From Inventing Windshield Wiper To Going Unnoticed: Story Of Mary Anderson

From inventing one of the most important features in the automotive industry to going unnoticed, the story of Mary Anderson is unique and motivating. National Inventors Hall of Fame mentions Mary Anderson as their Inductee and honours her for this invention. Like every other discovery, the inventor was inspired by her surroundings and personal experience. In 1902 during harsh New York winters, Mary was travelling on a streetcar and observed how irritated and exhausted the driver was wiping the snow falling on his window by sticking his head out of the car.

Anderson later went on to devise a device that would let the driver clean the window while driving. To make this idea come to life she applied practical physics and came up with the 'windshield wiper' as a cleaning device for a safer and more comfortable drive. 

An Invention In The Dark!

In the year 1903, she got the patent for her innovation and from there started the journey of Mary as an entrepreneur. According to  MIT Anderson's patent journey started when she applied for and was awarded a patent for a swinging arm with a rubber blade in 1903. The device consisted of a lever that could be operated from inside a car by the driver.  The lever caused a spring-loaded arm with a rubber blade to swing across the windshield and then back again to its original position, thus removing droplets of rain or flakes of snow from the windshield’s surface. Similar devices had been made earlier than Anderson’s was, but hers was the first that worked. Additionally, the device could be easily removed if so desired, after winter was over. 

Mary tried very hard to sell this product to producers of automobiles to install her device but she found no luck. Her innovation was laughed upon and people did not appreciate it enough, in fact, many people assumed this device would cause distraction to the driver and might lead to road accidents. Another reason why the windshield wipers did not hit the market back then was due to a lack of access to cars by the general populace. The business of automobiles did not take full swing until the 1920's the very year when Mary's patent expired. 

Since her device wasn't making much sales and the patent expired soon, Mary let go of the device and her innovation went unacknowledged. In 1908 Henry Ford launched his Model A automobile and it was in 1913 that the American market saw buyers in this industry. It was in 1920 when Cadillac was launched and had windshield wipers installed in them.

People who teased and laughed at Mary were the very people who bought cars with her device installed in them. With this, many people do not realise how important innovations by women are and even more important to give them due credit for their creation. Mary Anderson was forgotten and still isn't known by many like most of the female innovators. It is time we read and acknowledge women for their work, inventions, and creations and give them the recognition they deserve.