35 Hidden Creations by Renowned Inventors

While the light bulb and telephone are well-known, fewer are aware of Thomas Edison’s eerie talking doll and Alexander Graham Bell’s early metal detector. Adapted from The List Show on YouTube, here are some obscure inventions by famous innovators.

1. Metal Detector // Alexander Graham Bell

In 1881, following the shooting of President James Garfield by Charles Guiteau, doctors faced difficulty locating the bullet, resorting to unsanitary methods. Bell developed an electromagnetic device with a handle and telephone receiver designed to signal when metal disrupted its field. Despite two attempts on Garfield, the bullet remained undiscovered, partly due to the metal mesh in Garfield’s mattress and incorrect guidance from his doctor, as noted in Candice Millard’s Destiny of the Republic. Garfield ultimately succumbed to infection from unsterilized medical practices, rendering Bell’s invention ineffective in altering the outcome.

2. and 3. Train Bathroom and Air Conditioner // Lewis Latimer

While Bell is often credited with the telephone, Lewis Latimer, his collaborator, played a crucial role by drafting the patent. Beyond this, Latimer was an accomplished inventor himself, securing patents for a train bathroom in 1874 and an early air conditioning system in 1886.

4. Hydrodrome Boat // Alexander Graham Bell and Casey Baldwin

Bell, alongside inventor Casey Baldwin, achieved a world record with their innovative boat, the hydrodrome. Measuring 60 feet and reaching speeds of 70 mph, the boat’s underwater fins enabled its remarkable velocity. Bell envisioned this design as a stepping stone toward creating an aircraft capable of water takeoff.

5. and 6. A Remote-Controlled Boat and a Helicopter Plane // Nikola Tesla

In 1898, Nikola Tesla, renowned for his Tesla coil and love of pigeons, amazed audiences at Madison Square Garden with a 4-foot-long, battery-operated, remote-controlled boat. Using radio signals, Tesla could maneuver its propeller, rudder, and even illuminate its lights. At the time, radio waves were largely unknown, leaving the crowd in awe.

Tesla also dreamed of developing an aircraft. His final patent was for the “helicopter-plane,” which would lift off like a helicopter using rotating blades. Once airborne, it would tilt sideways, transforming the blades into an airplane propeller, complete with wings for sustained flight.

7., 8., and 9. Foot Warmers, a Bread Kneader, and a Device to Keep Trains on the Rails // Maria Beasley

Maria Beasley is celebrated for revolutionizing barrel production and designing life rafts with metal floats, which were far more buoyant than the wooden ones prone to sinking. Among her lesser-known creations are foot warmers, a bread kneading machine, and a mechanism to prevent train derailments.

10. Custom Tools // Henry Ford

From a young age, Henry Ford demonstrated his ingenuity. By the time he was 13, he was repairing watches for his community, crafting his own tools using nails, knitting needles, and even corset parts to create instruments like screwdrivers and tweezers.

11. Soybean Car // Henry Ford and George Washington Carver

In his later years, Ford partnered with George Washington Carver to develop the soybean car. Constructed with 14 plastic panels derived from soybeans and other crops, the car was unveiled in 1941. However, its progress was halted by the onset of World War II.

12. Cosmetic Cream // George Washington Carver

Carver also developed a cosmetic cream, described in his patent as a “vanishing cream of any desired or usual tint.” Crafted from peanuts, it included salicylic acid, perfume, and powdered color. This cosmetic, along with its production process, was one of only three patents under his name, despite his numerous innovations. The other two patents focused on creating paints and stains.

13. and 14. Performance Platforms and Huggable Hangers // Joy Mangano

For enthusiasts of the Home Shopping Network or admirers of Jennifer Lawrence, Joy Mangano is a familiar name, celebrated for her creation of the Miracle Mop. Additionally, she introduced Performance Platforms, sneakers designed with a platform heel aimed at enhancing leg muscle tone, and Huggable Hangers, sleek, velvet hangers that maximize closet space.

15. Text-Based Charitable Contributions // Marian Croak

Marian Croak, renowned as a Vice President of Engineering at Google, holds over 100 patents, primarily in voice-over Internet protocol, the technology enabling platforms like Skype. She also developed the system facilitating charitable donations via text messaging.

Further Readings on Innovative Creations

16. Harpoon Gun // Clarence Birdseye

Clarence Birdseye is most famous for pioneering the techniques that revolutionized the frozen food industry. However, he also secured hundreds of patents throughout his career. Among these was a harpoon gun designed to eliminate recoil upon firing, a feature that simplified its use without offering significant functional advantages.

17., 18., and 19. A Robe Clasp, a Numbering Machine, and a “Dress Shield” // Margaret Knight

During her tenure at a paper bag company in the 1800s, Margaret Knight developed a machine that automated the cutting and folding of paper bags, introducing square-bottomed designs that were groundbreaking at the time. Shortly before her passing, The New York Times highlighted her relentless innovation, noting that at 70, she was dedicating 20 hours a day to her 89th invention, having previously created a robe clasp, a numbering device, and a “dress shield” to prevent clothing stains.

20. and 21. Wooden Paddles and the Armonica // Benjamin Franklin

Similar to Ford, Benjamin Franklin began inventing at a young age. At just 11 years old, he crafted 10-inch wooden paddles to strap to his wrists, aiming to enhance his swimming speed. While effective, their weight proved exhausting.

During the 1700s, Franklin observed someone playing wine glasses with their fingers, inspiring him to invent the armonica. This instrument featured 37 glass bowls, each color-coded to represent a musical note. Players used a foot pedal to rotate the bowls and produced sounds by touching them with wet fingers. The armonica gained widespread popularity—Marie Antoinette mastered it, and Mozart and Beethoven composed pieces for it. However, its fame waned as fears grew that music could induce headaches, hysteria, and even death, particularly among performers. The armonica bore the brunt of these concerns.

22. Mock Trial Card Game // Elizabeth Magie

Elizabeth Magie is renowned for creating Monopoly, originally an anti-capitalist game called The Landlord’s Game, which Charles Darrow later appropriated and sold to Parker Brothers. However, she had prior ties to Parker Brothers, as they released her lesser-known, whimsical card game Mock Trial in 1910.

23., 24., and 25. A Diving Suit, a Giant Crossbow, and a Robotic Knight // Leonardo da Vinci

Leonardo da Vinci conceptualized several inventions he never brought to life, including the scuba suit. Intended for naval warfare, he kept the design highly confidential due to its perceived military value. The suit, crafted from leather, featured air tubes and even included a provision for urination.

Leonardo also devised a massive crossbow spanning approximately 80 feet for military use. While capable of launching large projectiles like bombs, its primary purpose was to intimidate adversaries.

In 1495, Leonardo sketched a robotic knight powered by gears and wheels. Turning a crank would animate its arms and mouth, and it was designed to sit and stand. Centuries later, engineer Mark Rosheim brought this design to life by constructing a small-scale robot based on Leonardo’s plans.

26. A Copier // James Watt

The Scottish innovator James Watt is primarily celebrated for his advancements in steam engine technology, but he also secured a patent for a copier in 1780. This method utilized two sheets: writing on the top sheet and using the device to press it onto a thinner, transparent sheet. The ink would transfer in reverse to the second sheet, which was designed to be translucent so the text could be read from the opposite side.

27. A Revolutionary Air Conditioner // Maria Telkes

Maria Telkes moved to the U.S. in the 1920s after earning her Ph.D. in physical chemistry from the University of Budapest. She became a key figure in solar energy innovation at MIT during the 1940s. In the 1970s, she contributed to another breakthrough: an air conditioning system that utilized salts to store cool air overnight, maintaining lower temperatures during the day and reducing energy consumption.

28. An Ophthalmoscope // Charles Babbage

Charles Babbage, a pioneer in early computing, also struggled with double vision. To address this, he created the first ophthalmoscope, which used a mirror to direct light into a patient’s eye. The device included an opening for doctors to examine the inner eye. However, Babbage abandoned the project after the collaborating doctor doubted its functionality and dismissed its potential. This doctor, influenced by the Burke and Hare murders during his student years, was reportedly averse to innovation, as noted by The Lancet. Later, Hermann Helmholtz independently developed a similar device.

29. Airplane Wing De-Icer // Katharine Burr Blodgett

Katharine Burr Blodgett is best known for inventing non-reflective glass, which reduces glare and distortion. Initially used in the film industry during the 1930s, it revolutionized cars, eyeglasses, and submarines. Blodgett also developed a method to de-ice airplane wings, a critical advancement during World War II.

30. Bicycles // The Wright Brothers

Beyond their contributions to aviation, the Wright Brothers were also pioneers in bicycle design. They produced models like the St. Clair and the Van Cleve. In the early 1900s, they modified a St. Clair bicycle with wing-like components to test concepts for airplane wings.

31. A Molecular Knife // Flossie Wong-Staal

Dr. Flossie Wong-Staal achieved a groundbreaking milestone by cloning and genetically mapping HIV, paving the way for effective HIV testing. During her research, she also developed a “molecular knife”—an enzyme capable of precisely cutting through cellular genetic material.

32., 33., 34., and 35. A Voting Machine, an Electric Pen, a Ghost Detector, and a Talking Doll // Thomas Edison

Thomas Edison famously remarked, “I have gotten a lot of results! I know several thousand things that won’t work.” Here, we highlight some of his lesser-known inventions that didn’t achieve the fame of the light bulb.

Edison’s first patent was for a vote-recording machine designed to streamline legislative voting. Lawmakers would use switches to vote “yes” or “no,” with each switch connected to a recorder that tallied results. However, politicians rejected the idea, as it would eliminate delays and tactics like filibustering.

Edison also created an electric pen that functioned more like a stencil, punching holes in paper to produce multiple copies of text. While initially successful, it eventually lost popularity. However, it inspired Samuel F. O’Reilly to invent the electric tattoo needle.

In 1890, Edison introduced a terrifying talking doll that could rival Chucky in sheer creepiness. Standing 2 feet tall and weighing four pounds, each doll featured a miniaturized version of Edison’s phonograph technology. The cylinders inside played nursery rhymes, and children could make the doll “speak” by turning a crank on its back, activating a speaker in its chest. However, the dolls were prone to breaking, had an eerie appearance, and cost up to $20 each—equivalent to over $500 today.

The dolls were a colossal failure, prompting Edison to pull them from stores within just a few weeks of their release.