A variety of 19th-century female inventors, from unknowns to celebrities, can be credited for creating, innovating, and patenting their ideas, thus contributing to the technical advances of their time. Here we meet some of these exceptional women…
Le loup by Célestine Louise DELANGE et Caroline Marie COLAS. Brevet d'invention déposé le 28.01.1852 pour un système de masque ou de faux visage composé d'une carcasse en fil métallique, baleine ou autre substance, recouverte de dentelle, de tulle uni ou brodé avec ou sans barbe ou autres ornements (1BB12583).Original Source: Archives INPI
Female art
During the Belle Époque (c. 1871–1914), theaters and cabarets became the new place to socialize. Art was one area in which the ingenuity of 19th-century female inventors was allowed free rein. One example from the world of performing arts is this 1852 patent filed by two women who joined forces to create a "mask or false face system."
Getting into the swing of things…
In the 19th century, Parisians fell in love with new American artist Loie Fuller's dizzying twirls. In 1892, this modern dance pioneer choreographed her first work, "Serpentine Dance," in New York to great acclaim. She revolutionized the performing arts by playing with sets, lighting, and optical illusions.
La danse théâtrale by Mary-Louise dite Loïe FULLER. Brevet d'invention déposé le 13.01.1893 pour une nouvelle combinaison de robe spécialement destinée à la danse théâtrale (1BB227107).Original Source: Archives INPI
Loie Fuller's physical prowess was remarkable. She was so talented that her choreography is precisely detailed in her patents.
Your turn!
Moving on from the excitement of the stage, popular interest soon turned to games, which became another leading trend of the 19th century. The automatic calculator was a major source of fun, with Virginie Durier adapting it into "a child's toy or board game."
Rest in peace
Funerary art is a form of cultural expression where esthetics can also be reflected in the garments worn by the deceased. Shrouds are one example. These cloth sheets in which the body is wrapped used to be made of linen and in some languages the word for "shroud" is clearly related to that for "linen." In 1849, Angélique Rosalie Daux filed a patent for a shroud called a "mortuary robe."
Ruling the roost
Female inventors also helped improve everyday life. One patent filed by Marie Geneviève Adèle Soyer reveals one concern of this period: how should perfumes and confectionery be stored to prevent them losing their beneficial properties?
Cooking up a storm
The 19th century is sometimes described as the golden age of gastronomy. New culinary practices emerged, reflecting the latest industrial innovations. Marie Laroche's creation perfectly embodied the trend: "My invention consists of an economical kitchen with a mobile oven placed between two mobile hearths."
La balance de ménage by Désirée Lucille LABORDE. Brevet d'invention déposé le 11.03.1841 pour une balance à l'usage domestique nommée balance de ménage (1BA9153).Original Source: Archives INPI
Tipping the scales…
Kitchen scales appeared in more and more kitchens throughout the 19th century. This new variation on Roman scales had a graduated ruler onto which you simply had to slide a weight to obtain the required information.
À la mode
The technical advances of the Industrial Revolution played a role in the development of fashion. This was the time of mass production, with garments made available to all. The popular decorative art of embroidery allowed a flat or raised pattern to be added to fabric.
La boîte à couture by Sophie LAMBELIN. Brevet d'invention déposé le 18.10.1877 pour une pelote à aiguilles (1BB120782).Original Source: Archives INPI
Pinning it down…
The sewing kits used by 19th-century women contained a wealth of different items. Sophie Lambelin's invention made it possible to "transform a candy box lid into a pin cushion. The pins can be removed without the cushion coming undone and a quantity of emery powder can be added to polish the pins."
Cadolle sets women free!
Eugénie Herminie Cadolle was the leading light in 19th-century women's underwear. She was working as a corset maker when she had the idea of cutting a conventional corset in two, and adding an underwire frame. Today, we know the "bosom-bodice" she invented as the bra.
L'armador parisien by Eugénie Herminie CADOLLE née SARDON. Brevet d'invention déposé le 22.04.1895 pour une tournure formant les hanches dite Armador Parisien (1BB246815).Original Source: Archives INPI
The Parisian armorer…
Eugénie Herminie Cadolle also put the bustle in the spotlight when it ousted the crinoline around 1870. This whaleboned half-cage became the must-have accessory used to accentuate the curve of a woman's lower back while making the rear of her skirt less voluminous.
Feminine hygiene
People also became more aware of the importance of good hygiene in the 19th century. Alleviating physical tiredness and ensuring public safety were at the heart of social hygiene concerns at this time. Angélique Rosalie Daux's patent reflected the mindset of the period: "I have finally succeeded in creating sanitary devices with belts to ensure women enjoy the same freedom during their menstrual cycles as they do at any other time."
Fishing with light lures
The 19th century was also synonymous with fishing. Newer, more powerful trawlers were able to drag wider nets into deep water. Other techniques like the use of fishing light attractors were also deployed. With this process, a lighting device was used to lure fish to the surface of the water, thereby taking advantage of their inherent attraction to light, referred to as phototropism.
The mechanic
Female inventors were also interested in mechanical theories, and more particularly in perpetual motion. Elisabeth Gervais was one such aficionado. She reported that her new mechanical process was intended to be used by any item, as evidenced by this "boat or machine that can serve as a tug or navigator to either boats or ships."
A Breath of fresh air
Flying machines that operate in the style of birds' flapping wings have always aroused great interest among the most innovative minds. In the 19th century, female inventors also joined the search for this holy grail. One of them went even further, creating a vehicle that could be used both on water and in the air.
Conception et réalisation : service Archives, INPI archives@inpi.fr
