259 results for: Innovation and Invention
Pressure cooker used at a Kentucky Fried Chicken franchise owned by Gill Centioli, founder of Gil's Hamburgers
Gill Centioli opened his 19-cent hamburger stand in the Rainier Valley neighborhood of Seattle in 1950. He soon operated three fast food drive-ins known as Gil's Hamburgers (dropping one "L") during the 1950s. Meanwhile, Harlan Sanders, prior to moving to Kentucky in 1952 to establish his world wide fast food chain, briefly worked as a cook (and possibly perfected his…
ID Number:2022.25.1
Date:Circa 1957-1959
TRS-80 Model 100 portable computer and peripherals, ca. 1983
The TRS-80 Model 100 portable computer was introduced in 1983 by Tandy and Microsoft, and sold in Radio Shack stores. The 32 KB read-only memory of the Model 100 contains the Microsoft BASIC 80 programming language and was the last computer that Bill Gates had a direct hand in progamming the operating system. He is quoted in an interview with…
ID Number:2022.100computer.1
Date:Circa 1983
Glass bottle from the Northwestern Glass Co., Seattle, ca. 1930s-1940s
Northwestern Glass Co. is a local business that began operations in 1932. The plant made bottle and jars and was the first factory to use electricity to melt glass. Northwestern was acquired by Indian Head Corp. (Obear-Nester) in 1968 but retained its identity and remained in business until 1987. The donor discovered this bottle washed up on a beach on…
ID Number:2023.10.1
Date:Circa 1930-1940
Talking Rain bottle, 1987
Talking Rain beverage company was founded in 1987 by John Stevens and Pete Hiskin in Bellevue, Washington. This bottle is from the first year of production. According to the company website, the name "Talking Rain" was created when the two founders were in Murphy's Bar in the Wallingford neighborhood of Seattle hatching a plan to sell sparkling water with natural…
ID Number:2023.22.1
Date:1987
Tilting rotational recreational device, "Billy Board," ca. 1990
The "Billy Board" is a recreational device designed by University of Washington civil engineer professor and inventor Dr. Billy Hartz (1927-2011). He was known for his work in finite element analysis and research on the dynamics of floating structures. The goal of the “Billy Board” is to improve balance. The top platform rotates and the whole device can be adjusted…
ID Number:2023.41.1
Date:Circa 1990
Fleming Bottle Cutter, ca. 1968
This apparatus is essentially a prototype for the Fleming Bottle and Jug Cutter that was a popular glass cutting device in the 1970s. Floyd Fleming invented this bottle cutter in 1968, working out of his garage in Burien, Washington.
ID Number:2024.11.1
Date:1967-1972
Jar of Original Hill's Bro BBQ Sauce, 2024
Run by brothers Robert and Zebedee Hill, Hill's Brother's BBQ Pit opened in 1952 in a small wooden building on 21st Avenue between East Cherry and East Jefferson streets in Seattle's Central Area. The barbecue stand served sweet potato pie, spicy sauce on smoked ribs, and white bread and butter through the 1990s. MOHAI also has in the collection photos…
ID Number:2024.25.1
Date:2024
Roto-Vuer 3-D Stereo Viewer with carrying case, 1950s
This 1950s electric stereoviewer was designed and manufactured by Ster-e-o, Inc. once located at 1017 East Pike Street in Seattle. It is handheld and holds up to 60 slides. According to the instruction manual, "The Roto-Vuer is a precision-built and precision assembled mechanical and optical instrument. It has been designed for long, hard usage and its materials were selected accordingly--yet…
ID Number:2024.57.1
Date:Circa 1950
Phone-Kon-Trole device invented by Morton Clark and Carroll Priestley, ca. 1925
The Phone-Kon-Trole was invented by the donor's great-grandfather, Morton Clark, Sr. in the early 1920s. The device was used with early 20th century rotary phones. These telephones had a lightweight base with a rotary dial, small neck, and cradle for the handset. It took one hand to hold the phone steady and the other hand to dial, leaving no hands…
ID Number:2025.15.1
Date:Circa 1925