Florence Lawrence
Florence Lawrence was born in 1886. Her real name was Florence Bridgwood and she was the daughter of another inventor Charlotte Bridgwood. Best remembered as a child star and later in the silent screen era as "The Biograph Girl" Lawrence is best remembered as "America's First Movie Star." What is less known is that she was a pioneering inventor. Her great of cars--preferably fast ones--led to inventions that are today standard features in all automobiles. By 1914, she had invented "an automatic signal arm" or what we know of today as the turn indicator. She also invented the precursor of today's brake light--a system that signaled to a car behind that the car in front was stopping. Neither Lawrence's, nor her mother's inventions were successfully marketed in their own time. Lawrence died in 1938.
Greek Sea Goddess Nereis on Aquatic Transportation
References:
Florence Lawrence the Biograph Girl by William J. Mann (Kensington Press, 2001).Florence Lawrence The Biograph Girl: America's First Movie Star by Kelly R. Brown (Mcfarland and Company, 1999).
Web Sites:
Brief History of Women and Transportation
Charlotte Bridgewood Windshield Wiper Inventor
Florence Lawrence
Florence Lawrence the Biograph Girl
Florence Lawrence Automotive Pioneer
OTHER INNOVATIONS AND INVENTIONS
