Listed below are things that were not invented until after 1910.
Air Bags in cars were invented by German Walter Linderer and American John Hedrik, who both applied for patents as early as 1951. However, it was not until the mid-seventies that automobiles were equipped with airbags.
Ball Point Pen was invented Hungarian, Laszlo Biro in 1938.
Band Aids were invented by Thomas Anderson and Johnson & Johnson employee, and Earle Dickson in 1920.
Roll film cameras by Kodak were first introduce in 1895. Eastman Kodak Company became one of the largest manufacturers of home cameras. This enabled families to take home pictures without hiring a professional photographer. The Van Ness Family operated a photograph studio and sold camera equipment and film from their store at 125 East Fifth Street from the 1870s to well into the 1930s. William I. Van Ness was the son of local photographer, James Van Ness who was one of Charlotte's early photographers.
The Bee Hive was a popular place to go shopping for clothes and shoes. Located at 43-47 East Trade Street, this small drygoods store opened in 1902 by H. M. Efird with cooperation of Charles A. Williams of the Williams & Shelton Company.
Believe it or not, everything has a history, including chewing gum! Listed below are some things you might recognize. Beside each item, is the name of the person or persons associated with introducing or inventing the product, and the year it became popularly known.
French Fries by President Thomas Jefferson - 1700s
Modern Bicycle by John Kemp Starley - 1871
Graham Crackers are associated with the dietary recommendations of the Reverend Sylvestor Graham - 1750
The turn of the century marks the beginning of the Edwardian period in architecture and furniture design. Elaborate wood carvings and heavy fabrics are very popular. The Andrews Furniture and Music Store carried a wide array of futniture and organs. Most homes had an organ from the late 1800s until the 1920s when pianos became more popular. Andrews was located at 16 West Trade Street.
Playtime is very important. Girls usually wear smocks over their dresses, and most boys run barefoot. In town, small parks become a common playground for children, complete with swing sets. These open spaces give children lots of room to play baseball, basketball, Hide-and-Seek, Ring-Around-the-Rosie, “Drop-the-Handkerchief, and Follow-the-Leader.
Independence Park in Elizabeth was the first city park in Charlotte. There were swings, basektball courts, badmitton and a host of other playground activities available to children in Charlotte.
Click to see the difference in prices of various items from 1903 compared to the cost of the same items in 2017.
The availability of ice was highly prized by families living in warm climates like Charlotte. It helped preserve food longer. Businesses that sold ice also sold coal during the winter months. Coal was the major fuel source in the early part of the 20th century. It heated both stoves and furnaces.
Children's clothes varied in fabric but not in design. Girls usually wore an apron or pinafore over their dresses to keep the latter clean. Boys wore knickers or shorts. All wore thick, heavy wool stockings.
Another class posing with their school teacher.
These words are added to the Oxford Dictionary prior to 1910:
Chassis
Club Sandwich
Gamma Ray Orthodontist
Peanut Butter
Rainforest
Speedway
Tractor
