The Myths Surrounding Famous Inventions
The Real History Behind Fabled Inventions
Any single invention could be seen as the evolutionary culmination of the work of many people. However, the appealingly romantic image of the lone inventor harnessing inspiration and endeavour can often lead to a mythical, not factual, retelling of the story.
Did Thomas Crapper Invent the Flushing Toilet?
Thomas Crapper did not invent the flushing toilet. As long ago as 2600BC basic versions existed in the Indus Valley but what can be regarded as the earliest modern example is John Harrington's Ajax toilet from 1597. Harrington built it for his godmother Elizabeth 1, who unfortunately found the noise of the contraption difficult to tolerate.
The man who made flush toilets a going concern was Alexander Cummings who invented the S-trap in 1775. Where Thomas Crapper came into his own was in the commercialisation of the toilet by his company Thomas Crapper & Co in the late nineteenth century, with his numerous advertising posters in Victorian Britain cementing the association between Crapper and the WC.
It should also be said that the word 'crap', with all its connotations, has been known to the English language since medieval times.
Did Robert Bunsen Build the First Bunsen Burner?
True credit for the building of the first bunsen burner is held by laboratory technician Peter Desaga, an assistant of German chemist Robert Bunsen. In 1852 Bunsen was inspired by the city of Heidelberg's new gas lighting system and discussed the feasibility of generating a stable flame as a new tool for his laboratory.
Dsenga constructed a prototype and fitted fifty in Bunsen's laboratory in 1855. In a chemistry journal published two years later, Bunsen took all credit and the Bunsen Burner was christened.
Was Dr Joseph-Ignace Guillotin Responsible for The Guillotine?
In 1789 Dr Guillotin suggested to the recently formed French Legislative Assembly that a more humane method of execution was required as an alternative to hanging or torture. In the spirit of equality, he suggested decapitation as a means of execution for criminals of any class. His advice fell on deaf ears.
However public opinion warmed to Guillotin's reforming views over the next couple of years. But it was leading French surgeon Dr Antoine Louis, not Guillotin, who was commissioned to design a device fit for 'humane' decapitation. The 'Louison' executed its first prisoner on 25 April 1972.
A song popular among French loyalists blamed Guillotin and not Louis for this new form of administering justice and the association between the two was born. It remained France's preferred method of execution until 1997, when the final beheading took place.
The Myths Surrounding Famous Inventions
Truth is a word regarded as synonymous with fact, whereas legend is aligned with myth. A good story, well told, combines the two to popular effect. The power of legend to triumph over truth should never be underestimated.
References
Observer Book of Invention (Observer Books Guardian News and Media - 2008)
The Myths Surrounding Famous Inventions
|
More in History
Latest Articles