Inventions Made in the City

Toilet paper in 1857 J C Gayetty – clean hemp rather than shreds of used newpaper

Air propelled train – 1870 A E Beach- first subway

Teddy Bear – 1902 – because Roosevelt would not shoot a bear,  candy store owners Morris and Rose Michtom sewed and displayed a plush bear as “Teddy’s Bear in their window.  It was so popular, they closed the candy store and made the bear

Scrabble – 1931 A M Butts an out of work architect – game has since sold 150 million worldwide.

Remote Control – 1898 – N Tesla

Sweet’n Low – early 1960 B Eisenstadt

Credit Cards -1946 J Biggins devised a way his bank customers could use cards at local merchants in Brooklyn.  Merchants would deposit sales slips at the bank, bank would bill cardholders.

Air-Co – 1902 W Carrier  did it to control humidity at a printing plant for the warping of the papar, the side benefits to the works was not a priority.

Mr. Potato Head – 1952 G. Lerner sold the idea to Hasbro and sold one million units in the first year.

ATM’s -1939 L.G. Simijan – talked early Citibank into trying it for six months.  Use was discontinued due to clientele of gamblers and sex workers.

courtsey of TimeOut/ Joseph Alexiou