Lewis
Howard Latimer , the son of a slave in Virginia, was
born in Chelsea, Massachusetts in September 1848. Latimer received
part of his education at a Farm School for boys. At fifteen years of
age he enlisted in the Union Navy and saw action along the James
River during the Civil War. After the war, Latimer returned to Boston
to seek work. Self trained as a draftsman, Latimer worked at a
machine shop in Bridgeport, Connecticut.
During his early career, he worked with Alexander Graham Bell and provided the drawings for Bell's patent application for the telephone. Latimer also worked with Herman Maxim, the inventor of the machine gun. With Maxim's assistance, Latimer was able to invent and patent the first electric lamp with a carbon filament. Using his invention, Latimer supervised the installation of electric street lighting for the cities of Philadelphia, London (England), and New York.
In addition to his inventions, Latimer is known for his writings. His book on electricity, Incandescent Electric Lighting: A Practical Description of the Edison System was published in 1890. Latimer died in 1928 at the age of 80.
References
Sertima, I.V. (1986). Blacks in Science: Ancient and Modern. New Brunswick, CT: Journal of African Civilizations.