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Posted by: Jennifer Harbster
Today’s post is by 2011 Junior Fellow Brian Horowitz of Montgomery College in Maryland. Brian is also the author of the Art of War…and of Sandwich Making and Stumbled upon in the Stacks– a brief biography of Brevet Major Alfred Mordecai. In elementary school my favorite lunch consisted of a peanut butter and jelly (PB&J) sandwich in a brown …
Posted in: Cookbooks and Food, Inventions
Posted by: Jennifer Harbster
Have you ever seen a Revolvator?It is a portable elevator or tier machine from the early 20th century. The ceilings in the Science and Business reading room are around 35 ft, so when a light bulb needs to be replaced or the ceiling needs to be patched up, the Architect of the Capitol (AOC) breaks …
Posted in: Inventions, John Adams Building, Pic of the Week
Posted by: Ellen Terrell
This blog post looks at the history of the board game Monopoly and the game it was borrowed from.
Posted in: Business, Heritage Months, Holidays, and Today in History, Inventions
Posted by: Jennifer Harbster
In the spirit of the holiday season, we are highlighting another Everyday Mystery relevant to this time of the year: Who invented electric Christmas lights? The short answer is Thomas Alva Edison and Edward H. Johnson. After all, Edison created the first practical light bulb and successfully strung together the first strand of electric lights …
Posted in: Heritage Months, Holidays, and Today in History, Inventions
Posted by: Jennifer Harbster
K-rations, better night vision binoculars, and synthetic rubber are just a few examples of innovations resulted from scientific research during World War II. The story of science during World War II is one of partnerships and prolific research. On June 28, 1941, President Roosevelt issued Executive Order 8807which established the Office of Scientific Research and …
Posted in: Favorites From the Fifth Floor, Heritage Months, Holidays, and Today in History, Inventions, Military science, Technical Reports and Standards
Posted by: Ellen Terrell
James Jacob Ritty was a saloon keeper in Ohio who was trying to insure employees didn’t pocket the money from customer purchases.
Posted in: Business, Heritage Months, Holidays, and Today in History, Inventions
Posted by: Jennifer Harbster
Photocopiers have come long way. Most businesses, law firms, and libraries have one or more! There are even stores dedicated to making of copies and copiers in our homes. I wonder what Chester Carlson would think about that?
Posted in: Business, Heritage Months, Holidays, and Today in History, Inventions
Posted by: Donna Scanlon
Masking tape, transparent (cellophane) tape, duct (or duck) tape… we use tape when we paint, wrap gifts, mend things, and create clothing. Yes clothing! My daughter made a dress from duck tape for her junior prom – it is quite the competition. Where did it all begin? An engineer by the name of Richard Drew …
Posted in: Business, Heritage Months, Holidays, and Today in History, Inventions
Posted by: Donna Scanlon
Childhood memories – airplanes that you would wind up and then let go and watch it fly; the sling shot made out of rubber bands or the car that ran on rubber band power. Today you find rubber bands wrapped around your vegetables, around stacks of paper, or anything that you want to hold together …
Posted in: Business, Heritage Months, Holidays, and Today in History, Inventions