Photos: The Smithsonian’s ‘Places of Invention’ exhibit, a look inside
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Places of Invention
Places of Invention
The Smithsonian National Museum of American History looks at key spots in America where invention has boomed, and why.
The Smithsonian National Museum of American History’s exhibit on “Places on Invention” explores when the right circumstances lead to a hotspot of invention and innovation.
Silicon Valley, 1970s-1980s
Silicon Valley, 1970s-1980s
Journalist Don Hoefler was the first to call Santa Clara Valley “Silicon Valley” in 1971 when talking about the development of microprocessors and personal computing.
The first computer mouse
The first computer mouse
It looks quite different than what we’re used to. It was invented at the Stanford Research Institute in 1964 by Douglas Engelbart and his colleagues there. Xerox PARC researchers took the design further, and the mouse became popular with the release of the 1984 Apple Macintosh.
The Bronx, 1970s
The Bronx, 1970s
Music would never be the same after the birth of hip-hop in the Bronx in New York City.
Scratch that
Scratch that
Early hip-hop artists figured out how to turn speakers, turntables, and other components into the first deejaying equipment.
Medical Alley, 1950s
Medical Alley, 1950s
Organizations like the Mayo Clinic, 3M Company, Medtronic, and the University of Minnesota helped form Medical Alley in Minneapolis as a place of medical innovation.
Bubble oxygenator reservoir coil
Bubble oxygenator reservoir coil
Here’s an example of an invention that came out of Medical Alley—this mechanism, created in 1955, oxygenates blood.
Hartford, 1800s
Hartford, 1800s
Hartford, Connecticut became home to precision manufacturing in the 19th century.
Sewing machine
Sewing machine
The sewing machine, created in 1844, was one of those inventions that changed a lot, including transferring the duty of making clothes from the housewife to the factory.
Hollywood, 1930s
Hollywood, 1930s
The American film industry headed west chasing land that was cheap, weather that was good, and scenery that was varied. They found Hollywood, of course, in Los Angeles, California.
Technicolor
Technicolor
A major innovation from Hollywood was the ability to shoot film in Technicolor. Here’s an early camera with that capability.
Fort Collins, 2010s
Fort Collins, 2010s
More recently, Fort Collins, Colorado has become an important spot for the research and development of green technology.
Envirofit Cookstove prototype
Envirofit Cookstove prototype
On the right you can see this 2011 prototype for a cookstove for people in developing countries. It burns cleanly, efficiently, and is affordable.
