A Smithsonian Institution poster exhibit celebrating the history of women inventors will be on display in Dare County Library’s Kill Devil Hills and Manteo locations in early 2022.
The exhibition, “Picturing Women Inventors,” showcases the many breakthroughs, motivations and challenges that American women have encountered while pursuing their goals and ambitions as inventors throughout the 20th and 21st centuries, according to the release.
Sponsor Spotlight
Presented by the Smithsonian Institution and the United States Patent and Trademark Office, the exhibition will be at the Kill Devil Hills library Jan. 3-31 then will move to the Manteo location Feb. 2-28.
The poster exhibition explores the inventions of 19 accomplished American women ranging from astronauts and athletes to engineers and computer pioneers.
“Throughout American history, women of all ages and with diverse backgrounds and interests have created inventions that change countless lives every day; however, women haven’t always had equal opportunities to be inventors or received as much recognition as their male counterparts,” officials said.
Among the 19 women inventors who are featured in the exhibition is Alexis Lewis. At 12 years old in 2011, she was inspired to adapt a traditional Native American sled known as a “travois” by adding wheels in order to create a simpler way for people to transport their children and belongings to camps and hospitals in Somalia.
The exhibit also recognizes Marilyn Hamilton, who was left paralyzed by a hang-gliding accident in 1978. She invented with the help of two friends a lightweight and easy-to-maneuver wheelchair and went on to win two U.S. Women’s Open Singles wheelchair championships.
Sponsor Spotlight
The “Picturing Women Inventors” exhibition is presented at no cost to libraries, schools, museums and community organizations by the Smithsonian Institution Traveling Exhibition Service in collaboration with the Lemelson Center for the Study of Invention and Innovation and the United States Patent and Trademark Office.
The exhibition is sponsored by Lyda Hill Philanthropies’ IF/THEN initiative, as well as Ericsson, a leading provider of information and communication technology.
For more information, visit the Dare County Library website or contact the Kill Devil Hills Library at 252-441-4331 or the Manteo Library at 252-473-2372.
