John Stanard lived in a time when African Americans were segregated from society, but that didn’t stop him from revolutionizing the way people around the world stored and cooked their food. In 1891, Stanard was awarded a patent for his invention of the Freezer, which advanced on an earlier invention by African American Thomas Elkins 12yrs earlier. But Stanard wasn’t done. He would go on to invent the oil stove.
Stanard’s invention of the freezer revolutionized the modern kitchen. Before his invention, refrigerators had only been able to cool items for short periods of time. He changed all that by designing a new configuration that would be used in millions of units sold in coming decades.
He declared in his patent, “This invention relates to improvements in refrigerators, and it consists of certain novel arrangements and combinations of parts”. This is intended to advance on Thomas Elkins earlier invention.
While Thomas Elkins inventions made it possible for everyone to enjoy fresh foods without having to worry about spoilage or availability of certain ingredients due to seasonality or location, Stanard invention enabled longer preservation. Perishables such as vegetables and meat can be stored safely for months.
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Households and businesses can also save cost since most foods get expensive during their off-season. Most importantly, bulk shopping and cooking became possible. People could save time as often as possible for other engagements by being able to cook in bulk.
The oil stove was also revolutionary because it was much smaller than traditional wood-burning stoves, making it easier to store and use in small spaces like apartments. This allowed people who couldn’t afford larger homes to have access to appliances that would make cooking easier and more efficient.
What makes his story even more remarkable is that he achieved these feats despite facing tremendous racial discrimination during his lifetime. As an African American inventor living in post-Civil War United States, Stanard had to overcome many social barriers just to get his ideas recognized by those in authority with the power to grant him a patent for his inventions.
Through sheer determination and perseverance, John Stanard invented two life-changing products – the freezer as well as an oil stove. The latter helped people who couldn’t afford large kitchens still cook efficiently with minimal space requirements.
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