Lyda D. Newman

Lyda D. Newman was a patented African American inventor and involved activist for women's suffrage. She is known for the invention of a durable hair brush.[1]

Lyda D. Newman
NationalityAmerican
Occupationinventor and activist
Known forActivist for women's suffrage. Inventing and creating a hairbrush that was durable and could be taken apart for cleaning.

Early Life and General Background

Newman was born approximately between 1865 and 1885 in Ohio,[1] but there is no information regarding her exact dates of birth or death.[2]

She spent the majority of her life living and working in Manhattan, New York City, specifically in the neighborhood San Juan Hill.[2] Records indicate that she may have been of mixed race as she was cited interchangeably recording her race as mulatto and black on various papers.[2] Throughout her life, Newman’s primary occupation was hair care as she listed “hair specialist” or “hairdresser” in various New York City Directories and US Government Federal and New York City censuses.[2][3][4][5]

In addition to her work in New York City, Newman appears to have worked with hair in Newport, Rhode Island, during the Summer season. The The Newport Daily News contains the following advertisement in its July 20, 1903, edition:

“LYDA D. NEWMAN, OF NEW YORK. HAIR and SCALP SPECIALIST, Begs to announce that she has arrived for her ninth season in Newport and will be glad to receive calls from those desiring treatment. My original method of magnetic manipulation positively cures nervous exhaustion. Shampooing a specialty. 56 BATH ROAD.”[6][7]

Patent and Invention

In the late 1800s, Newman invented a hairbrush that could be taken apart easily for cleaning because it contained a compartment at the bottom that could be removed from the back and be cleaned.[8][9][10] The U.S. Patent 614,335[11] was filed on July 11, 1898 and granted on November 15, 1898. The hairbrush she invented is described in her patent as "simple and durable in construction" and being "very effective when in use". [11] See gallery for diagram of the hairbrush.

Activism

As well as creating her patented invention, Newman was an active community member and organizer for women's suffrage in the early 20th century. As a suffragist, she spent her time canvasing neighborhoods in New York City, hosted street meetings to educate passing people, [3] and to support the New York Woman Suffrage Party, Newman started the Negro Suffrage Headquarters in Manhattan. [3] [2]

On August 29, 1915, the New York Times noted under “Suffrage Centre for Negroes,” “The Woman Suffrage Party is to open a suffrage headquarters for colored people at 207 West Sixty-third Street on Wednesday. This will be in charge of Miss Lyda Newman, who is doing excellent work for suffrage among her own people. The headquarters will be gayly decorated with suffrage posters, flags and streamers. Many colored women have been asked to play hostess at the new headquarters while Miss Newman goes canvassing among voters in the neighborhood (sic).”[12]

On Thursday, September 2, 1915, the New York Times followed up with a second news blurb under “Negro Suffrage Headquarters,” “Headquarters for the work of the negro suffragists were opened at 207 West Sixty-third Street last evening with a big open-air meeting outside the building. Miss Lyda D. Newman is in charge of the work, and will continue canvasing and organizing street meetings through the thirteenth Assembly District from now until election day. Dr. Mary Halton and Miss Portia Willis were among the speakers last evening. Sixty-third Street was opened yesterday as a play street with no traffic from 3 to 9 P.M., and mothers are invited to the headquarters and watch their children play from the windows (sic).”[13]

In 1924, seven years after women's suffrage was achieved in the year 1917, Lyda Newman can be found on the 51st election district for New York City voter list as a registered voter. [2]

  • The hairbrush invented by Lyda Newman, 1898
gollark: It just defines things for use by some presumably later-on code.
gollark: Anyway, from the bit I can see... which is horribly indented and seemingly incomplete... not much, really.
gollark: I was talking about your first code snippet, sorry.
gollark: Oh, the edit function itself.
gollark: I guess they didn't know about pcall.

References
  1. "Lyda Newman", Biography.com.
  2. Lounsberry, Megan. Biographical Sketch of Lyda Newman. Alexandria: Alexander Street, 2019. Women and Social Movements in the United States,1600-2000 database. Alexander Street.
  3. GALLAGHER, JULIE A. “FIGHTING FOR RIGHTS IN THE 1910s AND 1920s (Excerpt).” 100 Years of Women's Suffrage: A University of Illinois Press Anthology, edited by DAWN DURANTE, by Nancy A. Hewitt, University of Illinois Press, Urbana, Chicago; Springfield, 2019, pp. 123–137. JSTOR, www.jstor.org/stable/10.5406/j.ctvsf1p2f.11. Accessed 5 May 2020.
  4. Newman Lydia (sic) D. hair, 620, 6th av, New York, New York, City Directory, 1894, p. 1035; Newman, Lyda D hair specialist h210 W63rd, New York, New York, City Directory, 1916, page 1252. Both references located under Lyda Newman, ancestry.com, August 8, 2020.
  5. As noted by previous biographers, Newman is listed in the 1910 and 1920 United States Federal Censuses; the 1905 and 1925 New York State Censuses; and the New York, New York, Voter List, 1924. Located in ancestry.com, August 10, 2020.
  6. "LYDA D. NEWMAN OF NEW YORK". Newport Daily News, Newport, Rhode Island.: 7. July 20, 1903 – via ancestry.com.
  7. For additional information concerning African Americans and Newport, Rhode Island. "Gilded Age Newport in Color: A Photographic Journey". 1696 Heritage Group, PO Box 4238, Newport, RI 02842. Retrieved August 18, 2020.
  8. David M. Foy (2 February 2012). Great Discoveries and Inventions by African-Americans: Fourth Edition. AuthorHouse. pp. 63–64. ISBN 978-1-4685-2435-2.
  9. “RECENTLY PATENTED INVENTIONS.” Scientific American, vol. 79, no. 23, 1898, pp. 364–364. JSTOR, www.jstor.org/stable/26119071. Accessed 5 May 2020.
  10. "Lyda Newman". Famous Women Inventors. Retrieved 20 March 2014.
  11. Newman, Lyda D. BRUSH. 14 Nov. 1898.
  12. No by-line. (August 29, 1915). "Suffrage Centre for Negroes". New York Times.: Page 6. – via ProQuest Historical Newspapers.
  13. No by-line. (September 2, 1915). "Negro Suffrage Headquarters". The New York Times.: Page 5. – via ProQuest Historical Newspapers.
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