MARY KENNER

Blue glass with gold hardware. Artsy style earrings. Definitely  a head turner and very unique. 

HISTORY ON BLACK INVENTOR 

Kenner showed mechanical aptitude at the age of six by attempting to develop a self-oiling hinge.[5] She completed the patent application for her invention of the adjustable sanitary belt in 1954[2] and the patent was granted in 1956.[4][7] The invention was described as an eliminator for “chafing and irritation normally caused by devices of [its] class.”[2] However, the company that first showed interest in her invention, the Sonn-Nap-Pack Company, rejected it after they discovered that she was African American.[1][2][4][7] Kenner never made any money from the sanitary belt, because her patent expired and became public domain, allowing it to be manufactured freely.[1] She later invented a modification of the sanitary belt that included a "moisture resistant pocket."[9]

In an interview, Mary Kenner said, "one day I was contacted by a company that expressed an interest in marketing my idea. I was so jubilant ... I saw houses, cars, and everything about to come to my way." A representative made their way to Washington to speak with Kenner and she continues to explain that they had rejected her by saying, "Sorry to say, when they found out I was black, their interest dropped. The representative went back to New York and informed me the company was no longer interested."[8]

Between 1956 and 1987 she received five total patents for her household and personal item creations,[9][10] which is the largest number of patents held by a black woman.[5] She shared the patent on the toilet tissue holder with her sister, Mildred Davidson.[11] She also held a patent on a back washer that could be mounted on the shower or bathtub wall, also known as a backwash.[9][11] This invention was patented in 1987, with patent number 4696068.[11] She also patented the carrier attachment for a walker in 1959, after Mildred developed multiple sclerosis

Source:Wikipedia