The Donut Machine
The US sells 10 billion donuts every year, but they might not sell so quickly were it not for this Manhattan-born invention. Russian immigrant Adolph Levitt came up with the first donut machine, based on his experiences at his bakery on 125th Street. There were previous patents for a similar device, but it's Levitt's Doughnut Corporation of America that turned the treats into the cultural force they remain today.
Home Security Systems and CCTV
Over 12 million Ring-style video doorbells are sold every year. They owe their existence to Jamaica, Queens, where homeowners and innovators Marie Van Brittan Brown and Albert Brown patented the first video home security system. They installed the first system in their home at 151–158 135th Ave. and received their US patent on December 2, 1969. Their idea is also the forerunner of the CCTV that now encircles the globe.
Corrugated Cardboard
175 million tons of corrugated cardboard are produced globally every year. The innovation came from a New Yorker, Albert L. Jones, who patented it as an improvement for packing (it provided more cushioning and opened up the world of Amazon boxes that we live in today). December 19, 1871 was the beginning, with Jones’ patent. It’s hard to imagine how we ever lived without it.
Source: “Made In NYC,” by Ethan Wolff, March 2024, City Guide New York
Contributed by Bobbie Roggemann