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Blog

Ready for Their Close-ups: Women Inventors in Filmmaking

In honor of Women’s History Month, we celebrate female inventors in filmmaking.

Blog

How the Invention of the Air Brush Transformed Commercial Art

Simple in construction and operation, the air brush offered new opportunities in art and photography.

Blog

The Invention of Instant Replay

Tony Verna revolutionized the way we watch and officiate sports when he invented instant replay in 1963.

Blog

A Photo-Fitted Suit

A camera, some mirrors, a projector, a screen, and a calculator combined for made-to-measure clothing tailored “PhotoMetriCally.”

DO Try This at Home!

D.I.Y. Victorian Virtual Reality

Make your own stereoscope and experience the nineteenth-century predecessor to today’s virtual reality technology.

Beyond Words

Video Lecture: The Early American Daguerreotype

Author and former Lemelson Center fellow Sarah Kate Gillespie discusses her new book on the history of the daguerreotype.

Blog

Hollywood Geek Fest—The Oscars Side Party

Two proudly geeky historians offer an appreciation of the winners of the Academy's Scientific and Technical Awards.

Lemelson Center Books

The Early American Daguerreotype

The Early American Daguerreotype maps the evolution of the daguerreotype, as medium and as profession. Published in the Lemelson Center Studies in Invention and Innovation book series with MIT Press.

Blog

"Joy's" Process of Inventing

Jennifer Lawrence's silver screen portrayal of inventor Joy Mangano makes the case for the invention process.

Invention Stories

Success Born of Failure: The Nintendo Power Glove

The Power Glove may have been a huge flop, but it was a failure that resulted in several successful inventions.

Encouraging Innovative Thinking

Teaching Science with a Wizard’s Touch

In the early 1950s, Don Herbert (1917-2007) created Watch Mr. Wizard (1951–1965), an educational children’s television program devoted to science and technology. We think he'd feel right at home in Spark!Lab.

Places of Invention

A Little Story about the Big Screen

The "Places of Invention" interactive map offers a great opportunity to share stories both epic and personal.

Places of Invention

Invention Hot Spot: Technicolor Sets the Scene

The Ruby Slippers worn by 16-year-old Judy Garland during the filming of "The Wizard of Oz" are among the most popular and treasured artifacts at the Museum. How did they get that rich ruby color?

Invention Stories

Playing Games on the Job

Playing vintage video games must fit under the “other duties as assigned” part of my job description.

Invention Stories

How to Hover

Inventions to tackle the fascination with floating a few inches off the ground.

Invention Stories

Ralph Baer: The Inventor I Knew

Director Art Molella reflects on his friendship with "the father of video games," the late Ralph Baer.

Beyond Words

Podcast: Jacob Rosenberg Turns the Camera on Skateboarders

Jacob Rosenberg explores the skate world through his films.

Invention Stories

Innovating New Traditions

A look at the tech behind some popular Thanksgiving traditions.

Invention Stories

Extraordinary Attractions! Be Amazed! Must See!

Founded in 1916, the dynamic and creative duo of George H. Messmore and Joseph Damon designed and constructed window display, parade floats, and more, often featuring animated mechanical devices.

Invention Stories

Where Art and Tech Meet

Over the years, photographer Peter Badge has never gone digital.This prompted me to reflect on the tools of photographers, human creativity, and machine “intelligence.”