Maria Christina Bruhn
Encyclopedia
Maria Christina Bruhn was a Swedish
inventor, likely to be the first patented female inventor of her country.
Bruhn was the eldest of three daughters of the book printer Johan Bruhn (d. 1742). She took over a tapestry
- and wallpaper
manufactury after the death of her widowed mother Inga Christina in 1751. In 1771, the Royal Swedish Academy of Sciences
offered a reward for anyone who would be able to produce a suitable package for gunpowder
for the army. During her work manufacturing paint
and preparing paper, she had been inspired to the idea which she presented to the academy 2 March 1774. In a letter form 1783, she explained that she often experimented during her work. The men of the Academy expressed deep scepticism against the invention of a woman, and it took twelve years of testing, during which she had to fight among others the attempts of Anrep, General of the Artillery, to take credit for her invention, before the ministry of war approved it, recognised her as its inventor and gave her the reward in 1786. Her invention was long used within the Swedish army.
Sweden
Sweden , officially the Kingdom of Sweden , is a Nordic country on the Scandinavian Peninsula in Northern Europe. Sweden borders with Norway and Finland and is connected to Denmark by a bridge-tunnel across the Öresund....
inventor, likely to be the first patented female inventor of her country.
Bruhn was the eldest of three daughters of the book printer Johan Bruhn (d. 1742). She took over a tapestry
Tapestry
Tapestry is a form of textile art, traditionally woven on a vertical loom, however it can also be woven on a floor loom as well. It is composed of two sets of interlaced threads, those running parallel to the length and those parallel to the width ; the warp threads are set up under tension on a...
- and wallpaper
Wallpaper
Wallpaper is a kind of material used to cover and decorate the interior walls of homes, offices, and other buildings; it is one aspect of interior decoration. It is usually sold in rolls and is put onto a wall using wallpaper paste...
manufactury after the death of her widowed mother Inga Christina in 1751. In 1771, the Royal Swedish Academy of Sciences
Royal Swedish Academy of Sciences
The Royal Swedish Academy of Sciences or Kungliga Vetenskapsakademien is one of the Royal Academies of Sweden. The Academy is an independent, non-governmental scientific organization which acts to promote the sciences, primarily the natural sciences and mathematics.The Academy was founded on 2...
offered a reward for anyone who would be able to produce a suitable package for gunpowder
Gunpowder
Gunpowder, also known since in the late 19th century as black powder, was the first chemical explosive and the only one known until the mid 1800s. It is a mixture of sulfur, charcoal, and potassium nitrate - with the sulfur and charcoal acting as fuels, while the saltpeter works as an oxidizer...
for the army. During her work manufacturing paint
Paint
Paint is any liquid, liquefiable, or mastic composition which after application to a substrate in a thin layer is converted to an opaque solid film. One may also consider the digital mimicry thereof...
and preparing paper, she had been inspired to the idea which she presented to the academy 2 March 1774. In a letter form 1783, she explained that she often experimented during her work. The men of the Academy expressed deep scepticism against the invention of a woman, and it took twelve years of testing, during which she had to fight among others the attempts of Anrep, General of the Artillery, to take credit for her invention, before the ministry of war approved it, recognised her as its inventor and gave her the reward in 1786. Her invention was long used within the Swedish army.