Marie Van Brittan Brown was an African-American nurse, innovator and inventor. (1922 -1999). This incredible woman was the original inventor of the first Home Security System which created the foundation of more modern surveillance technology that we have today.
Born on October 30th 1922 in Queens, New York to parents: Theordore Felton from North Carolina and her mother, Lillian Robinson from Pennsylvania.
She married Albert L. Brown who was an electronics technician in 1949. They moved to Jamaica, Queens and had two children, Albert JR and Norma. Their daughter, Norma, followed in her mothers legacy and became a very well respected nurse and inventor.
During her time working as a nurse, Marie often returned home at odd hours to a crime-filled neighbourhood where the response from the police was frequently very slow to act. Her feeling of vulnerability from this lack of response from the police led her to the inspiration and curiosity of finding a way to see what was going on around her home from any room she was residing in.
Herself and Albert both worked on the invention and in 1966, the approached a legal professional to attain a patent of their invention. The patent was titled “Home Security System Utilizing Television Surveillance.” They were successfully granted the patent on the 2nd of December 1969.
Their groundbreaking invention included the following technologies:
- Motorised Camera: This was a camera which slid sideways / vertically to look for four separate peep-holes at different heights (for children and for adults).
- Video & Audio: The images the camera caught were transmitted through a monitor system in the home via wireless technology and a two-way microphone. This microphone allowed the homeowners and the intruders to communicate with one another via telecommunication.
- Remote Controls: This allowed the users of the CCTV technology to unlock the door remotely for guests and also use a Panic Button if they were in danger and alert the police.
Marie Van Brown Passed away on 2nd of February 1999 when she was only seventy-six years old in Jamaica, Queens.
During her lifetime, she created a legacy of scientific recognition. She was interviewed many times including by The New York Times in 1969. She was awarded for her innovation by The National Scientific Committee.
More About the Patent:
US Patent 3,482,037 – Filed on the 1st of August 1966. To find out more, such as viewing diagrams of Marie’s invention, click on the underlined US Patent No. above.
Commemorations
Since her passing, Marie Van Brittan Brown has been mentioned between 32 and 38 times for her invention for patent applications. This paved the way for modern CCTV technology companies and inventors to create door bells with video tech and also, in more recent times, Smart Technology Systems.
During Black History Month, she is a regularly celebrated “Invisible Figure” in STEM who broke barriers for Black Women in Technology.
Museums such as the Smithsonian Institution include features of her work in exhibitions that honor African-American Inventors.
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