Miriam E. Benjamin's Gong & Signal Chair
Black Inventor, Miriam E. Benjamin Was Awarded A Patent On This Day In 1888 For The Gong And Signal Chair For Hotels.
Using A Rod-Activated Signal, This Chair Was Designed To Summon Waiters To A Patron's Table. The System Worked By Pressing A Small Button On The Back Of The Chair Which Would Relay A Signal To A Waiting Attendant. At The Same Time, A Light Would Illuminate On The Chair, Allowing The Attendant To See Which Guest Was In Need Of Assistance.
Benjamin's Innovative Chairs Were Installed In The U.S. House Of Representatives For Calling Pages. Previously Congressmen Had Signaled Pages By The Disruptive Method Of Clapping Their Hands.
Miriam Benjamin Was A Washington, DC School Teacher And The Second Black Woamn To Receive A Patent.
"In Order For Black History To Live, We Must Continue To Breathe Life Into It." -- Hubert Gaddy, Jr."
