Washington Union June 11, 1857 page 3 In 1857, a German immigrant received a patent for “an improved hob for cutting screw chasers.” You probably wonder, “what will they think of next?” An avalanche of inventions was offered to the middle and upper classes.   A clothes dryer in 1850; and a half dozen different designs of clothes pins if you didn’t have a dryer; a washing machine in 1860; 4 minute ice cream freezers; water filters; “sanitary diapers”; toilet paper; matches; sewing machines; microscopes; photography; petroleum jelly; rubber bands; refrigerators; kitchen range and oven; steam heat and radiators; chewing gum; a steam driven elevator for an eight story hotel; Yale locks; speaking tubes to connect the White House to cabinet offices; and saponifiers. (Don’t know what a saponifier is?   Look it up or keep reading.) March 16, 1855 Wilmington, NC On the street, gas street lights, fire hydrants and fire alarm boxes, along with horse powered street sweepers appea...

  Magic Lanterns--Without Aladdin or Three Wishes March 17, 1854 Daily Evening Washington Star MAGIC LANTERN FOR SALE—A rare chance, by which any enterprising young man may make from thirty to one hundred dollars a night. We have on hand for sale, a superior second hand Magic Lantern, containing from 150 to 200 religious and other French Paintings. Also, a splendid chromotope, which will be sold a great bargain in if applied this week. DOWNS & HUTCHINSON Penn. Avenue, between 4 ½ and 6 th streets A standard magic lantern. The slides are hand painted onto a thin rectangular glass plate and then slipped between two clear glass plates to protect the painting from scratches.  The plates were then set into a thin wood holder with a little brass handle on one end. The slide would be fitted into the holder behind the focusing lens. In the box behind the slide was a light source--a candle, or alcohol lamp or lime light. A hole on the top and the two "doors on each side could be o...