The Story of the Home Security System Inventor and Nurse, Mary Van Brittan Brown

The Story of the Home Security System Inventor and Nurse, Mary Van Brittan Brown

Mary Van Brittan Brown was an African American nurse whose innovative spirit led her to invent one of the earliest home security systems.

She was born in 1922, in Jamaica, Queens, New York.

Mary worked as a nurse- a profession known for its irregular hours. Her husband, Albert L. Brown, was an electronics technician. Together, they shared an interest in technology and safety, which would eventually lead to their collaborative invention. Living in an area where police response times were slow due to crime rates, Marie felt the need for a security system that would allow her to monitor who was at her door from the safety of her home.

In 1966, driven by this need, Mary, with the technical assistance of her husband, invented a home security system. This system utilized a combination of peepholes, a sliding camera, television monitors, and two-way microphones. The setup allowed them to see who was at their door through different height-level peepholes, each captured by the camera and displayed on a monitor inside their home. A unique aspect was the ability to remotely unlock the door if the visitor was recognized, or to sound an alarm if there was cause for concern. This invention was patented on December 2, 1969, under the title "Home Security System Utilizing Television Surveillance" (Patent No. 3482037).

The system was groundbreaking for its time, essentially laying the groundwork for modern CCTV security systems. It wasn't just a tool for home use; businesses soon saw the value in her invention, expanding its application beyond residential security.

Brown's contributions were recognized by the National Science Committee, which awarded her for her innovative security system. Her work influenced countless future inventions in home security, with her patent cited in numerous subsequent applications.

She passed away in 1999. Her legacy lives on in the security industry, which has grown into a multibillion-dollar market.

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