Harriet Tracy

Harriet Tracy (1834-1918) was a famous 19th-century inventor who garnered over 27 patents. Her first invention was an improved crib attachment for bedsteads, which was followed by six patents for safety elevators and 17 for sewing machines.

One of her best known inventions was the “Tracy Gravity Safety Elevator.” She was awarded a patent for it in 1892, and it was used in the Woman’s Building at the World’s Columbian Exposition in Chicago in 1893. It featured an automatic platform that closed the elevator shaft, which reduced falls and injuries.