http://blog.modernmechanix.com/2006/03/07/pimp-your-ride-with-turn-signals/ Yesterday's tomorrow, today. Fri, 10 Feb 2012 18:19:00 +0000 hourly 1 http://wordpress.org/?v=3.1.4 http://blog.modernmechanix.com/2006/03/07/pimp-your-ride-with-turn-signals/comment-page-1/#comment-1075384 Mark Wed, 03 Feb 2010 21:17:51 +0000 http://blog.modernmechanix.com/2006/03/07/pimp-your-ride-with-turn-signals/#comment-1075384 Florence Lawrence was the very first official "movie star" in the world back in 1910. because until her fame all of the studios had successfully kept actors names anonymous, in fact prior to her public fame she was known as "The Biograph Girl" with Biograph Studios. Florence was one of the few people who could afford an automobile in those early days and she actually invented the very first turn signal, but did not patent it correctly and so it was quickly snatched away from her by all the automobile manufacturers. Her invention used signs to indicate stopping and turn signals; although the signs were obviously replaced with lights, the foot pedal designs she created were very similar. She also invented the windshield wiper, which was also stolen for the very same reason--ironically the intermittent windshield wiper was also stolen decades later as is portrayed in the movie "Flash of Genius". Florence Lawrence was the very first official “movie star” in the world back in 1910. because until her fame all of the studios had successfully kept actors names anonymous, in fact prior to her public fame she was known as “The Biograph Girl” with Biograph Studios. Florence was one of the few people who could afford an automobile in those early days and she actually invented the very first turn signal, but did not patent it correctly and so it was quickly snatched away from her by all the automobile manufacturers. Her invention used signs to indicate stopping and turn signals; although the signs were obviously replaced with lights, the foot pedal designs she created were very similar. She also invented the windshield wiper, which was also stolen for the very same reason–ironically the intermittent windshield wiper was also stolen decades later as is portrayed in the movie “Flash of Genius”.

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