*Sarah Boone, a Black woman born in 1832 in Craven County, North Carolina, revolutionized ironing in the 1890s by inventing the modern ironing board.
Madame Noire reports that her collapsible, padded design replaced the makeshift methods dressmakers used, making ironing women’s garments easier.
Boone’s innovation, which she patented in 1892, marked her as one of the first Black women to receive a patent. Her legacy continues through the widespread use of her invention worldwide.
According to mythgyaan.com, Boone was born into slavery and escaped with the help of the underground railroad. The outlet writes, “After marrying James Boone, a free Black man, in 1847, the couple and their family, including Sarah’s widowed mother, managed to escape the oppressive conditions of the South using the Underground Railroad. They settled in New Haven, Connecticut, where they built a new life and contributed to their community. They had eight children.”
Boone’s patented ironing board (U.S. Patent #473,653) was granted on April 26, 1892. “It featured a narrow and curved design, perfectly suited for the typical sleeve of women’s clothing during that period,” per mythgyaan.com. “The reversible board made it easy to iron both sides of a sleeve without undoing the work on the other side.”
She was among the first African American women to receive a patent in the United States. Her ironing board invention “revolutionized the dressmaking industry, making it much easier for dressmakers to efficiently press garments without introducing unwanted creases,” per mythgyaan.com.
Boone’s invention of the ironing board sparked further innovation in the field. Mary B. Boardman patented an adjustable-height ironing board in 1913, while John B. Porter’s 1920 patent introduced a swivel-mounted design for enhanced maneuverability.
Sarah Boone’s original invention catalyzed advancements in ironing technology.
READ MORE FROM EURWEB.COM: Meek Mill Offers $2K to Find Philly Man Who Ejaculated on Woman’s Leg, Suspect Turns Himself In
