One of the great inventors of the early industrial era, Helen Augusta Blanchard held 28 different patents.
Helen Augusta Blanchard was born in 1840 to a wealthy family from Portland, Maine. Despite showing a penchant for invention at a young age, her mechancial gift wasn't realized until her family lost their fortune in the late 1860s.
She filed her first patent in 1873 for what was perhaps her most famous invention: the zigzag sewing machine. This zigzag stitch sealed the raw edges of a seam, which made garments sturdier. Her 1873 machine is now part of the Smithsonian Museum of American History collection.
Helen Blanchard's 1872 zig-zag sewing machine. Image from the National Museum of American History.
Following the success of her first zig-zag machine, she set-up a business in Philidelphia to market her inventions. Her business ventures were very successful. As a result, she could purchase back the family homestead and moved there in 1901.
She continued inventing until suffering a stroke in 1916. She recieved 28 patents during her lifetime - 22 of which where related to sewing machines and sewing technology. Her other inventions included an improved surgical needle and an pencil sharpener.
She died in 1922 at the age of 82.
Photo credits:
Photo originally from American Women: Fifteen Hundred Biographies with over 1,400 Portraits. Found online on Wikipedia page: Helen Blanchard.
Born: October 25, 1840
Died: January 12, 1922
Education: There is no record that she attended any college or university
Known for: A variety of inventions, mostly related to sewing machines and sewing technology
