The Vikings had their very own ironing board made from whalebones because before sail off and pillaging spree you must be wrinkle free. Yes even the good old Vikings liked to look kempt. Have you ever wondered what we would do without the ironing board, I mean we could use stone or a flat slab. You have to use a fire resistant flat surface. I’m sure in the 1800’s, poor folks used table and those who could afford to fashioned boards out of wooden planks.
Talk about burning down the house. But thank goodness for a few inventors like Sarah Mort, the first woman and first black American Sarah Boone. Because of these inspiring creative individuals ironing board improvements we need not worry about those frivolous things. Sara Boone designed new and improved ironing board in April 26, 1887. She patented it on April 26, 1892. Her new and improved ironing board had contoured narrow ends so that a sleeve could be fitted on it and ironed. Also the design had become slim lined. The larger curved surface could accommodate larger items such as waist coasts.
Sarah Boone’s life is quite a mystery. There is not much information on her career, romantic life or religious affiliation. We do know that Ms. Boone was most likely a former slave and that she resided in Connecticut. She was noted as being the first person to invent the ironing board. According to the records others had invented similar products but they were not structured the same as Ms. Boones invention. As we know, the ironing board is sort of a mobile which is able to be folded and put away.
Let’s look at the time line for the ironing board. First there was William Vandenberg in 1858 held more than two patents for an Ironing table Second, the “ironing board” is actually mentioned in JN Brewster’s patent. JN Brewster made a Murphy bed sort of device which folds up and away into a wall or closet. His ironing board folded up into an ironing board cabinet. A lot like today’s fold-away beds. The first woman to design an ironing board, Sarah Mort obtained a patent in 1866 and Henry Soggs of Pennsylvania obtained a patent for a modern style ironing board with folding legs in 1869. Before Sarah Boone’s invention, JH Mallory designed a more modern designed ironing board. However, he called his the” ironing table”.
Remember inventions are hard to prove belonging to one individual or another unless it was widely used, sold immediately after development or, the blueprint of the invention is clearly dated. A patent on the other hand is dated, officially signed and witnessed. It is believed that the ironing board may have been invented in the 1840’s.
Today more and more patents are being issued. Garry Allen from Australia should be credited with the latest design. An Ironing board which can be folded to a size of a briefcase and when extended can be rotated 180 degrees.
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