Hermann Hammesfahr
From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia
Hermann Hammesfahr (February 20, 1845 – November 23, 1914) was a Prussian-American inventor who invented a type of fiberglass cloth in which glass was interwoven with silk. He was awarded the patent by the United States Patent Office in 1880.[1][2] This was the earliest fiberglass of any kind that is known to have been patented.
Hammesfahr was born in Evangelisch, Flachsberg, Wald Solingen, Rhineland, Prussia and died in Brooklyn, New York—the son of Carl Wilhelm Hammesfahr (1811–1878) and Caroline Wilhelmine Remschied (1806–1878). The Hammesfahr family is an old Solingen steel family tracing its roots back to the medieval armorer's guild.[3]
The "grandfather" of fiber optics
This patent and a number of associated patents also provided the practical foundation for the development and production of fiber optics (Hammesfahr has been called "the grandfather of fiber optics")[citation needed] and fiberglass. All were purchased by the Libbey Glass Company in Toledo, Ohio.[4]
An immigrant from Prussia, he was known for his keen aesthetic achievements and technical innovations. Until recently, Hermann Hammesfahr and his contributions have been obscured, buried in scientific journals and first-hand historical accounts—and in many cases erroneously attributed to others, such as Edward Drummond Libbey, owner of Libbey Glass Company.[citation needed]
