Have you ever thought about the inventions that made an appearance in the 1940s? I have. As such, I made it a point to look into the matter further. In the process, I learned that there were quite a few interesting items that surfaced during the decade. Here’s a quick peek at five of my favorites:
Magnetic Recording Tape
In my opinion, of the first wonderful inventions to make an appearance in 1942 was magnetic recording tape. It was the precursor to many of the things that I enjoyed during my childhood. Among them were 8-track tapes, cassette tapes and VHS tapes. The man credited with the invention was Marvin Camras. It wasn’t his only invention either. At the time of his death in 1995, he had well over 400 patents to his credit. For me, however, the magnetic recording tape was the most significant.
Long Play Records
Magnetic recording tape wasn’t the only 1940s invention to have an impact on my youth. Long play records also hit the marketplace during the decade courtesy of Howard H. Scott. Prior to that time, Americans were accustomed to listening to music on small discs. I should also mention that Scott was a man of many talents. Over the course of his lifetime he worked as an accomplished musician, a music producer and an inventor. He passed away in 2012.
Polaroid Land Cameras
Another great invention that appeared in the 1940s was the Polaroid Land Camera. It hit the marketplace in 1949 and was a big success. As a matter of fact, it was such a success that the company would continue to make the camera for many years to come. Of course I wasn’t around when the cameras were first introduced. However, I did own two Polaroid instant cameras in my youth. The first one produced black and white photos. The second one produced color photos.
Advances in entertainment were just the tip of what the decade’s great inventors had to offer. The decade also marked the introduction of home garbage disposals. Although the technology for the handy machines had actually existed prior to that time, they had not made their way into most American homes. The man credited with inventing the machine was John W. Hammes. If you are so interested, you can find a copy of his original patent (2012680) on file at the U.S. Patent Office.
Tupperware
Okay folks if you’ve ever owned a Tupperware product in your life, raise your hand. At this point, I am guessing that many of you have your hands raised along with me. Well guess what, the product was actually created in the 1940s by the Earl S. Tupper Company. The first item to reach consumers was known as the “Wonderbowl.” From there, the company’s product line only continued to grow. Tupper eventually sold the company in the 1950s and passed away in 1983.
Source: Personal Experience
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