Marie Van Brittan Brown facts for kids

Marie Van Brittan Brown (October 30, 1922 – February 2, 1999) was an American nurse and innovator. In 1966, she invented a video home security system along with her husband Albert Brown, an electronics technician. In the same year, they applied for a patent for their innovative security system, which was granted in 1969. Her innovation has had a huge impact on the entire security system. Her idea has expanded beyond just security for those at home, and her ideas can be seen with security systems in businesses around the world. Brown was born in Jamaica, Queens, New York; she died there at the age of 76 in 1999.

Early life

Marie Van Brittan Brown's father was born in Massachusetts and her mother was from Pennsylvania. Both were African-American. Not much is known about the early life of Marie. Marie married an electrician named Albert Brown. Marie and her husband lived at 151–158 & 135th Avenue in Jamaica, Queens, New York. She worked as a nurse and her husband was an electrician, so they did not always have normal hours or simultaneously work. Her mother, father and grandmother all had the nickname "Dee Dee". She did not have any siblings. Marie and Brown had two children, a boy named Albert Brown Jr. and a girl named Norma Brown. Norma followed in her mother's footsteps and became a nurse and inventor. She had success in the innovative field as well as her mother, as she had over 10 inventions.

Brown died on February 2, 1999, at the age of seventy-six.

Home Security System

Due to the fact that Marie was a nurse and her husband Albert was an electrician, they both had irregular work hours, and often their work hours would not overlap. This would lead to many nights where Marie was left alone in her home at night. The crime rate in her neighborhood was very high, and inspired by the prolonged length of time it took the police to arrive in her neighborhood, Brown invented the first home security system. At the time, Brown was forty years old.

When Marie and her husband first came up with their security system, their invention consisted of four peepholes, a sliding camera, TV monitors, and microphones. The cameras could go from peephole to peephole. These cameras were connected to the TV monitors inside her home, and using those TV monitors, Marie could see exactly who was at her door, without having to physically be at the door and without having to actually open the door. The microphones also played a vital part in her invention, as with them she could talk with whoever was outside, again without actually having to open the door and be face to face with whoever was there. As was said earlier, Marie lived in an area with high crime, and this invention she created would allow her to feel much more safe inside her home. She no longer has to open up the door to see who is there, but rather she can see from the safety of her house who is there.

On August 1, 1966, Marie and her husband submitted a patent application for her invention. It would be the first patent of its kind, and her husband's name was below hers. The patent was granted by the government on December 2, 1969, and four days later, the New York Times ran an article about her invention.

Legacy

Marie Van Brittan Brown's invention of her home security system has had a huge impact on the security systems in place as a whole. Her idea was extremely innovative; it was her initial idea that allowed people to build upon that idea and create security systems that we still see today. Sade Baderinwa says that "if you have a 'home security system' protecting your home, you have [Marie Van Brittan Brown] to thank" (Baderinwa, 2021). She has revolutionized the entire security system, and this quote means that all security brands such as ADT, Ring, and more all have her to thank for her initial idea. Brown's initial idea has continued to be used to help people around the world feel safer and more secure inside of their homes. She was recognized in the New York Times and received an award from the National Scientists Committee for her work. Unfortunately, Marie van Brittan Brown died before she could see the new innovations added to her invention. But her impact will never be forgotten. Any security system, whether it be at homes, businesses, or banks, can all be traced back to her invention. As more home security systems came to the market, Brown's initial invention became even more influential. Her invention was cited in at least 32 future patent applications. Unfortunately, after her successful patent application in 1969, the media coverage of her product ceased. The home security business is expected to be at least a $1.5B business and is expected to triple by 2024.

See also

In Spanish: Marie Van Brittan Brown para niños List of African-American inventors and scientists