BESSIE BLOUNT

Clay earthy tone light weight earrings with gold hardware.

BLACK INVENTOR HISTORY 

Bessie Blount was a physical therapist from New Jersey who invented a device that helped handicapped soldiers, returned from the Second World War, feed themselves if they had lost limbs. Her electric device-dispensed liquified food through a tube to a mouthpiece that could be used whether its user was sitting up or lying down. Biting down on the tube signaled the machine to deliver another mouthful.

In 1951, Blount patented a portable receptacle support, featuring a brace that could hang around the neck, along with an attachment for a cup or bowl, that allowed someone with arm injuries to hold something close to his or her face. Working in hospitals led Blount to observe a relationship between physical health and handwriting characteristics. Expanding on this, she published a technical paper of “medical graphology,” which jump-started a career in handwriting analysis and forensics.