Solomon Harper (born in Poplar Grove, Arkansas, on August 8, 1893[3]) was an inventor[4] known for creating the first electrically heated hair roller[5][6][2][7] and 28 other inventions. During the course of his career, he struggled to receive recognition and compensation for his inventions.[8] Harper was trained as an electrical engineer[9] and was a veteran. He was a politically active communist, and organized at least one march to picket the White House about unemployment in 1930.[10]
![](http://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/thumb/d/d7/Crisis_Magazine_March_1915_0300-crisis-v09n05-w053.pdf/page16-200px-Crisis_Magazine_March_1915_0300-crisis-v09n05-w053.pdf.jpg)
![](http://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/thumb/4/46/Protesters_LCCN2016820319.tif/lossy-page1-200px-Protesters_LCCN2016820319.tif.jpg)
![](http://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/thumb/4/4a/ELECTRICAL_HAIR_TREATING_IMPLEMENT_US1772002.pdf/page1-200px-ELECTRICAL_HAIR_TREATING_IMPLEMENT_US1772002.pdf.jpg)
References
edit- ^ Spark, Washington Area (March 6, 1930), Blacks, Whites Protest Job Losses: 1930 No. 2, retrieved July 19, 2021
- ^ a b US 1772002, Harper, Solomon, "Electrical hair-treating implement", issued 1927-12-23
- ^ "Viewing page 9 of 27 | Smithsonian Digital Volunteers". transcription.si.edu. Retrieved July 19, 2021.
- ^ Center, Smithsonian Lemelson (July 23, 2014). "Solomon Harper Papers, 1957-1979". Lemelson Center for the Study of Invention and Innovation. Retrieved July 19, 2021.
- ^ Corporation, Conair. "Hot and Steamy: Our Forever Love Affair with Hair Rollers |". Conair® Corporation. Retrieved July 19, 2021.
- ^ Edmonds, Lauren. "Models walked in a historic fashion show dressed as items by Black inventors, from a hairbrush to a traffic light". Insider. Retrieved July 19, 2021.
- ^ US 2648757, Harper, Solomon, "Thermostatic controlled hair curlers, combs, and irons", issued 1951-10-24, assigned to Harold Watkiss (10%)
- ^ "archives.nypl.org -- Search results". archives.nypl.org. Retrieved July 19, 2021.
- ^ "HARPER, Solomon". Howard University. October 1, 2015.
- ^ "RAGES: Mischief Out of Misery". Time. April 1, 1935. ISSN 0040-781X. Retrieved July 19, 2021.