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What has 200 years of American patent ingenuity brought us?

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Patent No. 159,846

Patent No. 179,199

Patent No. 14,967

Patent No. 204,142
A better "bicycle" — one that can be used on land AND on sea.

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Patent No. 92,808
A better
life boat, complete with
hand-powered propeller.

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Patent No. 31,562
And of course, a better moustrap.

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Patent No. 102,133
Learn about these and more than 400 inventions that changed the way we live, work, and play.

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About the Rothschilds

Alan and Ann Rothschild owned the Rothschild Patent Model Collection, the largest privately owned collection of patent models encompassing over 4,000 patent models and related documents. The Collection spans the American Industrial Revolution. The Rothschild Patent Model Collection is now permanently located at the Hagley Museum and Library in Wilmington, Delaware. READ MORE

“The Rothschild Patent Model Collection lets us see how different our lives would be without the spirit of invention. Seeing what other inventors have done is what motivates us to think outside of the box and to look at life differently. Do we want to watch life go by or be a part of it?”

—Steve Wozniak, Co-Founder of Apple Computer

Latest Blog Post

This is the How Christian F.T. Steinway’s Inventions Revolutionized the Piano Industry

Steinway Pianos In 1853, Steinway & Sons was formed. Operations began in a rental loft at 85 Varick Street in New York City. The Steinway business was a family affair, with father, Henry Engelhard Steinway, working as both a master … READ MORE

Patent Fact

The first U.S. patent issued to a woman went to Mary Dixon Kies in 1809.

News Flash

The Smithsonian American Art Museum gallery featured Inventing a Better Mousetrap from 2011 – 2013. Learn more about the exhibit…Learn more about patent model’s and Alan Rothschild’s collection in “Patent models trace history and highlights of 19th century innovation.”