Monday, August 2, 2010

"Vice Pioneers" : The Vibrator


Full steam ahead: George Taylor, M.D.'s 1869 steam-powered pleasure invention, the "Manipulator". Scary.

Very seldom do people delve into the histories of inventions and concepts that celebrate vice. Many of these inventions and topics are loved in society, but most people don't give a second thought as to where they came from and who pioneered them. That's where we step in. Each week we will spotlight a history tidbit of either an invention, word, creation, or idea that celebrates our naughty sides. This week, the vibrator. As for the picture, I know that thing is scary, but everything great invention has a starting point!

From Wikipedia:
"One of the first vibrators was a steam-powered device called the "Manipulator", which was created by American physician George Taylor, M.D. This machine was a rather awkward device, but was still heralded as some relief for the doctors who found themselves suffering from fatigued wrists and hands. Circa 1880, Dr. Joseph Mortimer Granville patented the first electromechanical vibrator, then, in 1902, the American company Hamilton Beach patented the first electric vibrator available for retail sale, making the vibrator the fifth domestic appliance to be electrified, after the sewing machine, fan, tea kettle, and toaster, and about a decade before the vacuum cleaner and electric iron." Read more about the beloved vibrator here.

No comments:

Post a Comment