Posted on 9/30/2023
When you hop into your car and flick the switch to activate your windshield wipers during a rainstorm, you probably don't think much about their history. But the story behind these essential car accessories is more fascinating than you might imagine. The concept of windshield wipers dates back to the early 1900s when automobiles were still a novelty. The first wipers were far from the sleek, efficient devices we know today. Picture a hand-cranked contraption operated by the driver or a passenger. It wasn't exactly convenient, but it served its purpose in keeping the windshield clear. In 1903, a woman named Mary Anderson received a patent for her innovative window-cleaning device. Her design featured a lever inside the car that could be manually operated to move a rubber blade back and forth across the windshield. While it wasn't widely adopted at the time, it laid the foundation for future windshield wiper developments. It wasn't until the 1920s that electric windshi ... read more