Patent Stories
History of the Electric Guitar
The 1955 electric guitar bridge patent by Theodore McCarty transformed adjustability for players. Trace the electric guitar from magnetic pickups to patent prints.
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History of the Fishing Lure
While we don’t still use animal bones as lures, fishing tackle has scarcely changed in the past 4000 years
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History of the Compact Camera
The history of the compact camera from camera obscura through Kodak's Brownie to Frank Brownell's 1902 patent. Original U.S. patent prints available framed or unframed.
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History of the Dominos
The 1883 domino patent by Richard Williams introduced color-coded dots for easier matching. Trace dominos from 12th-century China to the U.S. patent print.
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History of the Fishing Creel
John Burch and Arnold Morton patented the fishing creel in 1929 with a built-in fish chute. The creel's history spans from 1250 AD through Oregon's leather-trimming trade.
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History of the Chinese Checkers
The history of Chinese checkers from its 1880s Boston origins to the 1940 U.S. patent that made the board portable, plus original patent art prints.
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History of the Dice
The history of dice from ancient knucklebones to Paul Mitchell's 1925 U.S. patent, covering 5,000 years of gambling, math, and game design. Prints from $49.99.
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History of the Fire Helmet
Edward Cairns patented the fire helmet in 1932, solving the problem of the brass eagle ornament falling off. Henry Gratacap designed the original Americanstyle helmet between 1821 and 1836.
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History of the Camera
The history of the camera from the ancient camera obscura to Niepce's 1827 photograph to Harvey Friedman's 1979 Polaroid film roller patent. Prints from $49.99.
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