http://media.trb.com/media/acrobat/2013-10/221541120-14173951.pdf
The two pictures and the pdf-file are taken from three different websites. The first picture is from a “learning” website that talks briefly about the history of the dishwasher, and this picture was published in the Chicago newspaper during the World’s Fair in Chicago in 1893. The second picture is the first page of the patent Josephine Cochran got on her invention in 1886. This source is from a website which offers patent plaques, patent awards, and IP recognition awards for companies. The pdf-file, which is the most important source, is the actual patent papers of the dishwasher machine. This source was taken from the Chicago Tribune website in an article about the mechanical dishwasher. These pictures and pdf-file relate to the great invention of the dishwasher, a machine that might not have been too important in the 19th and beginning of 20th century but is today one of the most appreciated device in the household.
The first dishwasher device was invented by Joel Houghton and patented in 1850. This dishwasher was made out of wood and had to be cranked by hand, as a result it did not work too well and was not further developed. Josephine Cochran, a rich socialite from Shelbyville, Illinois who often had dinner parties, wanted a device that could wash her china faster than the servants but without breaking them. Since she could not found such device she decided to build one herself. By using wood as the case, measuring the dishes and using copper wire for the compartments, it was placed inside a wheel within a copper boiler. The wheel turned and hot soapy water was then squirted over the dishes to make them clean. This was the first working dishwasher, and she got her patent on December 28, 1886. Her dishwasher won the top prize for “best mechanical construction, durability and adaptation to its line of work” during the Chicago World’s Fair in 1893 (https://www.patentplaques.com/blog/?p=458). Although her invention had great success within the hotel and restaurant businesses it was not compatible for households. After her death her Garis-Cochran Dish-Washing Machine Company was bought up by a company that is today Kitchen Aid.
- Although this device is greatly appreciative today it was not a top priority to have this in the household in the late 19th The hotel and restaurant businesses were the areas were the dishwasher was most successful. It saved both time and man labor to have this kind of device present in a place where a lot of dishes were being consumed daily so it really made work easier.
- Since this invention was mostly used within the hotel and restaurant businesses it made work easier for the workers within such companies. The dishwasher wasn’t a household device until the late 20th century and made a more cultural and social impact then when it was commercialized for women to use in the kitchen. Like the vacuum cleaner or the refrigerator they were all made to make life easier for women in the household, which really shows how the culture of this time put pressure on women to be good housewives.
- Since this invention wasn’t too big of a hit in the late 19th century it didn’t have a big impact on the science or technology at this time. The dishwasher was simply made out of wood with copper wire and was too big to have in the household. It wasn’t until later in the 20th century when they started to make them with plastic and made them smaller that they became a hit. They became a real popular product because of the image of housewives at the time. So this invention didn’t slowly disappear from the market, rather the opposite, it became more and more popular over time and today it is as common to have as the refrigerator. Although in the beginning of this “boom” in dishwasher usage the machines were using a lot of water while cleaning the dishes, which is the reason my mother never wanted to get one. But today they are designed and developed to use a limited amount of water and could even save more water then washing the dishes by hand, which have made them more environmental friendly. So does this device do more good than damage? I would definitely say that it does more good, it is perfect for lazy students like me who don’t want to waste my time washing dishes.
Primary sources:
http://www.learningabe.info/dishwasherpictures.html (Chicago newspaper picture)
https://www.patentplaques.com/blog/?p=458 (patent first page)
http://media.trb.com/media/acrobat/2013-10/221541120-14173951.pdf (patent, from website: http://www.chicagotribune.com/bluesky/originals/chi-top-20-countdown-innovation-15-bsi-htmlstory.html)
Facts:
https://www.patentplaques.com/blog/?p=458
http://www.uspto.gov/about-us/news-updates/woman-invented-dishwasher
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