The Woman Who Revolutionized the Laundry Room: Ellen Eglin

While names like Edison or Bell are household staples, many of the most practical inventions in history came from the minds of those whose names were nearly erased by time. One such visionary was Ellen Eglin, an African American inventor who changed the way the world did laundry in the late 19th century.

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Early Life and Biography

Details of Ellen Eglin’s early life are unfortunately sparse, a common reality for Black women in the 1800s. We know she was born in Washington, D.C. around 1849.

Eglin spent a significant portion of her life working as a housekeeper and a government clerk. It was during her time managing household chores that she identified a grueling, repetitive pain point: the manual wringing of wet, heavy clothes. At the time, laundry was an all-day, back-breaking labor that involved twisting fabric by hand to squeeze out water before hanging it to dry.

Education and Intellectual Drive

There is no formal record of Eglin receiving a high school or university education. However, her invention proves she possessed a high degree of mechanical intuition and spatial intelligence. Like many great inventors of the Industrial Revolution, her "schooling" was the practical observation of mechanical deficiencies in daily life.

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The Big Accomplishment: The Clothes Wringer

In 1888, Eglin invented a high-functioning mechanical clothes wringer. Her design featured two rollers geared together; when a crank was turned, wet clothes were pulled through the rollers, effectively squeezing out the water.

Why didn't she patent it?

In one of the most poignant moments in history, Eglin sold the rights to her invention to a white agent for a mere $18. When asked why she didn't patent it herself and reap the rewards, she told the Woman Inventor magazine in 1890:

"You know I am black and if it was known that a negro woman patented the invention, white ladies would not buy the wringer. I was afraid to be known because of my color in having the machine placed upon the market."

Despite this, her design was a massive commercial success and laid the groundwork for the modern washing machine.

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Legacy and Impact

Ellen Eglin’s legacy is twofold:

1. Technological: Her roller design was the direct predecessor to the automated wringers found on early electric washing machines.

2. Social: She serves as a powerful symbol of the "hidden figures" in American history. Her story highlights the systemic barriers that prevented women of color from receiving credit for their intellectual property.

Today, she is celebrated in STEM circles as a pioneer who prioritized the progress of her invention over personal fame, even if that choice was forced by the prejudices of her era.

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Sources & Further Reading

• The Black Inventor Online Museum: Ellen Eglin

• MIT Lemelson Program: Ellen Eglin Biography

• Scientific American: Black Women Inventors