th century when robberies were on the rise to ...

This mid-19th century advertising circular proposes a new idea for doing laundry. What it lacks in detailed description, it makes up for with powerful testimonials. Alexia MacClain Today the task of ...

In the year 1307, a single name was used to dismantle the most powerful military order in Christendom: Baphomet. But the figure we recognize today—the winged, goat-headed 'Sabbatic Goat'—is not a ...

Early efforts -- Elements of a successful machine -- The "Sewing-Machine Combination" -- Less expensive machines -- Appendixes: Notes on the development and commercial use of the sewing machine -- ...

This three-part publication is comprised of Papers 28, 29, and 30 from Contributions from the Museum of History and Technology. They are titled as follows: 1. The electrochemical cell and the ...

Design Fail, 19th-Century Edition: 18 Patents That Didn’t Change The World Enough about world-changing designs. Here, drawings of 18 crackpot ideas, from fake leeches to walking stick guns, that never ...

Fax was a breakthrough when Alexander Bain invented it in the 19th century, allowing documents to travel faster and more reliably than ever before. For decades, fax revolutionized communication and in ...