Discover the Top 13 Amazing Fun Facts about Marie Van Brittan Brown: The Brilliant Inventor and Trailblazer You Need to Know

1. Nursing Night Shifts Inspire CCTV

Being safe and sound took a technological leap back in 1969, all thanks to a nurse who didn't possess the superpowers of Marvel's Night Nurse, but certainly felt the need for heightened home security after her late-night shifts: Marie Van Brittan Brown invented the first closed-circuit television security system, consisting of peepholes, a sliding camera, television monitors, and two-way microphones, allowing her to communicate and unlock the door remotely. Her innovation earned her a patent, recognition from The New York Times, the National Scientists Committee, and laid the foundation for modern security systems used globally.
Source => lemelson.mit.edu

2. Feeling "Peepshow" Paranoid

When Marie Van Brittan Brown was feeling "peepshow" paranoid and wanted to channel her inner James Bond to keep a watchful eye on her doorstep: she invented the first home security system in 1966, featuring a sliding camera, multiple peepholes, TV monitors, two-way microphones, and a remote-controlled door unlocking mechanism! Her closed-circuit television system is still used today in banks and office buildings, securing her position as the queen of surveillance.
Source => lemelson.mit.edu

Did you know? Thomas Edison's electric-lamp patent in 1880 not only illuminated our world but also led to over 1,000 inventions, revolutionizing industries with the phonograph and the moving picture camera. Discover more about this brilliant inventor!

=> Fun Facts about Thomas-Edison

3. Marie - The Original Bond Girl

Move over, James Bond: Marie Van Brittan Brown was secretly spicing up the world of home security before you could say "shaken, not stirred." This cunning innovator crafted the first-ever CCTV system, seasoned with four peepholes, a mobile camera, television monitors, and two-way microphones, allowing her to engage in espionage-worthy conversation with any door-side visitor – all while packing the ability to summon the fuzz at a moment's notice. In essence, Brown's trailblazing invention became the blueprint for today's high-tech security systems.
Source => lemelson.mit.edu

4. Cozy Confines Communication

Before Marie Van Brittan Brown came along, the only way to communicate with someone on your doorstep was to open up and risk unwanted guests - not just in-laws, but irksome salespeople or pesky villains too: Fear not! For her ingenious invention provided both video surveillance and audio communication between homeowners and the great uninvited, allowing for a civilized chat without leaving the cozy confines of one's abode.
Source => allthatsinteresting.com

5. Real-life Superhero Marie

Who needs superheroes when you have Marie Van Brittan Brown on your side: the pioneering woman who single-handedly flipped the switch on home security with her brilliant invention in 1969! With her unparalleled closed-circuit television (CCTV) system, multiple peepholes, camouflaging cameras, TV monitors, and two-way microphones, Brown not only became the first African American woman to receive a patent for a security system but also set the groundwork for home security as we know it today. When trouble is afoot, Brown's remote unlock button and emergency alarm system were always there to save the day, solidifying her status as a true inventor and engineering legend.
Source => lemelson.mit.edu

6. Doorstep Magic and Mischief

If you've ever been intrigued by the magic of a "who goes there?" moment at your doorstep or the thrill of verbal battles between door-to-door salesmen and homeowners, then Marie Van Brittan Brown surely knew what mischief enthusiasts desperately needed: Brown invented the first-ever home security system, featuring four peepholes, a sliding camera, television monitors, and two-way microphones - ingeniously transforming the mundane doorbell into a cutting-edge closed-circuit television system for customizable surveillance. Her trailblazing creation has not only defined modern home security systems but has charmed its way into banks, office buildings, and apartment complexes alike.
Source => lemelson.mit.edu

7. From Wires and Cameras to a $56.9B Industry

Before she was making burglars quake in their boots and getting homeowners to feel as snug as a bug, Marie Van Brittan Brown was tinkering the night away with wires and cameras: Little did we know, she'd end up inventing the first home security system in the good ol' 1960s, birthing an industry now worth a whopping $56.9 billion!
Source => bobvila.com

8. Breaking & Entering the Past

Breaking & Entering the Past: Marie Van Brittan Brown's home security system was ahead of its time in the 1960s, equipped with an emergency button that not only notified the fuzz, aka police, but also reached out to her personal security squad. This formidable feature led to widespread adoption in banks, offices, and apartments, ensuring bags of cash and humble households alike were safe and sound.
Source => lemelson.mit.edu

9. Brown Duo: Prolific Inventors

In a tale worthy of Sherlock Holmes and Watson, Marie and Albert Brown took on the role of prolific inventors, defending homes and businesses from dastardly criminals: As creators of the first home security system in 1966, they didn't stop there. They further expanded their creative genius by obtaining a patent for a "Closed-Circuit Television System" in 1969, designed for businesses and even more advanced, featuring a video camera with pan, tilt, and zoom capabilities. So much for "elementary", my dear Watson, their inventions made quite the impact in the world of security.
Source => awis.org

10. DIY Bond Girl in Pajamas

Picture this: a DIY Bond girl decked out in pajamas, home alone, and armed with nothing but her wits and a certain revolutionary invention. Enter: Marie Van Brittan Brown, whose CCTV system with peepholes, sliding cameras, television monitors, and two-way microphones changed the game of home security. Thanks to her pioneering work, countless inventors were inspired to think creatively about safer communities, ultimately earning her an award from the National Scientists Committee.
Source => lemelson.mit.edu

11. A "Secure" Love

Breaking into the love-studded world of inventing couples, Marie Van Brittan Brown and her husband, Albert, were quite the "secure" duo: together, they co-created the early security system that evolved into modern home protection, jointly holding a patent for their groundbreaking brainchild.
Source => patentyogi.com

12. The Browns: Security Pioneers

Who needs ADT when you've got the Browns by your side? Apparently, home security goes way back, way before smart hubs: Marie Van Brittan Brown and her husband Albert L. Brown were awarded a patent on December 2, 1969, for inventing techno-wizardry that laid the foundation for what we know as home security systems, complete with closed-circuit television and audio monitoring. Commercial or not, their brainchild inspired over a dozen other inventors and continues to shape the security industry today.
Source => hunker.com

13. Before Big Brother, The Security Sorceress

Before Big Brother started watching, there was a savvy security sorceress who set the stage: Marie Van Brittan Brown invented the first home security system, which not only protected our humble abodes but also laid the foundation for modern surveillance with closed-circuit television systems, leading to 32 patent citations in its wake.
Source => lemelson.mit.edu