Tom Carvel: King of Soft-Serve
Tom Carvel was a self-made success story whose name is synonymous with the product he created—soft-serve ice cream. Carvel (1906-1990) was among the early adopters of using a franchise system …
Inventions
Lincoln Logs, Madame Alexander, & Monopoly
Lincoln Logs were invented by John Lloyd Wright, the son of architect Frank Lloyd Wright. John did not plan to be a toy inventor. But in so many ways, creating …
Gideon Sundback’s Invention of the Zipper
Gideon Sundback is credited with inventing the first zipper, but he was not the first to patent the device. Sundback, however, created the first zipper to work well, and he …
The Magic Lantern-Early Form of Slide Projector
The magic lantern is a very old invention that served as a primitive slide projector. As improvements were made, the magic lantern eventually produced moving pictures as well.
Drive-In Movie Theaters
The concept for the first drive-in movie business originated with one man in the late 1920s. Richard M. Hollingshead, Jr. came up with the concept of watching movies from one’s …
First Rearview Mirror Marketed as “Cop-spotter”
The first widely distributed rearview mirror for automobiles was sold as the “Cop-spotter” by a fellow named Elmer Berger. Available as an auto accessory, the “Cop-spotter” retailed in hardware stores …
