Pioneering Black Inventor Marie Van Brittan Brown Created Modern Home Security
In the mid-1960s, nurse Marie Van Brittan Brown faced a troubling reality in her Queens, New York neighborhood – rising crime rates and slow police response times.
Determined to increase her safety, the African American inventor devised an ingenious solution that would transform home security systems for decades to come.
Fearful and Vulnerable at Home
Born in Jamaica, Queens in 1922, Brown kept irregular hours as a nurse, often returning home alone late at night. Her husband Albert, an electronics technician, also worked unconventional schedules.
“The crime rate was high in their neighborhood, and the police were often slow to respond to emergencies. These issues inspired Brown to create a security system that allowed her to tell who was outside their home,” said James Howard, Executive Director of the Black Inventors Hall of Fame.
Innovating Out of Necessity
Enlisting her husband’s technical expertise, Brown designed the first known video home security system in 1966. Her pioneering invention consisted of peepholes, a sliding camera, television monitors, two-way microphones, and a remote-control door lock.
“With multiple peepholes, the sliding camera was able to capture images of people who were different heights. The two-way microphones allowed Brown to communicate with the person outside. She also had a remote that would allow her to unlock the door at a safer distance,” said Dr. Alice Jones, curator at the National Inventors Hall of Fame.
Historic Impact
On August 1, 1966, Brown and her husband filed U.S. patent 3482037 for the “home security system utilizing television surveillance.” The patent was approved in 1969, with Brown listed as the principal inventor.
“Brown’s invention has been cited 36 times by other patent applicants, including as recently as 2013, according to Google Patents. Neither Brown nor her husband ever filed another patent,” Howard noted.
Though her name remains little-known, Brown’s pioneering home security system paved the way for the massive video surveillance industry we have today. Her patent influenced countless subsequent inventions that made home security more affordable and widespread.
Delayed Recognition
While her technology was too expensive for most households in the late 1960s, Brown’s vision has come to fruition. Global video surveillance was worth $45.5 billion in 2020 and is projected to exceed $60 billion by 2023.
“Staying off the radar has been rather easy for the African American inventor for centuries,” Howard said. “Ours is a history replete with stories like Brown’s — steeped in anonymity.”
Brown passed away in 1999 at age 76, just before her home security innovation became ubiquitous. Though her recognition was long-delayed, her crucial contributions made homes and neighborhoods across America safer.
